Up beat: 'Roker The Puppy Dog' takes young readers on a musical journey

At first blush, “Roker The Puppy Dog” is a straightforward picture book for early readers, from preschool through elementary.

For the most part, it contains easy words accompanied by simple, full-page illustrations.

But “Roker” is more than that.

Up beat: 'Roker The Puppy Dog' takes young readers on a musical journey

The book is specifically designed for music therapists to apply educational strategies for their students and clients, said Dawn Thompson, the author and an Albuquerque music therapist.

Thompson said in a phone interview that the book can also be used by other therapists, by educators and even by members of the public.

“It’s designed to have predictable page turns, and appropriate length of pages,” she said.

Readers first meet Roker at his home where, we are informed, he has lots of love and toys. Still, he’s eager for outdoor adventure. That means entering unfamiliar worlds outside his home. On one page, we see his home’s door ajar, letting readers to conclude that’s how he leaves home.

Thompson said the story “incorporates academic concepts such as the five senses.”

Roker sees a tree with purple leaves and red berries. He tastes the berries. He feels a water puddle. Thompson said the book provides an opportunity for first readers to experience what she calls emotional regulation.

Roker encounters things that upset him.

In one verse, he sticks out his tongue after tasting berries and says “Yuck!” He confides that he won’t taste those berries again.

Roker further explains his displeasure with the berries. Looking high, looking low, wiggling his nose, wagging his tail, he says goodbye to the berries. His nose wiggles and his tail wags, but those responses are intended to be interpreted as negative reactions.

He moves on to a second encounter with the outdoors. Roker splashes in a puddle at the end of a street. After a while, he’s displeased with the water splashing. (After all, not all dogs love to prance in the water.) Roker says farewell to the puddle.

His third encounter is different.

Roker sees a blue-speckled butterfly. He decides he wants to play with the butterfly. Alas, the feeling isn’t mutual. The butterfly takes off, leaving Roker to deal with mild disappointment. He sighs and announces bravely, “I guess I’ll find another friend.” Nice to see Roker have an emotional bounce back.

What he does find at the end of his day of adventures is something familiar that takes his mind off of being let-down.

His adventures make Roker hungry and thirsty. Good timing. He hears the familiar, magical one-word call that stirs his tummy — Dinner! He heads straight home.

The familiar verse is slightly changed: “He looked high/he looked low/and he knew he was home.” Roker sees his leash on a rack on a wall inside his home: It’s next to keys on separate chains. The verse concludes with Roker wagging his tail — this time in joy — and gobbling his meal.

In the book’s last scene, Roker is seen snuggling up with a human and proclaiming, “This is the place for me.”

On the page following the story’s conclusion is a song Thompson wrote using much of the text of the book as the song’s lyrics. She has performed the song on guitar for clients.

Below the song is a QR code that readers can scan to listen to a full audio recording of the song.

On the next page is a list of book-related ideas that Thompson organized for therapists and educators. They include adding movements to the chorus, imitating Roker’s motions, identifying and playing instruments that mimic the sound effects in the story, and identifying emotions throughout the story.

Thompson writes that the story can be adapted so each verse can stand alone, or the story can be shortened to accommodate a student’s or a client’s attention span.

The book’s charming illustrations are by Melanie Haven, an artist and long-time Albuquerque friend of Thompson’s.

Roker’s adventures in the book, the author said, are all based on the real Roker’s experiences.

Roker is the name of a chihuahua-corgi mix, one of two of Thompson’s dogs.

Thompson said the book can be purchased at sites.google.com/view/rokerthepuppydog.