Davis Goes Apple Picking

Davis the dog gets to go on an apple-picking outing with his folks. But apple picking is not for dogs. So Davis finds that he can joyfully embrace his options, making the best of the choices he is given. And he even gets a treat after all.

Underneath, it’s about making the best of the choices you’re given, with a calm, simple approach to self-regulation. When children close the last page, Liz hopes they feel connected to Davis and carry the gentle adventure of an outing with them.

Perfect for children 2 to 8, as a read-aloud or an early reader. And a lovely gift: the gift of engagement, for a child or a child at heart.

How this book was made

In January 2024, Liz brought an unfinished storyboard into one of her 8th grade English classes. “I’ll show you how I write it,” she told them, “and you can help me write it.” Her students became her editors. They told her when a sentence wasn’t clear and whether a drawing fit the idea, always gently: “We don’t want to tell you what to do, but we think it’d sound better this way.”

Near the end of the year, two boys asked to be in the book. Liz reminded them it was about her dog. “Well,” they said, “we could be squirrels.” Look closely at the apple-picking pages. On the last day of school, before they left for high school, she showed the whole class the book they had made together.

Perfectionism flew out the window and in its place entered joy.

Read the whole story in The Tale Wagging the Dog.