Murphy is a kinetic terrier whose acute sensibilities to all the smells and sounds and sights around give him a two-second attention span and an undeniable charm. This frenetic, stream-of-consciousness picture book is told from Murphy’s perspective. Murphy doesn’t even realize his name is simply Murphy, and not “Murphy-Stop-That,” which is how he introduces himself and how he’s always addressed by the humans in his life. Alice Provensen’s romp follows Murphy through the course of a day that is rarely calm and sometimes harrowing (it includes a ride in the dreaded car for a visit to the vet). But it’s always interesting and always entertaining. The illustrations of Murphy are part of the overall appeal, and they perfectly capture the energetic essence of the little dog. (Ages 5–8)

"Murphy-Stop-That is my name. I am a terrier. I bark. I bark at anything and everything and all the time."
As he goes through his day -- barking, eating, outsmarting the dumb animals on the farm, putting up with a visit to the vet -- Murphy never loses his doggy enthusiasm, even when he has to sleep out in the barn.
In her charming new tale, acclaimed author and illustrator Alice Provensen shows that every dog -- even a bad dog -- has his day.