The Grumpy Pets Book Review

In The Grumpy Pets by Kristine A. Lombardi, Billy is on the quest to find the perfect pet.  His search begins at Perfect Pets Animal Rescue.  He sees tons of adorable dogs and cats but they are all too....happy.

Billy unhappily watches as the other children meet and adopt their perfect pets.  He is ready to give up when he hears a noise from a back room at the shelter.  Upon entering the room, Billy discovers that it is filled with...grumpy pets!  Could one of these animals be Billy's perfect match?

I found this story to be a very entertaining read.  The illustrations are simplistic, yet charming.  I especially love how Lombardi puts so much emphasis on the facial expressions of both the humans and the animals.  My absolute favorite illustration is where Lombardi has made the pets to look like their owners.  Hilarious!

This story has captured my heart for many reasons.  I love that Lombardi made Perfect Pets an animal rescue instead of a pet store.  Being a huge animal advocate/rescuer, I am thrilled that she is shedding light on the importance of adopting from local animal rescue groups and shelters.

I found the characters in the story very easy to relate to.  We all know a person like Sara, that perpetual optimist that refuses to see anything but the bright side.  And we all have our Billy days when we just cannot shake a case of the grumps.

What I loved most about the story is the dual theme of being misunderstood.  Not only was Billy viewed as being "grumpy," so were the pets at the back of the shelter.  Often times, rescued animals have had very difficult lives with heartbreaking stories of abuse and neglect.  They become fearful of humans and are labeled as "unadoptable."  What these animals need most is love, kindness and understanding.

Through the pure heart of a child, Billy was able to see through the facade of the grumpy pets to the very soul of these broken creatures.  In reading the story, I began to wonder if Billy might have some form of Autism.  Children with Autism are often misunderstood, which can be quite frustrating for the affected child.  Pets are a fantastic way of bringing people of all ages out of their shells.  From therapy to service dogs, these pooches are making huge differences in lives around the world.

This is a fantastic read that is sure to please children and animal lovers of all ages.

Teddy the Dog: Be Your Own Dog Book Review

Grab your sunglasses and prepare for adventure of catastrophic proportions!  In Teddy the Dog:  Be Your Own Dog by Keri Claiborne Boyle, we meet the leader of the pack himself...Teddy.  He is living the dream life while following his own personal motto of "Be you own dog."

One day, Teddy receives a mysterious package from his Aunt Marge.  He cannot believe his eyes when a cat jumps out of the box!  His world is completely turned upside down.

Teddy decides to teach Fishbreath everything he knows about being his own dog.  Much to his dismay, Fishbreath is not skilled at doing dog-like things.  Daring to think outside the box, Teddy tries his paw at becoming more cat-like.  He soon discovers that the feline life is not for him.  Will Teddy and Fishbreath ever be able to find common ground?

I simply adored this book from start to finish!  The illustrations by Jonathan Sneider are adorable and hilarious.  I especially love the illustration of Teddy and his friends at the local food cart.  The poodle with the empty hot dog bun cracks me up!

This is author Keri Claiborne Boyle's debut children's book and I think she has definitely knocked it out of the park.  The theme of being true to oneself is told beautiful through the eyes of Teddy and Fishbreath.  Each character tries their paw at being something that they're not.  In doing so, they find out that they can still be friends even if they are different.

I also loved the humor that is laced throughout the story.  From "...holy purple poodles..." to Teddy and Fishbreath's paw bump on the final page, I found myself laughing out loud with the turn of each page.  This is a wonderful story for animal lovers of all ages that is sure to become a treasured classic.

Wolf Camp Book Review

"Wolf Camp" by Andrea Zuill tells that tale of Homer, a dog that feels like he is a wolf.  He enjoys doing wolfish things, such as hunting his stuffed moose and howling at the moon.  While eating breakfast one day, Homer receives an invitation to attend Wolf Camp.

Through his persistent begging, Homer's family agrees to let him go to camp.  He can barely contain his excitement as he boards the bus with his fellow campers.  Homer soon finds out that being a wolf is very different from how he thought it would be.  Will he have the courage to stay at camp and become an honorary wolf?

This book has officially become one of my all time favorite children's books!  The illustrations are adorably heartwarming.  I fell in love with Homer the moment I saw the cover of the book!  Many of the illustrations remind me of some of my favorite childhood cartoons.

I greatly enjoyed that humor that is laced throughout the story.  From the subtle jokes on the professor's chalkboard to Pixie's moose hunting, I laughed and smiled the entire time I read this story.  Readers and animal lovers of all ages will be enchanted with this story.  I know that this book is destined to become a new children's classic.

Love Is My Favorite Thing Book Review

"Love Is My Favorite Thing" by Emma Chichester Clark is a charming children's book starring the adorable dog, Plum.  "Plummie" as she is called by her parents, introduces the reader to all of the things that she loves:  wind, treats, sticks, etc.  But her favorite thing of all is love.

On a trip to the park one day, everything goes terribly wrong.  Plum soon finds herself torn between causing mischief and wanting to be a good girl.  Will Plummie's crazy antics cost her the love of her family and friends?

I absolutely loved this book!  The illustrations are simplistic, yet whimsical.  I fell in love with Plum from page one.  Her expressions are priceless and truly capture the essence of dogs everywhere (especially mine!).  I also love Clark's use of soft colors.

Clark's talent as a writer truly shines in this multi-themed story.  The most obvious theme is that of an unconditional love between parent and child (or dog in this case).  No matter what a child does, a parent's love will always be there to guide and protect them.  The second more subtle theme is learning the value of obeying one's parents.  Plum knew that she was not supposed to get into mischief, but ignored her parent's rules.  Had she done as she was told, she would not have had to worry or wonder if her parents still loved her.

This book is a fantastic read for dog lovers of all ages.  The story allows reader's to take a peek into the mind of Plum, which may help us to better understand why dogs do the things that they do.  I can definitely see some of my dogs in Plum!