The Story of Diva and Flea Book Review

Two unlikely friends embark on a life altering journey in The Story of Diva and Flea by Mo Willems and Tony DiTerlizzi.  Diva is a small dog who lives in an apartment complex at 11 avenue Le Play in Paris, France.  She takes her job of guarding the courtyard very seriously.

Flea is a streetwise cat who loves exploring the city of lights.  One day, his travels take him past 11 avenue Le Play...and Diva.  He finds the petite pooch to be quite interesting.  Flea cannot understand why Diva runs away every time that someone enters the courtyard.  A miscommunication soon turns into a budding friendship.

Diva loves listening to Flea's stories about the wondrous sights of Paris.  She admires his bravery and courage and decides to become an explorer too.  Does this curious canine have what it takes to make it on the streets of Paris?  Can Flea conquer his fear of brooms and the humans that come with them?  Most importantly, will Diva and Flea's friendship survive despite their vastly different backgrounds?

I absolutely love this book!  The story reminds me of a mixture of Disney's Oliver and Company with a dash of Madeline.  While I have not been to Paris, I can definitely relate to the bond that Diva and Flea share.  My husband and I rescued a two week old kitten from the middle of main street in our town and our three-legged dog, Penny, immediately bonded with the kitten and began raising her. 

This story has so many fantastic themes woven intricately within the chapters.  I also love how the story is told from both Diva and Flea's perspective.  It is truly magical to see how their individual lives come together to create a relationship that each hadn't thought possible.

Tony DiTerlizzi's illustrations are enchanting.  Readers of all ages will fall in love with the adorable Diva and Flea.  I am also blown away by the detail that DiTerlizzi puts into each image.  His buildings are simply incredible!  I almost felt as if I was in Paris, smelling the scent of coffee and freshly baked bread.

I would highly recommend this book to readers ages 8 to 108!  This classic story of friendship, courage and discovery will surely be treasured for years to come.  I think it would also make for a fantastic movie or television series.

Norbert and Lil Bub What Can Little We Do? Book Review

Two of the world's most beloved animal celebrities team up in this heartwarming adventure entitled Norbert and Lil Bub What Can Little We Do? by Julie Freyermuth, Mike Bridavsky and Virginia Freyermuth. Norbert is a three pound certified therapy dog on a mission to make the world a better place by bringing smiles to all he meets. While enjoying a day at the park, a flying saucer touches down right next to Norbert!

A strange creature by the name of Lil Bub emerges. This peculiar kitty has come from outer space with a mission all her own. She wishes to help animals with special needs. Lil Bub has been sent to Earth to find a man simply known as "that dude."

Together, Norbert and Lil Bub embark on the adventure of a lifetime. Will they be able to see past their differences and accomplish their goals?

I found this book to be a fun fantasy read. I do wish that the book would have gone into more depth about Norbert and Lil Bub's charity work and volunteerism. The illustrations are a combination of oil paint and combined mediums to create truly unique images that readers of all ages will love.

I have had the extreme honor of meeting Lil Bub in person twice. She is the calmest cat I have ever seen! Mike Bridavsky is a true animal lover who definitely has a big heart. I hope that Lil Bub will continue to share her adventures with the world. 

 Norbert and Lil Bub's First Book!

Lil Bub really is a magical kitty!

How Dachshunds Came to Be: A Tall Tale About a Short Long Dog Book Review

How Dachshunds Came to Be:  A Tall Tale about a Short Long Dog by Kizzie Elizabeth Jones is a mythical story about how Dachshunds were created.  The reader is introduced to a little girl who loves to play with her sea creature friends.  One day, the girl becomes sad because her friends are preparing to migrate to warmer waters for the winter.  

The girl’s sea creature friends decide that since they cannot stay with her, they will create an animal that can.  Each friend contributes a personal characteristic to the creature.  What magical beast do they create?  Dachshunds!

Will the little girl like the Dachshunds?  More importantly, will the Dachshunds like her?

I thought this book was a fun read.  I do wish that the story would have been a bit longer.  I feel that it ended quite abruptly after the girl is gifted the Dachshunds.  I would have liked to see more interaction between the girl and her newfound friends.

Additionally, I would have liked to have a little more background information about the little girl.  Is she living alone on the beach?  What happened to her family?  If she has a family, what do they think of the Dachshunds?

Scott Ward’s illustrations are simply delightful!  I love his use of vibrant colors.  Ward’s depiction of Dachshunds is spot on and I love the characters that he has created.  My favorite illustration is the blueprint of the sea creatures.  The detail of the illustration blew me away.

Overall, this book will delight animal lovers of all ages.

10 Little Hot Dogs Book Review

10 Little Hot Dogs by John Himmelman is an adorable book featuring a pack of mischievous Dachshunds.  The story begins with one lonely Dachshund in search of a playmate.  One by one, more playful pups fill the comfy armchair.  Will the rambunctious bunch be able to get along and share the chair?

I absolutely love the illustrations!  Each Dachshund has a personality all its own.  I can totally relate to the Dachshunds’ silly antics.  I own a mini double dapple Dachshund that was born without eyes and is completely deaf.  She acts just the doxies in the book!

This is a wonderful story for the emergent reader that teaches counting in an easily accessible manner.  Children will fall in love with the Dachshund characters and will enjoy counting them throughout the book.  

Mauhaus Cat Cafe Review

Everyone in the room had donned party hats.  Suddenly, the lights dimmed.  The cake had arrived!  The crowd erupted into a comical version of “Happy Birthday” as the guests of honor emerged.  They gracefully hopped up onto the table and began nibbling at their special treat.

This was the scene at Mauhaus cat café in Maplewood, Missouri.  The birthday party was in honor of the café’s resident cats Taylor and Lorelei.  The pair were overjoyed with their custom cake from Treats Unleashed.  Then came the gifts!  Their favorite?  A pair of custom Army tanks that they can cruise around in.

The café staff was on hand creating delicious delicacies for the human guests to enjoy.  There were even cookies made to look like Taylor and Lorelei!  Clayton, the café’s owner, also made homemade vanilla and strawberry ice cream.   

Having never been to a cat café, my husband and I were not sure what to expect.  The set-up is reminiscent of something that Cat Daddy, Jackson Galaxy would have created.  Long, wooden walk-ways hang from the ceiling.  Benches line the base of the large store front windows.  Each have secret cutouts that allow the cats an escape from all of the attention.

The opposite wall houses an intricate shelving system where cats happily perch among the different levels.  In the center of the room stands a floor to ceiling cat tower.  Large pillows litter the floor.  These are supposed to be for the human visitors to sit on, but the cats like to nap on them too.

Books about cats are strewn throughout the room for those who wish to study up on their feline friends.   

Taller tables with chairs are by the window that faces the café.  Patrons can choose to eat inside the main room with the cats or eat at the high top tables in the main lobby that face the windows to the main room so they won’t miss a second of the cute kitty action.

Photos of the Mauhaus cats are featured on the back wall of the main room.  The photos are split into two groups:  Adoptable and Past Residents.  Biographies of the adoptable kitties can be found in a binder that travels around the room.  All of the cats at Mauhaus are rescue cats from Stray Haven Feline Rescue of St. Louis, Missouri.

We absolutely loved getting to interact with the free roaming cats!  The cage-free environment really allows the cats’ individual personalities to shine.  My husband fell for a cat named Colin and I became smitten with a kitten named Daryl.  One week later, we officially made Daryl (now named Sven) a part of our furry family!

 Check out the amazing cake from Treats Unleashed!

 Taylor and Lorelei inspect their cake.

Taylor digs in!

Lorelei takes her turn with the cake.

 Poppy enjoys her window seat.

 Colin curls up.

 The cookies look just like Taylor and Lorelei!

                                                     Lorelei enjoys the climbing shelves.

                                                     Poppy enjoys her perch above the door.

 Meet the newest member of our family:  Sven (formerly known as Daryl)!

I would highly recommend visiting Mauhaus Cat Café.  Their staff could not be friendlier and their passion for cats is truly touching.  They were just as excited about us adopting Daryl as we were!  To learn more and to book your reservation, visit:  http://mauhauscafe.com.

Hope's Pesties Plush

I was so excited to receive the custom Petsies plush of Hope in the mail today!  I am completely blown away by the great detail that was put into this plush.  The company used only a photo of Hope to create this adorable masterpiece.  I will definitely be ordering another one very soon!

To order your custom Petsies plush, visit their official website at:  www.Budsies.com.

The grand unveiling of the Petsies plush!

Budsies used this photo to create the gorgeous plush Hope!

Hope loves her new twin!

National Dog Fighting Awareness Day

Today is National Dog Fighting Awareness Day.  This annual day raises awareness about the prevalence of dog fighting and encourages animal lovers of all ages to take action against this horrible practice.

I am teaming up with the Best Friends Animal Society to fight for the victims of dog fighting.  Join in the #GetTough movement and you could win an anti-dog fighting prize!  To enter, simply take a selfie with your furry friend and post in the comments section along with the hashtag #GetTough.  One winner will be selected on April 28, 2017.

 #GetTough on dog fighting!

Enter to win this amazing gift back from the ASPCA!

To learn more about how you can help bring awareness to this cause, please visit:  aspca.org/GetTough.