Picture Book Pick: Pig the Pug

Pig the Winner
by Aaron Blabey
Scholastic Press
2017
32 pages
ISBN: 9781338136388

Available June 27, 2017

Pig is a pugnacious pug! He has to be the first in everything, the best at everything, the winner of everything! He will even cheat if he has to. Trevor shares the household with this bellicose blob of dog. Dachshund Trevor takes the back seat and plays fair. He even lets Pig win just to keep the household happy.

When Pig doesn't win, he cries so much that everyone gives in to him. A mishap while overeating and acting like a ....well....pig....makes Pig value Trevor's friendship and affection. Pig is a changed pug!

Young readers may recognize some of Pig's behaviors and cheer Trevor on. Illustrations are sure to make readers smile, Pig is likely to become one of childhood's greatest characters. He is a cheat and a blowhard, but he's a lovable cheating blowhard.

Highly, highly recommended. This Pig has heart!

Young readers.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the F & G from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Picture Perfect: Antoinette

Antoinette
by Kelly Dipucchio
illustrations by Christian Robinson
Antheneum Books for Young Reads
2017
32 pages
ISBN: 9781481457835
Available February 14, 2017

From the writer and illustrator that brought young readers Gaston (2014), their new picture book, Antoinette,  is bound to become a new favorite. Charming illustrations capture the beauty of Paris with its parks, cafes, streets and museums, Shop sign names are in French, and young readers will pick up a few French words. The playful puppies  are precious and lovable (just don't tell them!).

A family of bulldogs and poodles are friends and playmates. Antoinette's brothers all have a special asset: Ricky is fast, Bruno is strong and Rocky is clever, but Antoinette still has not found her secret talent. Mother bulldog tries to cheer Antoinette (who looks like the poodle family) up and tells her not to worry, that her talent will emerge some day.

One day at the park, the youngest poodle wanders off chasing a butterfly. Antoinette goes into high gear searching for Ooh-la-la! Using her incredible tracking skills and a nose that knows, Antoinette is able to track and save the little puppy from danger. Antoinette later becomes one of Paris's beloved police dogs!

Although the puppies are the main characters, the people who appear show ethnic diversity. Friendship, belonging, family, courage and taking a stand are embraced in a sweet story of fitting in and finding one's own voice.

Highly recommended ages 1-up.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Picture Book Pick: If Not For You

If Not For You
by Bob Dylan
Illustrations by David Walker
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
2016
32 pages
ISBN: 978145164881


Reviews:

• "A floppy-eared dog and his pup treasure each other’s company in anthropomorphic domestic scenes that every child will recognize.... The palette and technique of the acrylic illustrations are soft and rounded using broken lines and delicate highlights. They provide a warm and fuzzy feeling that adds to the theme of love between a parent and child. The lyrics to Dylan’s 1970 song “If Not for You” are the text. VERDICT: Walker has done a fantastic job of interpreting Dylan’s song for children."
• – School Library Journal, March 2016
•  
• "Walker illustrates the 1970 Dylan tune with an adorable parent-child canine pair. Using minimal backgrounds and props to keep the focus on the relationship, Walker masterfully conveys emotions in his acrylic illustrations...the pictures are so poignant that parents could make up their own words."
•  
• – Kirkus Reviews, March 2016

My Review:

 

 

Publishing coup! Simon and Schuster (Atheneum) somehow got Bob Dylan's consent to publish his lyrics "If Not For You" in  a children's picture book. This is a match made in heaven. Note to publishers: Dylan has quite the music catalog. You may want to lock him down into publishing more of his earlier work.

 

Sweet little love song "If Not ForYou" lives again for a whole new generation. In this rendition, illustrator David Walker captures sweet moments between dog parent and little puppy. The cover alone is worth a smile. A red balloon, a happy bluebird and parent holding onto the little one's hand as little one seems excited  (up on tiptoes). and the loving way the parent dog looks at his/her baby is priceless.

 

Walker captures the charm of the poetry and the dogs are loveable and huggable. The bluebird is their constant and joyful companion. This is one smile for a mile of a book!

 

Great grandparents might have to break out the old vinyl and play "Girl From North Country" (Dylan with Johnny Cash version the best) for the kiddies after reading this one.  

 

This is also a great gift for any true Bob Dylan fan. With Father's Day coming up and Mother's Day looming, this is the perfect book.

 

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

 

 

 

 

Book Club Pick: The Hand That Feeds You

The Hand That Feeds You
by A.J. Rich
Scribner
2015
273 pages
ISBN: 9781476774589


Gruesome and terrible, The Hand That Feeds You is a psychological thriller that delivers a quick one-two punch. Graduate student Morgan Prager is finishing her thesis at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. She meets her fiancé Bennett through her studies (almost unbelievable that a woman of her intellect would date someone she met in the way she found him--but then some women are crazy). Although he can be commanding, assertive and downright mean, Morgan tells herself she is in love with Bennett. She comes home from class one morning and finds the front door open. She fears Bennett may have left the door open accidentally and worries that her three dogs may be loose. Bennett never liked her dogs and Morgan thinks he may have left the door open on purpose.

Entering the apartment, she is overjoyed to see her dogs alive but they are acting strange. Their coats are red with blood. Morgan starts operating on adrenaline and shock. She finds the body of a man she thinks may have been Bennett. It's too hard to tell because the body has been mauled, the face mutilated and a leg torn off. Morgan begins to  fear what her dogs could do to her. They obviously killed once, what if they turn on her? She backs away and locks herself in the bathroom, calls 911 and waits for help to arrive.

How could this have happened? Could her dogs really have killed Bennett? One of her Dobermans is shot by a police officer. The female  Doberman and Cloud, her Great  Pyrenees are taken into custody. Morgan is taken to the psych ward where she struggles to come to terms with the loss of her fiancée, the horrific bloody scene, and the guilt she feels for allowing her dogs to be in this situation.

Once released Morgan searches for Bennett's mother and father. When she finds only dead ends, she has to ask herself: who was this guy I fell in love with? He has no past and no family. There is no record of him being a music producer. In fact, he seems to be a ghost. Then Morgan finds other women who were duped by Bennett, including one who was recently murdered. The police are no help. Morgan turns to her brother and other close friends.

The closer Morgan comes to the truth and the release of her dogs, the deeper the secrets. Could someone have used her dogs to kill Bennett? Who is the real killer? And is he  now after her?

The Hand That Feeds you rockets off the first chapters. By the middle of the story, I felt a bit bogged down and wanted answers to come.  On the other hand, I felt the ending a little rushed.

As a dog owner and rescuer, The Hand That Feeds You really got under my skin. The ick factor creeped me out entirely. It was not just that the dogs attacked and killed; it was that they were then locked up in a terrible environment.

Recommended for adult readers. If you love animals, you may want to pass on this one. I just can't get over it!

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Book Giveaway: Trouper

Trouper
by Meg Kearney
Paintings by E.B. Lewis
Scholastic Press
2013

I have FIVE copies of Trouper up for grabs!!!

Trouper is a stray who runs with a pack of dogs until he's picked up by the pound. There he watches as one by one, his friends find homes, but Trouper is always left behind. Until, finally a little boy sees Trouper's inner beauty. This beautiful picture book is bound to become a bedtime favorite loved by animal lovers everywhere.

For your chance to win, post a comment to the blog. Be sure and include your first name, city, state and email contact. Deadline for posts is Monday, December 16 at noon MST. Winners are chosen randomly by Randomizer. Winners will be notified on that date; be sure and check your email. Winners have 24 hours to respond to my email.

Books will ship from New York courtesy of Egmont and Laura. Thank you. Good luck and start posting!
Pamela

Cool Graphic Pick: Dogs of War

Dogs of War
by Sheila Keenan and Nathan Fox
Graphix
2013
208 pages
full color illustrations

Available November 2013

If you purchase one graphic novel this year, make sure it's Dogs of War! Did you know that dogs have trained and have gone to battle with armies as far back in history as the height of the Roman empire? Navy SEAL team 6 traveled with war dogs, too. Dogs used by the military often carry messages, ammunition and supplies. Because of their incomparable sense of smell, dogs can be used as scouts to sniff out danger like bombs and traps.

Dogs of War tells the stories of three brave dogs. Boots shows bravery in World War I. Loki serves in World War II and Sheba serves in the Vietnam War. Each story is brilliantly brought to life by talented illustrator Nathan Fox.

Reluctant readers will be drawn to this book. Who doesn't love a great dog story?

This graphic novel brings to light the valiant canines who fought alongside American soldiers. In Vietnam alone over 5,000 dogs served as sentries and trackers. Some dogs were trained to signal booby traps. Sadly, very few dogs came home from Vietnam since they were considered "equipment."

Today, there are over 2,700 war dogs helping military forces. These are the heroes who save soldiers lives on a daily basis and they are the true Dogs of War.

Highly, highly recommended for all graphic collections grade 6-up.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the ARC from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Picture Perfect Pick: Here Comes Trouble!

This is the picture of Always in Trouble, an earlier book. The dog is the same one in both books. The cover of Here Comes Trouble not yet available.

Here Comes Trouble!
by Corinne Demas
Illustrations by Noah Z. Jones
Scholastic Press
2013
34 pages—page count of F & G from the publisher; final page count unavailable
Available January 2013 (exact date not yet available on Scholastic’s webpage)


Toby the dog doesn’t like cats—not slinky ones, or snooty ones, or snobby ones or spunky ones. He really doesn’t like the cat that lives next door. Pandora is all the things Toby hates, and worse, she never pays any attention to Toby. He tries all kinds of bad dog behavior but in oh-so-typical, detached cat behavior, she ignores him.

Then the neighbors go on vacation leaving their beloved Pandora in the care of Toby’s owners, Emma and her parents. Pandora soon becomes pet #1 with Emma who showers affection on her. Pandora does all types of nasty cat things like clawing the sofa and jumping on the kitchen counters. She never gets into trouble, but when she finds herself up a tree, literally, Toby comes to her rescue. His humans ignore his barking and running around in circles. They don’t realize that their dog is trying to communicate. Then Toby has to spell it out for them—again, literally!

Charming and heroic Toby is sure to have young readers laughing and cheering for the underdog (get it? underdog?) Colorful and comic illustrations are a perfect balance of whimsy and spunk. The author shows literary craft in choosing words that describe each character: Pandora “prances” and “pirouetted” ; she “slinked” and she “winked.” Toby “trotted,” barked,” “clawed,” leaped,” “chewed,” “grumbled,” and “growled.”

From the title, I thought the dog’s name would be “Trouble.” The cat’s name is Pandora, after all. Nothing like a little Trouble to go with Pandora, but maybe that’s too obvious.

Highly, highly recommended for early readers. This one is too cute to miss!

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the F & G from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)