Picture Book Review: A Puppy Like Yours

A puppy like yours might be very different than mine, but we love them so much!

There's a great message in this adorable picture book. The illustrations are wonderful. Share this with a dog lover today!

Source: Book signed by Kayla Harren at PLA

Picture of my pups:

Knightley: Black and Tan

Emma: Black and White

Review: Hocus and Pocus and the Dragon Next Door

 

* Book 2 in the Hocus and Pocus series * 

Hocus and Pocus walk around the neighborhood with Jinx, handing out her potions. They discover a new friend - Bye-Bye. Bye-Bye is a dragon and has a little trouble with too much fire. Pocus is scared. Hocus is determined to save the day. 

My Thoughts: This is a cute story about trying to understand each other. The dogs and dragon do not speak the same language. But the dogs still want to help. Sometimes it's hard to be brave. I felt badly for Pocus. He had a hard time overcoming his fears; but I love that he learned what worked for him. The ending was funny! The illustrations are charming. I'm looking forward to book 3 next year. 

* Book sent for review

Picture Book Review: Kittybunkport

 

The kitties of the town are afraid of the lighthouse, because it's haunted. But they are even more afraid when the light goes out. Chowder and Crackers are elected to go fix the problem. But they are scared.

This was a cute about cats and dogs in Maine. While this is a funny book, it also has a great message about facing your fears. 

Library Recommendation: Highly recommended for your picture book collection

Review: Serge and Roscoe

 

Serge is retiring in three days. Roscoe is new to search and rescue, but he's in training. 

They are called up because of a forest fire. The two dogs are forced to be partners. Serge wants to get through the next few days. Roscoe wants to be the best and help everyone, even if that means breaking some rules.

Once they touch down on the fire, they learn a family is missing. Roscoe can smell the family and he heads towards them. He doesn't wait for Serge or their handler. Nothing goes as it's supposed to. Can they find the missing people and survive?

My Thoughts: This took me a minute to get into. While I really did love this book, there were two things that jarred me out of reading. First, the dogs talk to each other - like humans. Second, I didn't like the way Serge reprimanded Roscoe. But I really did enjoy the story. There was so much action and danger that I kept turning the pages because I needed to see what happened. This book did make me cry. * The ending was sweet. 

Cover Thoughts: Fantastic

Source: My Library

Why I read it: I love dog stories and survival stories

Library Recommendation: Highly recommended for your school and public libraries

Hand it to: Kids who want action stories or animal stories. 

* Spoiler: Nothing bad happens to the dogs.

Illustrator Interview: Barbara McClintock

A few weeks ago, I reviewed:

It's a fantastic book about losing your best friend. 

And I was lucky enough to have the chance to interview Barbara McClintock about her time illustrating this book

About Barbara McClintock:

Barbara McClintock is an American illustrator and author of over forty books for children. Her books have received numerous awards and selections, including five New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book Awards, four ALA Notable Book selections, a Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor Award, a China Times Open Book Award, and a British Fantasy Award. One of her books is a bestselling title in Japan. She has lectured about her work nationally and internationally and is currently teaching classes on creating children’s books at Wesleyan University. Originally from New Jersey and North Dakota, she now resides in northeastern Connecticut with her partner, the illustrator David Johnson, and their three overly helpful cats.

Interview Questions: 

Did you ever get to meet Brontë?
Unfortunately, no. But my art director Laurent Linn did. In fact, Laurent met several of Tomie’s Airdale Terriers. Brontë was Tomie’s favorite!

Was it hard to capture the heartbreak of losing a pet and conveying to the audience (without the words) that Brontë had died?
Yes! I wasn’t sure if I should show Tomie in tears, maybe a big close-up of him crying. But then I though showing him in quiet sadness, taking in the shock and emptiness of not having Brontë around would have a stronger effect. 

Was it hard to capture Tomie's art style?
It was a challenge! I had to study Tomie’s drawings in many of his books and keep copying his drawings over and over ’til I got close to what his style was. And I still didn’t get it so it was perfect! But it’s pretty close!

Do you have a favorite memory of Tomie?
I met him several times at events in New York City. He was always kind and supportive of me and all other up and coming illustrators. And he had the best scarf collection!

Are there any Easter Eggs in the book?
I hope readers have fun figuring out who all the characters are sitting around the dinner table with Tomie! And there are copies of paintings Tomie made scattered throughout illustrations in the book.

Anything else you'd like to share?
I loved making drawings of Brontë, and my three kitties didn’t mind!

This is such a charming book, even though it's a bit sad. Be sure to take a look and pour over those illustrations. 

Review: Sookie and Ivy Books

 

These two books are delightful!

They both follow the same format: pictures of the two dogs with hats on one page and a famous quote on the other side. 

These books are perfect for relaxing and sharing with friends. 

If you need more, visit their Instagram page

Review: Gotcha Day

 

This is a book filled with stories about dogs - it's heartwarming and a little sad at some points.

The pictures are lovely and adorable.

This is a perfect book for any dog lover.

They ask the same questions to all the owners, so I thought I would fill them out for our rescue:

Knightley:

Shephard/Black Mouth Cur Mix

2.5 years

Nicknames: Knighley Bitely, Knight Bite, Bobba

Tell us about Gotcha Day:

I had been looking at pictures for a while. He was in a littler of three. It was timed entry - we took a later time because the place was far from our house. When we got there, "Mason" was the only one left of his litter. We met him - he chewed shoelaces and licked my glasses. I knew he was coming home with us. I held him in the car all the way home - which is where the first picture was taken. It's one of my favorite photos of us. 

What are his favorite things to do?

He loves being outside: going for walks, racing around the backyard, or being on the porch. He loves going to doggy day camp. And he loves peanut butter and cheese. 

Does he have any silly quirks?

So many! He will bark at objects that are new in the room. He always wants to be outside, but if he's on the porch alone, he will bark to come back inside. 

What does he mean to you?

Our first dog had died. We had Emma, but the house was too quiet. I lasted a few months before I started looking at other dogs. I found this place on Facebook and looked at several puppies. After a little bit of time, I found the M litter. We made an appointment. And he became ours.

Knightley is a giant goofball. He was a fussy baby - needing lots of attention especially when he was overtired. He filled the hole in our heart. He's adorable, sweet, and smart. He completes our family. It's not quiet anymore! 

Anything else we should know?

Our older dog, Emma, wasn't thrilled about this new addition to the family. It took her about two weeks to warm up to him. Now they race around the backyard, chasing each other. They don't snuggle in the traditional sense, but often lie near each other. 

BookTok: Just Like Mille

 

@yabooknerdlibrarian I love Lauren Castillo’s new picture book - perfect for anyone who needs helping coming out of their shell like I did and perfect for dog lovers! #booktok #kidlit #picturebooks #dogs #introvert @Candlewick Press ♬ original sound - Jennifer @YA Book Nerd 📚📚📚

Middle Grade Book Review: Something Like Home

 

Lauren goes to live with her aunt after her parents are required to enter rehab. They can't stop using drugs and neglecting Lauren. Lauren called the police and feels responsible for their time in rehab.

Lauren's aunt isn't the most welcoming. She just wants to go home, but that's not an option. Moving to her aunts means moving to a new school. It's not easy being the new girl in school. How is Lauren supposed to make friends when she's going to be back with her parents before too long?

When she finds a puppy who needs recusing, Lauren comes up with a plan. If she can train Sparrow to become a therapy dog, they can visit her parents. She misses them more than she can say. 

My Thoughts: A wonderful heart wrenching story about Lauren's family life. She feels heartbroken that she's responsible for splitting up her family. I love how she became a family with Sparrow. She trained him. Even though she rescues him, they saved each other. Because of Sparrow, Lauren makes a friend. Together, they train Sparrow to become a therapy dog. I wanted to wrap Lauren up in a hug. For me, the ending, was a little too good to be true, but it did wrap everything up nicely. 

Cover Thoughts: Adorable

Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: A great novel in verse for middle graders. 

* Nothing bad happens to the dog after it's rescued. 

BookTok: Treats!

 Doggies! 

@yabooknerdlibrarian Treats and dogs! 🐶🐾🐕 Is there anything better? #dogsoftiktok #dogs #5things #booktok ♬ original sound - Jennifer @YA Book Nerd 📚📚📚

Picture Book Review: The Corgi and the Queen

Life took an unexpected turn for the girl who would become Queen Elizabeth. Training to be a Queen was lovely, but her best friend Susan made life so much better. 

I loved this book - from the loving friendship to the secret moments to the family tree. This was a lovely story with great illustrations. Prefect for readers of all ages.

* Susan does die in the book, there's one page that showcases Queen Elizabeth by a grave. 

Picture Book Wednesday: Dog Books

 

I'm a librarian - but I'm a dog person. So, I gravitate towards dog books.

Here are a few new favorites:

Izzy makes all kinds of things, but when she tries to knit a sweater, nothing turns out the way she expects.  It's even better....

A story about failure and lots of trying and never giving up. A cozy heart-warming story. 

Louis wants a dog, but his grandmother says there are enough dogs in the neighborhood. This leaves him wondering how many dogs there are - so he surveys the neighborhood to find out.

A cute story about dogs and their quirks, civil justice, and the creation of a community dog park. I love the message about getting involved and the dog storyline is heartwarming. 

One little boy begs for a dog, but his parents don't believe he's responsible enough...until he proves them wrong. And a dog just finds him. 

This one is sad but full of heart too. It's done in black and white sketches - except for the pop of red that's the dog's leash. It's a wonderful story - perfect for older kids. 

And just a few favorite pictures of my pups over the years:

One of our first pictures together 

Knightley on the ride home. 

Cabot and Christmas lights

Emma looking sweet (She's usually camera shy).

Picture Book Wednesday: Home Alone

What do your pets do all day when you're gone? 

This funny book is perfect for readers who enjoyed Secret Life of Pets. Frido has quite the adventurous day. Lots of puns with the illustrations! Readers will get a kick out of this book!

* Sent for review

** Perfect for Tails and Tales and this year's summer reading program.

 

Teen Summer Reading (3)

 It's that time of year again to start planning the Teen Summer Reading Program.

I have a bunch of craft ideas to choose from this year. I'm not sure teens care about the theme as much, so my crafts don't always follow that.

We're virtual again this summer, so we're creating Take & Make craft bags.

Last time we talked about crafts and food.

This week it's all about books. I don't have as many books as I did for the kids. It's harder to buy animal books for teens, but the nonfiction ones do well at my library. More coffee table books and National Geographic Books.

Here are a few favorites.

There are a couple of Momo books. You have to find him in all the pictures. 

Super Cute! Very funny. And fun to look at with other people.

More funny pictures of dogs

More puppies!

#WeRateDogs - find them on Twitter and Instagram.

Learn how to communicate better with your dog.

There is one for cats too, but I'm a dog person.

Dog Picture Books

Last week was National Dog Day. 

I'm a BIG lover of dogs.

Here are my two:

If I had planned better, this list would have been up on the same day.

But since every day is National Dog Day at my house, here are a few fantastic picture books starring dogs.

These are ones I've read and loved this year:

These are some older favorites:

Do you have a favorite dog picture book?

Review: Dog Driven

McKenna Barney is trying to hide her worsening eyesight and has been isolating herself for the last year. But at the request of her little sister, she signs up for a commemorative mail run race in the Canadian wilderness—a race she doesn’t know if she can even see to run. 


Winning would mean getting her disease—and her sister's—national media coverage, but it would also pit McKenna and her team of eight sled dogs against racers from across the globe for three days of shifting lake ice, sudden owl attacks, snow squalls, and bitterly cold nights.

A page-turning adventure about living with disability and surviving the wilderness, Dog Driven is the story of one girl’s self-determination and the courage it takes to trust in others. - Summary from the publisher

My Thoughts: I really liked this book. I loved learning more about sled dog racing. I loved reading about the dogs and their different personalities. I felt terrible for McKenna as she struggled alone, but was happy when she finally found her voice. I liked learning more about Stargardt disease, I can't imagine not being able to see clearly. I enjoyed the action, the danger, and sweet moments between the racers (including the pranks.) 

Cover Thoughts: Fantastic
Source: ARC sent for review
Library Recommendations: A great book for the action, the survival, and how one girl's determination will not let her be defined by her disability.  

Picture Book Review: Madeline Finn and the Shelter Dog

When Madeline Finn visits the shelter with her librarian friend, she sees dogs in need of love. Since she just got  a puppy herself, she can't adopt a dog. Maybe she can help the dogs find their forever home.

A wonderful story that tugged at my heartstrings and made me hug my two rescued pups. It's a story ripped form the headlines where kids go into shelters and read to the animals. It's a sweet wonderful message to share with wonderful illustrations. I can't wait to read more Madeline Finn books.

The only thing I wished for - was an afterwards to talk about how the reader can help.

Library Recommendations: Grab this one for your school and public libraries.