Tag Archives: dog fiction

Elvis & Romeo Visit the Vet

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by David Soman and Jacky Davis

Elvis and Romeo are back in another sweet adventure. This time, Elvis is not excited at all about a visit to the vet. Romeo tries to encourage him by telling him all the good things that happen there, including making sure he’s well and checking his eyes. It isn’t until Romeo mentions the treat at the end that Elvis decides the vet office will be a fine place to visit!

This early reader is perfect in its combination of spare text and sweet, silly illustrations of two doggie friends. The story is short and somewhat predictable, making it a nice choice for young readers.

Elvis & Romeo Go to Dog School

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by David Soman and Jacky Davis

Doggie pals Elvis and Romeo head to dog school to learn some new tricks. While Elvis is open to the idea, Romeo experiences some anxiety when the lesson is about catching a ball. Elvis does a great job of working through it with Romeo and gives him concrete steps to follow. Ultimately, Romeo is successful and enjoys dog school with his good friend.

Simple text accompanies digitally rendered illustrations that are sweet and expressive. Young readers will cheer for these newfound canine friends and eagerly await the next adventure. Recommended.

Where Are You, Brontë?

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Written by Tommy dePaola and illustrated by Barbara McClintock

Tomie de Paola’s last story has been published posthumously with illustrations by Barbara McClintock. Tomie shared the life of his canine companion, Brontë, from their first moment meeting at the airport when Tomie picked him up. Their twelve years together are detailed, from sharing many walks to snuggling together in Tomie’s bed. The story is from Tomie’s point of view as he raises an energetic puppy (in a cute pink collar) to adulthood and into his senior years and slow decline, losing his eyesight and eventually passing. Tommy is so sad until one day when he’s out for a walk and realizes that Brontë is with him in his heart and always will be. He rushes home, creates a picture of Brontë to frame and places it next to his bed, where he dreams about their wonderful times together.

I LOVE this book! Tomie’s gentle, loving story is a tribute to Brontë and the bond they shared. Their happiness together is clearly depicted in Barbara McClintock’s accompanying illustrations. Tomie’s grief is genuinely addressed and his eventual realization that Brontë will remain in his heart is comforting for the reader as well. There is a note after the story and Barbara describes her work – wanting to honor Tomie’s rich talent while still putting her own touch on the artwork. The addition of some of Tomie’s own characters at the spaghetti dinner was a thoughtful nod to Tomie.

This book needs to be in every library for many reasons. It will serve as a comfort to those that are grieving loss of a loved one. It will remind us of the rich literary legacy that Tomie left behind. It will be on the shelf with Strega Nona, Big Anthony and all the other wonderful books by this prolific author/illustrator. And, it will become a treasured story for many, many readers to come. Buy this book now! Highly recommended.

Izzy’s Dog Days of Summer

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written by Caroline Adderson

Izzy and Zoe are so excited to go to summer camp until they realize two things: it’s awful (partly because Izzy drew big black eyebrows on her face with permanent marker) and you don’t even camp out overnight! So, Izzy and Zoe plan their own week of summer camp in Izzy’s backyard under the watchful eye of Izzy’s nanny, Rosa. They have so much fun and are so loud (partly because of Rollo, Izzy’s excited dog) that the neighbor, Mr. Entwistle, is even grumpier than usual on his side of the fence.

Camp gets less fun when Zoe gets sick and can’t come over. Then, Izzy’s mom tells Izzy about Mr. Entwistle’s late wife, Maevis. Izzy realizes that Mr. Entwistle might just be lonely and she invites him to her backyard summer camp. He comes over for lunch and they get along so well that she goes to his house while Rosa is getting her hair done. Well, excitement ensues when Rollo knocks the bathroom door shut and it locks Izzy and Rollo inside. Mr. Entwistle calls 911 and the friendly firemen (who all know Izzy) get her out of the bathroom, which makes for the most excitement that Mr. Entwistle has had in a very long time. All this excitement (and more) leads to a wonderful friendship between Mr. Entwistle (Isodor) and Izzy (Why, they are almost twins with those names!).

This lovely, accessible chapter book is brimming with fun and energy. While there is a moment of reflection when Izzy learns why Mr. Entwistle is so grumpy and sad (done in a very respectful and gently way), the overall tone is humorous and light. The black and white illustrations on nearly every two page spread add to the accessibility of the story. Give this book to your early readers. They will love it!

Cat Sees Snow

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written by Laura Gehl and illustrated by Fred Blunt

Cat, Dog and Pig approach the snow in a variety of ways and all enjoy the cold, white stuff by the end. This bright and cheery story is perfect for the brand new reader. The repeated text and short length (less than 100 words), makes this book very accessible for young students. The colorful line drawn illustrations complement the story and move it along. The notes to parents/guardians at the beginning of the book are quite helpful. This is a solid choice for new readers, who will cheer on the characters and cheer for themselves after reading a book!

Izzy’s Tail of Trouble

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Izzy and her friend, Zoe, love to dress up her dog in baby clothes and play “baby stealer” with Zoe’s older brother. It’s typically a giggle-filled screamfest when Izzy and Rolo are at Zoe’s house. Unfortunately, things are changing and it’s hard for Izzy. Rollo is growing into a big dog and the baby clothes are getting too small. He’s also getting into some big doggy trouble. Lionel, Zoe’s brother, is becoming a teenager. And, he is the epitome of a teenager – surly, pimply and no fun at all.

Izzy doesn’t like these changes and is determined to find out of there is some kind of cure for these two maladies. She and her mom take Rollo to obedience school and he doesn’t do well. Izzy works hard with him and uses some of what she learns to engage Lionel, which turns out surprisingly well.

Through some gently comedic adventures, Izzy works on these problems, realizing along the way that change is inevitable. But, the fun doesn’t have to end, it’s just different.

Readers new to chapter books will enjoy this story. Accompanying illustrations in black and white break up the text and provide extra giggles. Add this to your collection along with the first book, Izzy in the Doghouse. Recommended.

Cat Has a Plan by Laura Gehl and illustrated by Fred Blunt

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Cat and Dog each have plans and they involve a stuffed dinosaur and each other. There is some jealousy at play here as Cat and Dog take turns stealing a well-loved stuffed dinosaur from each other. Masks, traps, nets and sacks are used as they go back in forth in ownership of the dino. Finally, a plan goes awry and the poor stuffed dinosaur falls into Mouse’s hole. Mouse is thrilled with his new toy. Cat and dog are sad for a while, but quickly hatch a plan to work together. They realize that they can both act and with their masks, they stage a play to earn money to each buy a new stuffed dinosaur. Now, everyone (Mouse, Cat and Dog) are happy!

This Ready-to-Read early reader has about 100 words and those words are listed at the beginning of the book along with a note to adults and encouragement for the reader. At the end of the story, there are some simple questions to enhance learning, if necessary. Illustrations are bright and exuberant. This cute little book will start young students on their way to a future as readers. Recommended.

Spacebot by Mike Twohy

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One quiet night, the family pup is snoozing in his dog house when something strange happens. The kitchen appliances notice it first. Then, the house looks up. Finally, the pup looks up (yep, that rhymes and so does the book!). A UFO lands and out walks a…robo-dog. The pup is thrilled! A new friend! But, this spacebot is actually a friend of the kitchen appliances, who greet him like a long-lost relative. He points up and they all start to fly, except the pup, who begins to feel a bit neglected. The appliances have a joyous space romp and are finally directed to return to their places in the kitchen, cords trailing. The spacebot turns to enter his UFO and stops to toss a red ball to the pup. This is no ordinary ball, though. It fits on his nose and he begins to fly!

Spacebot is a fun, rhyming frolic of a story. One must smile at the happy group of kitchen appliances as they soar around the night sky. Toaster loopty-loops and refrigerator nearly loses her magnets as they fly around with their electrical buddies. Pup’s disappointment is palpable until he is gifted with the magical red ball. Text is minimal and illustrations are dynamic as the story moves forward. This is a great book for the newly-minted reader and can be used as a read-aloud. Highly recommended.