7. A Tail as Old as Time by Elle Hay

an Audible Original
narrated by Therese Plummer
Unabridged audio (1:32)
2021
100 pgs. ??

Finished 1/31/21

Goodreads:  3.48 - 116 ratings

My rating:  2
RomCom

My comments:   Two next-door neighbors chase their escaped darling dog and cat all around Coral Gables, only to discover they ran home again.  Love how they even get up and down on the elevator on their own (not!)  And of course the neighbors end up really liking each other.  Totally stupid from beginning to end.

Goodreads synopsis:  A rom-com novella that will warm every animal lover’s heart about two neighbors who fight like cats and dogs - but who can’t deny their animal attraction.
          Ever since Alana Diaz adopted her cat Furrari, she has found herself in a feud with her infuriating neighbor, whom she knows only by the name on the passive aggressive notes he leaves on her door - R. Jones. Alana works hard all day, and the last thing she needs when she finally relaxes on her balcony with a glass of wine and her new furry roommate is her neighbor’s dog barking his head off. The only solution is to retreat inside. So what if her neighbor has smoldering good looks? It’s ruined when he glares at her little fuzzball of joy for upsetting his dog Kevin. And who the hell names their dog Kevin, anyway?
          But when Furrari and Kevin both go missing, Alana and Jones are left with no choice but to team up. As their pets lead them through the beaches, fancy hotels, and more all over Coral Gables, two lonely, jaded people might find they've been chasing the wrong things all along.

Poetry Picture Book - Bark in the Park! Poems for Dog Lovers by Avery Corman

Illustrated by Hyewon Yum

2019, Orchard Books

HC $17.99

40 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  3.79

My rating:  4
Endpapers:A drawing of each of the different dogs in the book, on cream background

My comments:  39 rhymes about 38 different kinds of dogs fill this book.  They're short poems.  Very short.  Two lines, , three lines, or four lines.  They all rhyme.  Most are really cute.  A few are a bit forced to make them rhyme.  But they're fun! (See a few below.)  I like the illustrations a lot.

Goodreads:  Go on a walk to the park with all different kinds of dogs and their owners in this funny and charming poetry picture book.
Enjoy Avery Corman's canine poetry for an Afghan hound, basset hound, beagle, bloodhound, Daschshund, boxer, greyhound, and more as they stroll with their owners to the park.

Pug
Is the Pug cute?
Or is the Pug ugh?
Mostly, people love
The little Pug's mug

Hyewon Yum captures the unique characteristics of the owner and his pet as she beautifully illustrates the humorous walk from each dog's home to the park and back.

Basset Hound

For things she can smell,

She's a comer and goer.

She's much like a Begle,

But longer and lower.

Chihuahua

Super frisky, never whiny,

Even though he's teeny tiny.

Dachshund

She's a happy, little squat dog

Who looks like she's a hot dog.

German Shepherd

He's a police dog for some

Because he's so clever,

And a most loyal chum

Forever and ever.

Poodle

The Poodle is quick to learn a trick.

You might say a Poodle can use her noodle.

Greyhound

She's not an easy dog to chase

Because she'll beat you in a race.

Picture Book - A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee by Chris VanDusen

Illustrated by the author

2003, Chronicle Books, San Francisco

28 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  4.36 - 1055 ratings

My rating:  5!!!!

1^st line/s:  “Early one morning at 7:03,

     Mr. Magee and his little dog, Dee,

Packed up the camper and hitched up the load.

     Hopped in the Rambler and then hit the road.

They drove to the mountains, far from the sea,

      For two nights of camping (or possibly three).”

My comments: Perhaps I love this VanDusen as much as Circus Ship (which has been my all-time favorite for the past couple of years).  Great, funny story, rhyming BRILLIANTLY, with just the coolest illustrations ever.  SO Maine!  I couldn’t love a picture book more!  Full of adventure and humor, a bear, trying to get at the yummy marshmallows, disconnects the camping trailer from the car and down the  hill the camper plunders…into the river and towards a waterfall!

Goodreads:  Mr. Magee and his trusty dog, Dee, are enjoying a peaceful camping trip when all of a sudden they find themselves plunging down a mountain and teetering on the edge of a huge waterfall! How will they find their way out of this slippery situation? Chris Van Dusen, the creator of Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee, has filled this new adventure with charming illustrations and a playful, rhyming text. A fun read-aloud for children (and adults!) on campouts or snuggling at home!

PICTURE BOOK - Madeline Finn and the Library Dog by Lisa Papp

Illustrated by the author

2016, Peachtree, Atlanta

32 pgs.

Goodreads rating: 4.45 - 639 ratings

My rating: 5

Endpapers: pale brown

1^st line/s:  "I do NOT like to read."

My comments:  So many people take reading for granted -- forgetting all those who struggle, get frustrated, then give up, only to spend their life thinking they hate to read.  Meet Madeline Finn, who struggles with reading but wants to be a STAR reader. With the help of a super librarian and a reading-to-a-dog program that's currently popular across the country, Madeline Finn's self confidence begins to soar.  This is a wonderful, feel-good book about a young girl, a dog, and reading.  It's special.  It's cute.  It's quite highly recommended.

Goodreads: Madeline Finn DOES NOT like to read. Not books. Not magazines. Not even the menu on the ice cream truck.
     Fortunately, Madeline Finn meets Bonnie, a library dog. Reading out loud to Bonnie isn't so bad. When Madeline Finn gets stuck, Bonnie doesn't mind. Madeline Finn can pet her until she figures the word out.
     As it turns out, it's fun to read when you're not afraid of making mistakes. Bonnie teaches Madeline Finn that it's okay to go slow. And to keep trying. And to get support from a friend.

72. The Poet's Dog by Patricia MacLachlan

Library Book
2016, Katherine Tegen Books
96 pgs.
Middle Grades CRF w/a touch of magical fantasy
Finished 12/22/16
Goodreads rating: 4/03 - 740 ratings
My rating: 4
Setting:   Contemporary winter, somewhere in the USA where it snows

First line/s:  "I found the boy at dusk.  The blizzard was fierce, and it would soon be dark."

My comments:  A very sweet, gentle story, told as though a dog could really and truly converse with humans; humans who love poetry and dogs.

Goodreads synopsis:  From Newbery Medal winner Patricia MacLachlan comes a poignant story about two children, a poet, and a dog and how they help one another survive loss and recapture love. "Just what I needed," raves Brightly.com. "It's a heart-warming story of loss and love that filled me with hope for a better future and renewed my belief in good."
          Teddy is a gifted dog. Raised in a cabin by a poet named Sylvan, he grew up listening to sonnets read aloud and the comforting clicking of a keyboard. Although Teddy understands words, Sylvan always told him there are only two kinds of people in the world who can hear Teddy speak: poets and children.
          Then one day Teddy learns that Sylvan was right. When Teddy finds Nickel and Flora trapped in a snowstorm, he tells them that he will bring them home—and they understand him. The children are afraid of the howling wind, but not of Teddy’s words. They follow him to a cabin in the woods, where the dog used to live with Sylvan . . . only now his owner is gone.
          As they hole up in the cabin for shelter, Teddy is flooded with memories of Sylvan. What will Teddy do when his new friends go home? Can they help one another find what they have lost?

65. Suspect by Robert Crais

Scott James & Maggie #1 (they will reappear with Joe Pike & Elvis Cole)
listened to CD while driving (around Tucson and on Lake Havasu/Flagstaff trip)
performed by Macleod Andrews
2013, G. P. Putnam's Sons
312 pgs
7 unabridged cds (8:34)
Adult mystery
Finished  11/14/16
Goodreads rating: 4.14 - 15,709 ratings
My rating: 4
Setting: Contemporary LA

First line/s:  "Maggie's tail thumped the dirt hard.  This was a game they played often, so Maggie knew what was coming, and lived for the joy of this moment."

My comments:  I was looking for a good mystery from an author I know and trust for my car trip.  I know and trust Robert Crais - I love both Elvis Cole and Joe Pike.  This was a "standalone" about a young LA police officer and his dog.  I almost didn't take it.  I'm not a so-called animal lover (I can't say I even particularly like dogs), and I usually run... fast and far... from literature that gives an animal a major role.  But since Robert Crais is tried and true for me, I decided to go for it.
      This is a long introduction to a short review.  From the very first words I was hooked.  The narration was beautifully done, I liked the two protagonists, the plot, the pacing, and all the twists and turns.  The best part?  Getting a little insight into why man and dog have always had such close bonds.  This is something I've never totally understood.  So I got a great mystery and a little insight. It looks like both Scott and Maggie will appear in a Elvis & Joe mystery, too.  Excellent, I look forward to seeing them again.

Goodreads synopsis:  LAPD cop Scott James is not doing so well. Eight months ago, a shocking nighttime assault by unidentified men killed his partner Stephanie, nearly killed him, and left him enraged, ashamed, and ready to explode. He is unfit for duty...until he meets his new partner.
          Maggie is not doing so well, either. A German shepherd who survived three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan sniffing explosives before losing her handler to an IED, her PTSD is as bad as Scott's.
           They are each other's last chance. Shunned and shunted to the side, they set out to investigate the one case that no one wants them to touch: the identity of the men who murdered Stephanie. What they begin to find is nothing like what Scott has been told, and the journey will take them both through the darkest moments of their own personal hells. Whether they will make it out again, no one can say.

PICTURE BOOK - The Shabbat Puppy - Leslie Kimmelman

Illustrated by Jaime  Zollars
A PJ Library Selection

2012 Marshall Cavendish Children

HC $17.99

32pages

Goodreads rating:

My rating: 3.5

Endpapers: a solid light blue

With dedications, explanation for two of the important, commonly used words:  "In Hebrew, shalom has three meanings:  hello, good-bye, and peace.  Mazel (rhymes with "nozzle") means luck."

Illustrations "rendered in graphite and digital paint."

1^st line:  "Every Saturday morning, Noah and Grampa take a Shabbat walk. 
       'It's the best time,' Grampa explains, 'to find Shabbat Shalom, some Sabbath peace."

My comments:  Since I try to remember to say, "Shabbat shalom" to parents and kids each Friday as they leave school (a Hebrew day school), this book is a nice reminder to me of its true meaning.

Goodreads:  Every Saturday morning Noah and Grampa take a walk, looking for "Shabbat shalom"--Sabbath peace--but Grampa will not let Noah's noisy puppy Mazel come along.

Charlie and the Christmas Kitty - Ree Drummond

Illustrated  by Diane deGroat

2012, Harper Collins

HC $17.99

36 pgs.

Goodreads rating: 3.73 (143 ratings)

My rating: 5 (unexpectedly...)

Endpapers: Red

Illustrations:  Watercolor paint over digital art (??) wish I knew more about what this means...they're big and bold and gorgeous....

Title page:  Lovely two-page painting        of a red pickup coming home with a Christmas tree in the back - as Charlie waits beside the winding drive.

1^st line/s:  "Well howdy!
Charlie the ranch dog here,
reporting from the country.
Things have sure been busy around here these days.  This evening, for instance, I'm bringing this great big TREE into the house."

My comments: The illustrations are really wonderful, and deGroat has added whimsical touches that totally enhance the story.  And the story is a riot!  This extremely hard-working dog (who sleeps all day) is trying to ignore the fact that his household has increased by one - an adorable kitten, who won't leave him alone, was left under the tree.  I love the way the text and pictures totally work together in this book!

Goodreads:  Why is there a great big tree in the house?!?

And why are all these boxes underneath it?
Hey—what is that?!? Where did it come from?
Uh-oh. This isn't good. . . . This isn't good at all!

In this hilarious follow-up to the New York Times bestselling picture book Charlie the Ranch Dog, Ree Drummond—the Pioneer Woman herself—delivers a story about getting into the holiday spirit and finding the good in all. Even though Charlie may not have put a kitty on his Christmas list, he learns that if you keep an open heart, new friends can come in unexpected packages.

Black Dog - Levi Pinfold

Illustrated by the author

2011 - Templar Books; Candlewick

HC $15.99

24 pages

Goodreads rating: 3.97

My rating: 4.5 (awesome illustrations)

Endpapers same as the cover:

This is a great story about being afraid and being brave - with a touch of cockiness from the littlest girl, and wonderfully humorous illustrations.  This is a great book to use with older kids to talk about what you actually see when your stress level is high....how do you interpret what you see..... The artwork is exactly the type of thing that we talked about at a workshop I went to last week about the messages in what you see, not what you read.  I think this is one to show on the Smart Board in big gorgeous color for everyone to examine while I read it aloud - perfect for fourth grade discussion AND for reading to my 3-year-old grandson!

Goodreads says:  An enormous black dog and a very tiny little girl star in this offbeat tale about confronting one’s fears.  When a huge black dog appears outside the Hope family home, each member of the household sees it and hides. Only Small, the youngest Hope, has the courage to face the black dog, who might not be as frightening as everyone else thinks.

Charlie the Ranch Dog – Ree Drummond

Illustrated by Diane deGroat

Harper, 2011

HC $16.99

40 pages

Rating:  4.5

Endpapers:  red

Title Page:  2 page full painting of part of the ranch – with trees, pond, two cowboys, and both dogs

Illustrations:  Full page, usually double spreads, with no white, edge to edge.  Very cool, really like them.

Extras:  Lasagna recipe on the last page

Dog’s p-o-v, 1^st person

Setting:  a contemporary Midwestern ranch

OSS:  Charlie, a bassett hound, details all the “work” he does all day on the ranch.  

Tongue-in-cheek, Charlie considers that his humorous lazy escapades are work.  He and Suzy, another dog in the household, have their run of the ranch.  Great fun book with very clever writing.

Let's Go See Papa! - Lawrence Schimel

Illustrated by Alba Marina Rivera
Groundwood Books, House of Anansi Press, 2009
$18.95
40 pages
Rating:  Liked it a lot
Endpapers: Light Blue
Title page:  Beige with illustration of the house where the little girl lives
Illustrations:  Full page on beige, some go over onto the facing page.  I like the illustrations a lot, looking closely I think they're done with colored pencils.
1st line/s:  "On Sundays I wake up early even though I don't have to go to school./Papa's going to call us.  He phones every Sunday because it's cheaper.  Sunday is my favorite day.
Setting:  A Spanish-speaking country, contemporary.
OSS:  A little girl misses her father who has been working for over a year in the United States while she and her mom live with her abuela and wait for him to come home or send for them.

This is a lovely story, of family, of missing a parent, or how life goes on while waiting for change to come when you know it's coming.  The little girl in the story, who lives in an unnamed country, waits for Sunday to talk briefly with her papa on the phone. She keeps a journal for him, telling him what's happening in their life each day while he's gone. He's in America, and this Sunday, after almost two years, he's telling her she and her mom are going to fly there to live with him.  She has, of course, mixed feelings...she'll be leaving her best friend, her grandmother, and her dog, but she misses her father so badly that she's still happy to go.  The book ends as the mother and daughter are flying away on an airplane over the ocean.

I liked thinking about the immigrants that I see here in Tucson and the family they may have left behind, missing them, working hard to make life easier for them, how often do I think about that?  All most parents want for their kids is a good life!

68. Waiting for the Magic - Patricia MacLachlan

Atheneum Books, 2011
HC $15.99
for:  Middle grades
144 pgs. (quick read)
Rating:  5

First Line/s:  It was early on a Saturday summer morning when my mother and father stopped arguing and Papa walked away.  He is a teacher of literature at the college, so he could have said words when he left.  He didn't.  And this time he didn't slam the door.  He shut it with a small soft sound that made me jump.

Setting:  A small contemporary college town somewhere in America.
OSS:  William and his little sister, Elinor, deal with the departure of their father and the withdrawal of their mother when a number of new family members are added to their life.

William and his comical four year old sister/princess are left with a grieving mom and a huge surprise.  I think the surprise would be exciting for any kid....I was really excited at the idea, myself, and about how these two children would feel.  So I'm about to add some major spoilers here....do NOT read on if you haven't read the book, because being surprised - and pleased - a tickled - and excited - is part of the delicious reading experience of this book.

SPOILERS:  So Mama takes them to the animal shelter to get a dog.  But they don't get a dog.  Or two dogs. Or even three.  And throw in a cat.  And, near the end of the book throw in a new sibling.  But the biggest surprise, is the way that the animals and the family communicate.

Lots of gentle humor, complex characters despite the simplicity of the book, I absolutely, 100% loved it - and I don't even like dogs!!!!!

Oh, this woman knows not only how to write beautifully, but how to spin a story.  This one was spun.  Elegantly.

The First Pup – Bob Staake

The Real Story of How Bo Got to the White House
Illustrated by the author
Feiwel and Friends, 2010
$16.99
32 pages
Rating: 4
Endpapers: Colorful cartoonish dogs running across the page
Illustrations: 1.) pencil sketch 2.) cut out the silhouettes 3.)scan and digitally color 4.) Adobe Photoshop details added

Here's another book about Sasha and Malia Obama's dog, Bo. He even graces the cover of Of Thee I Sing! It's a cute story of how the Portugese water dog came to the White House. I'd love to know how much of this was true. I'm sure that it was Ted Kennedy's idea, that makes sense and I know he had a Portugese water dog. But did it arrive by limo as the world watched?

The illustrations are cartoonish, but work (I'm not really a fan of cartoonish illustrations, especially in true stories). A great book to share with kids, especially when talking about the presidency and the First Family.

First Dog's White House Christmas - J. Patrick Lewis & Beth Zappitello

Illustrated by Tim Bowers
Sleeping Bear Press, 2010
$15.95
32 pages
Rating: 5
Endpapers: Green with drawing & info of ten dogs, where they originated, and some Christmas history from that country.

I read First Dog so was immediately drawn to this book. It is SO much more than a simple story of the Obama family's dog!

When Dog sees that ambassadors from all over the world are being invited to the White House for a Christmas gala, he adds "canine" guests to the invitation. As he waits and prepares, he tours the White House and checks out the many decorations. On the night of the gala, he meets ten new friends. Each has brought a gift and some informations about Christmas traditions in their respective country. At the bottom of each page is a "photo" of people from their country celebrating.

We meet English Bulldog, Canadian Newfoundland, French Poodle, Dingo from Down Under (Australia), Mexican Chihuahua, Rhodesian Ridgeback, German Affenpinscher, Italian Neapolitan Mastiff, Dutch Keeshond, and Turkish Kangal Dog.

Interesting information, clever story, and expressive illustrations make a top-notch Chrismas book...or a top-notch book for dog lovers!

Small Medium & Large - Jane Monroe Donovan

Sleeping Bear Press, 2010
$15.95
32 pgs.
Rating: 4
Endpapers: White

In this beautifully illustrated wordless picture book, a girl writes a letter to Santa and is rewarded on Christmas morning with three boxes - one small, one medium, and one large. Inside are a cat, a dog, and a miniature pony. They all immediately become fast friends, eating together, playing and tobogganing in the snow, making snow angels and snowmen, having snowball fights, baking cookies, sitting by the fire together, than all snuggling into her bed at night.

At the end of the book the author tells of her own three animals who are really the prototypes for this story.

This is a lovely wordless book, a perfect addition to a Christmas library, for animal lovers especially. I went through it a number of times - the illustrations are beautiful, full of happy Christmas feelings (and I wouldn't consider myself a great animal lover, either).

How Rocket Learned to Read - Tad Hills

Schwartz & Wade Books, 2010
$17.99
Ages 3-7
Rating: 4
Endpapers: Pale blue with sleeping Rocket (front) and pale green (back)

The title page is cute - Rocket's sitting in a field, holding a copy of the book (THIS book) in his mouth.

Even though Rocket loves to play, run, and nap, a little yellow bird coerces him to learn the alphabet and enjoy listening to stories. When his "teacher" heads south for the winter, Rocket practices spelling and sounding out simple words. So when the little yellow bird returns in the spring, Rocket is primed and ready to learn to read.

This is an adorable story with lovely illustrations - some cover the complete page, some are in large oval shapes on the white page. Lots of green. A happy book.

Dog Loves Books - Louise Yates

Alfred A. Knopf, 2010
$16.99
32 pages
ages 3-6
Rating: 3.5
Endpapers: 8 pale blue watercolors of 8 different dogs

Dog loves books. So he opens a bookstore. But he has no customers! (This should really be a book about the benefits of advertising!) So instead of being bored, he begins to read his books. And after experiencing a few adventures in the story, a customer arrives and Dog's able to suggest the perfect title.

Pencil and watercolor illustrations cover the entire page. They're simple - and perfect for this charming story.

Jackson and Bud's Bumpy Ride - Elizabeth Koehler-Pentacoff

America's First Cross-Country Automobile Trip
Illustrated by Wes Hargis
Millbrook Press, 2009
$16.95
32 pages
Rating: 3.5
Endpapers: Map of their journey across the US
2011 Grand Canyon Reader Award Nominee

Read at the Copper Queen Library, Bisbee, AZ on 9-25-10
The Afterword gives photos, dates, and interesting related information.

May 19, 1903 - a $50 bet that no one could ride a "horseless buggy" across the U. S. Horatio Jackson, visiting San Francisco from his native Vermont, takes it on!

No maps, poor all-dirt roads that were not used to cars, tires that look like bicycle tires needing quite a bit of repair, and a vehicle that appears to have no roof, all thwart them. But Horatio Jackson and Bud, the bulldog he acquires on the way, make it.

The story is told in diary form with very brief entries. The illustrations tell more of the story than the words. Fun!

city dog, country frog - Mo Willems

Illustrated by Jon J. Muth
Hyperion Books for Children, 2010
56 pages
$17.99
"ages 4-7"
Rating: 5
Endpapers: Green watercolor splash in front, orange and blue on two back papers.

Ok. Cool book. When I was in Maine, Bren and I , after reading Dory Story, talked a lot about the web of life and life cycles. I'd love to read this to him and hear the clever thoughts and connections his inquisitive five-year-old mind would come up with.

This story goes through all the seasons, beginning with spring and ending with spring again. City dog has never been able to run without a leash, and since his move to the country he can run freely. In spring, he makes friends with a frog. They continue to be friends through the seasons. We see the seasons change, and we know what eventually happens to the frog.

This is a gentle reminder of the cycle of life, oh so creatively presented.

I'm really glad that Mo Willems didn't illustrate this. Jon Muth's illustrations are stunning watercolors. This is an outstanding book.

And.......I cannot believe this is my 700th blog.

Sitting Duck - Jackie Urbanovic

Harper, 2010
"ages 4-7"
32 pages.
$17.99
A strong 4.
Endpapers: Purple background with various "snapshots" of characters

Apparently this is Jackie Urbanovic's fourth story about Max the duck. It's adorable!

Max, the duck, and Brody, the dog, babysit for Anabel, Brady's niece. It is not an easy job. And when Brody falls asleep and Anabel and Max go outside, the antics really begin! It starts with a trampoline and ends with Anabel getting rescued from the tree where she gets entangled.

The illustrations are joyful...colorful...expressive. A really cute book.