animals – Page 5 – One Chapter

See the Dog! Three Stories About a Cat by David LaRochelle

5 stars Children’s

This book is hilarious. As you read the book, the author narrates the story, so you think that you’ll be seeing and reading a story about a dog. Throughout the story, the author tells you that the dog will bark, dig a hole, swim across a lake, etc., but in reality, there’s a cat that is taking the place of the dog in the book. The cat tells her side of the story in text bubbles on the opposite side of the author’s narration.

It’s comical as the cat tries to fill in for the dog and realizes that some of the activities are difficult for a cat. Dogs can dig a hole pretty easy and quickly but yet a cat……not so much as “If I dig a hole, I will get dirt on my fur.” What does cat do?

Well, the author insists that this activity get done so, the cat takes action, and they grab a backhoe and starts digging. Cat is so clever and funny! There are three stories in this book and the fun just does not end.

We loved how funny this story was. No matter how many times we read this book, we laugh! I enjoy the easy text as this would be a perfect book for learning readers. The stories are simple, but they do have structure and meaning. The illustrations are bright and colorful. What a fun book! David LaRochelle is becoming one of our favorite authors, I hope he continues to write fantastic books.

This book is bound to get laughs and smiles. We’ve checked it out so many times at the library, I think I should just buy my own copy.

Mr. Fox’s Game of No! by David LaRochelle

5 stars Childrens

Another fantastic book by David! Mr. Fox wants you to play his Game of No, are you ready? Is your brain ready for this? Even if you struggle and fail his game, you will be laughing by the time you finish this book.

Playing Mr. Fox’s Game of No requires you to say “NO” even when you would like to say “yes.” It’s a struggle, I tell you. You will definitely hesitate when responding back to Mr. Fox’s questions, as you think about what answer you want to give and what answer you do give to Mr. Fox. If you do end up saying “yes” by mistake, it’s not the end of the world, you just have to start reading this book from the beginning again.

Are you ready? I’m already laughing thinking about my grandson’s reactions to Mr. Fox’s questions and how much he loves reading this book.

You’ll love this book, and your child will want to read it again and again as they’ll love the silliness of Mr. Fox and how he tries to trick them throughout the story. With fantastic illustrations that compliment the story and easy to read text, this story is a definite read! 5 stars!

Wagnificent: The Adventures of Thunder and Sage by Bethanie Murguia

4 stars Children’s Graphic Novel

Sage loves all things enchanted while her dog Thunder doesn’t. Sage doesn’t like the cape and hat that Sage dressed him up in, in fact he believes it’s all wrong. While Sage is diving into her fantasy obsession, Thunder’s inner self materializes.

Thunder knows he’s a dog but who were his past ancestors? Discovering that wolves were his descendants, Thunder is told by his inner self to embrace this new knowledge and to gain strength and power from it. No longer is Thunder the easy-go-lucky dog, he now has his own thoughts and ideas.

Sage’s energy and spirit fill the pages, as she tries to entertain herself and her dog Thunder while Thunder’s inner wolf spirit is pushing back. Thunder needs to find a balance with the person who loves him the most. With cute illustrations that help retell the story, I think this book is geared more towards the younger elementary readers. 4 stars

All the Books by Hayley Rocco

5 stars Children’s Picture

Piper loved books yet she had never stepped foot inside a library. She loved books so much; she took them everywhere she went, every single one of them. Piper carried her collection everywhere she went. It was hard to transport such a big collection, but Piper loved her books.

As Piper’s bike flipped with all her prized possessions lying scattered around, Piper was now experiencing her worse day ever. Carrying an umbrella, mole comes out to assist Piper as the rain starts to come down. Mole helps Piper gather her things and they head into a building that takes Piper’s breath away. It’s humongous and amazing!

Mole is the librarian, and he has just changed the life of Piper, he has brought Piper inside a library.

I really liked this book. I liked how the story flowed and how Piper’s view on books changed. I loved her reaction to the library. The illustrations in this book are fabulous. Very colorful and the characters are great. 5 stars.

Mouse and His Dog (Dogtown #2) by Katherine Applegate

5 stars Children’s Chapter Book

Yes, this is a series, but you can read this one as a stand alone but why would you? I really believe that I loved this second book in this series more than the first. I was almost going to set this book aside but once I got reading, I couldn’t stop! I absolutely adored the relationship that Mouse had with Buster heck, Mouse is such a caring little creature to everyone.

It was such an enjoyable, entertaining read as Mouse tries to tackle the impossible. Mouse and Buster create a close bond at Dogtown, each of them watching out for one another. Mouse knows that the dog shelter is no place for a mouse, but he enjoys it there amongst his friends. Buster finally gets another break, and he’s adopted. Unfortunately, his freedom from the shelter is short-lived when he is once again returned to the shelter.

Back at the shelter, Mouse overhears talk about The List. Hearing that his friends have made it on this, Mouse is on a mission to find permanent homes for Buster and his friends before it’s too late. It’s an emotional time for Mouse knowing he will lose his friends once they are gone yet he knows the fate his friends face if they remain at The Doghouse.

Such a great combination of friends: Smoke Alarm, Stewie, Buster, and Mouse. I enjoyed this book tremendously . 5 stars.

Blue Sky White Clouds: A Book for Memory-Challenged Adults

5 stars Adult/Children

I liked this book. I loved the variety of pictures and how clear and crisp the pictures were. Each page in this book sports a big photograph and underneath the photograph is a small sentence stating what the picture is. Examples include:

“Seagulls play in the water. ““Pretty pink and white flowers.” “A blue bicycle by the beach.” “Dad swims with his son.”

There are a variety of diverse individuals inside this book. The sentences are short and descriptive. The pages are numbered too. I would like to see more pictures in the future but this is a good start. Overall, a great book and hope there are going to be more of these books in the future. 5 stars

Never Forget Eleanor by Jason June

3.5 stars Children’s

This book was okay. The enthusiasm from Elijah was what made the pages turn for me. Elijah loved his Grandma Eleanor so much and he loved her Saturday story sessions. Elijah loved talking with his grandma and learning new words. Every Saturday, Grandma Eleanor would sit on her porch swing and tell stories to everyone who would gather. There were crowds typically around her porch: Elijah, grandma’s friends and family, they all loved to listen to her recite her stories.

One Saturday, Grandma Eleanor is not there. Elijah panicked at first but then, he had a plan. Elijah’s plan worked and grandma finds her way back home. Grandma Eleanor makes a lasting impression on Elijah as she shares her life with him.

The illustrations in this book were great. I loved the colors and the facial features. The emotions on the faces were nicely done. I really enjoyed the relationship between Grandma Eleanor and Elijah. The Author’s and Artist’s Note at the back of the book were a great bonus. I felt that some of the words used in this book were not words that children would understand. This book addresses Alzheimer’s and dementia without mentioning it at all. I liked the ending, but I was hoping for something more in the middle. 3.5 stars.

Go and Get With Rex by David LaRochelle

5 stars (glowing stars!) Children’s

This is a fun book! This is the second book we have read by David LaRochel and I will be checking out more by this author. My grandson decided to play the game with Rex after we had read this book a few times so that told me he really enjoyed this book.

The story is told to you by a game show host and you read about the game show contestants Jack, Jill and the dog Rex. The text reads as if the host is talking to you, “Howdy, everyone! Who wants to play a game of Go and Get?” It’s so much fun to read this book and the answers that the contestants give are great, especially Rex, the dog. The game show host gives the contestants letters of the alphabet, one at a time, and they must go get items beginning with that letter. When they return, he comments about their items that they returned with, while also using words that begin with that letter A LOT in his comments. An example: letter F – “that was fast! Let’s see what you found.” Now, each of the contestants conceal their items but give one clue so you can guess what they are. Jack brough something in a box that says, “Ribbit! Ribbit!” a Frog! Yes, Frog begins with the letter F!” Rex brought something in a box that says “Quack! A Duck? I’m sorry, Rex, but duck does not begin with the letter F. Oh! This duck is your Friend. You’re right. Friend does begin with the letter F!?

Now, isn’t that cute? What did Jill bring? Well, you’ll need to check out this book to find out this answer and to see what other letters the game show host gave to the contestants.

I loved this book; it was so fun and entertaining! My grandson was running around the house trying to find something to match the letters just like Jack, Jill, and Rex.

Definitely a 5 star book for us!

Home Away From Home by Cynthia Lord

4.5 stars Middle School Realistic Fiction

Sometimes life is not all about yourself. This is something that Mia learns in this middle school which captured my heart. Mia’s parents have divorced, and Mia is having a hard time finding her place. Her father has remarried, and they have a new baby while her mother and current boyfriend have decided that they’re going to move in together. Mia likes Scott and was okay with them moving in together until she found out that they would be selling her childhood home and they’d all be moving into a new home together. This was too much change for Mia and their yearly mother-daughter visit to grandma’s is now just going to be a month-long visit for Mia. Mom and Scott can deal with the house details while Mia has grandma’s attention all to herself.

Mia has made plans for this visit with grandma, after all she’s been coming here for years. Grandma has a new cat which Mia can handle but there’s another addition that Mia feels is invading her space. This was supposed to be grandma and Mia’s time – a month of exclusive grandma time and now, there’s Cayman. This neighbor boy seems to know too much about Mia’s grandma and her life. Mia is finding him annoying, and I find myself laughing at her as he moseys his way onto the scene. There are these emotions that Mia is having, when Cayman is present and when he is gone. They’re not romantic but Mia is confused about this boy who has popped up in her life. I like Cayman’s attitude and Mia’s confusion causes quite the drama she wasn’t looking for.

It’s a fun and entertaining read. I enjoyed how openly and honestly the emotions were portrayed in the book and I think young readers will be able to relate to the characters. This was an Iowa Children’s Choice Award Book 2024-2025. 4.5 stars.

““That’s all you can say?” Cayman snapped. “I’m telling you that it upset my mom and you want nosy details? Why? So you can blame her, too? You don’t understand anything!” He started running away from me up the path.”

Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy

5 stars Fiction

This was such a sweet story! I will definitely have to reread this one over and over again as I loved its simplicity and the way the story made me feel. The isolation of Helen, how Helen felt when she met Sipsworth and what Sipsworth brought to her and everyone around her. The story felt simple, but it was a powerful story, in its connections and its emotions.

Helen has just returned to her hometown after being overseas for 60 years. Eighty-year-old Helen had just purchased a cottage off the internet and was now making it her home. Something about an 80-year-old woman desire to accomplish this, amazed me. As the book processes, it has been three years, and it seems that Helen has led a secluded life in her new cottage. She watches the neighborhood and she’s alert but she’s not one to partake in life outside her walls.

It’s Friday and she’s noticing her neighbor’s hauling their garbage out to the curb. Garbage day is a big event for Helen as she has scored some big finds for herself out of her neighbor’s trash. There’s something in this week’s trash that sparks her curiosity and so, while no one is watching, Helen sneaks outside. There’s a fish tank which has other items with it. Afraid of missing out on any treasures, Helen takes everything and hauls it all home. I loved how this garbage triggered a memory, and we learned a bit about Helen and her past. Leaving the items in her yard to clean-up tomorrow, Helen gets ready for bed.

Helen hears something that night coming from her backyard. The anticipation was killing me, as I didn’t know what Helen might do. Upon discovering the mouse amongst the items that she rescued from her neighbor’s trash, Helen goes about setting it free. It should be over, it should be out of Helen’s mind now because yes, she set it free. Yet when it starts to rain, Helen can’t stop thinking about the mouse and its safety. I had to smile as I read, for Helen is a loving and caring soul and now, the mouse is her companion. Helen tries to relinquish control by calling the authorities, but her efforts are brief. All thoughts and activities now include the mouse and Helen makes accommodations for her new friend. Bringing this mouse into her life opens the door for Helen as her compassionate and kindness spreads to others around her.

I loved the way the author transitioned through the days; it was such a fantastic technique especially towards the end of the book. As the days passed, I felt the drama, energy, and seriousness of the events unfold. I can’t say enough about this book except read it!! Such a sweet story about friendships, community, and family. 5 stars+