My Friend Fred by Hiawyn Oram

 Have you ever tried to teach your kids about sharing something special? It’s a hard concept because special toys or even people are difficult to share. My Friend Fred by Hiawyn Oram shows what one little girl learns about friendship and sharing.

Grace and her dog, Fred, do everything together. Her sister, Sarah, tries to tell her that Fred is the family dog, not hers, but Grace wants none of that. One day, Sarah tempts Fred to come and play with all her friends, but Grace takes him away and locks him in her room. Suddenly, Fred doesn’t want to play with Grace. What will she do?

Oram has created a beautiful story where Grace learns the thrill and joy of sharing a special friend. It isn’t easy for her, since Sarah has so many friends and Grace only has Fred; but she doesn’t want to make Fred unhappy either. When they all get a chance to play together they have great fun.

Rosie Reeve provides the artwork for My Friend Fred. Soft blues and purples are complemented by bright pinks and greens. Some of the pages have paw print accents like those found on the cover in the word, “FRED.” The paw prints on the cover are slightly raised to give the book a textured feel. This is a lovely book from open to shut, though it probably won’t stay shut long.

Dog lovers are bound to get into this one.

Rating:  🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

• Hardcover:32 pages
• Publisher:Tiger Tales; Reprint edition (March 1, 2012)
• ISBN-10:1589251059
• ISBN-13: 978-1589251052
• SRP:$15.95

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I received no monetary compensation of any kind for my review.

 

Tilly’s Tale by Harry Porter

Children and parents will enjoy Tilly’s Tale by Harry Porter, the heartwarming story of a rescued dog who finds love and a new purpose in life.

When Tilly’s owner becomes ill and is no longer able to care for her, the man’s son brings Tilly to his own house, where she is mistreated by his wife and ignored. Scared and uncertain, Tilly’s life takes an unexpected turn when she is dropped off at the sanctuary and adopted by a new family that includes two other rescued dogs.

Told in Tilly’s words, this is a story of hope restored and one dog’s journey to find love again.

In this well-written, inspiring tale, readers get a glimpse into animal abuse and neglect from a dog’s point of view. That scared me at first, as I was wondering how young people would handle it. I feel the author did an excellent job of showing the reader the emotional ride Tilly finds herself on after her beloved owner falls ill. I believe many of these emotions are ones that children will easily relate to.

Even though, at 8, my daughter is slightly younger than the target market for Tilly’s Tale, which is readers ages 9 to 12, she was able to not only understand what was happening, but also be touched by Tilly’s story.

Tilly’s Tale could also be read as a family, which could open discussions for the level of responsibilities involved in caring for a pet. Your family will cheer when Tilly is adopted by the author and his wife, and once again finds the love and appreciation such a special dog deserves.

Mandy Hedrick provided the illustrations for this book. I couldn’t get over how well she captured the essence of Tilly. If you go out to the author’s website, you’ll find pictures of Tilly, and the many other rescue dogs the author and his wife have brought home. Tilly’s Tale was just voted Best Children’s Book in the Preditors & Editors Reader’s Poll for 2009. The book also received the award for Best Artwork in the Preditors & Editors Reader’s Poll for 2009.

Porter and 4RV Publishing plan to release additional stories of rescued dogs as part of Harry Porter’s Dog Tales series. I look forward to seeing more of these books. 

Tilly’s Tale is one story that every member of your family will love!

Rating:  🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

Publisher: 4RV Publishing LLC

ISBN-10: 0981868592

ISBN-13: 978-0981868592

SRP:  $10.99

 

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Poodle & Doodle by Donna J. Shepherd

I just had a chance to offer a back cover blurb for this upcoming new release from Guardian Angel Publishing.  Poodle & Doodle  by Donna J. Shepherd and illustrated by Jack Foster, tells the story of a prissy little poodle who is upset when a mangy mutt becomes the new member of the house.

Young readers are certainly going to enjoy this rhyming story of two very different dogs and how they become friends. 

You can check out other upcoming titles at the Guardian Angel Publishing website.