A message from my LITTLE friend....

Greetings and salutations!

Welcome back to the perfect place for a bookish person like yourself….and that friend pretending not to be interested, but currently reading over your should (yeah, I see you….^_^)….Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Yesterday, we said hello to Charlie: A Love Story by Barbara Lampert courtesy of Pump Up Your Book Online Book Publicity…and gave you a chance to win a copy all your own (ending 04/28). Today, the blog is staying with the dogs but in a whole new and FUNNY way, so get ready to laugh. Get ready to smile. Get ready to say hello to….today’s book of choice….

Say Hello to Zorro!

By

Carter Goodrich

First off, just look at that cover….they are so cute! One can only guess that the little guy with the stern appearance on the left is the notorious Zorro. He exudes attitude and defiance even from the first page…nay the first picture! Moving inside the book, we discover the world of Mister Bud….the puppy on the right hand side of that picture. (Love that name!)

Mister Bud is happy in his little world filled with his home, his toys, his schedule….do you see a trend here? *ahem* _clears throat_ ~sings~ Me, me, MEEEEEEE! That’s right. In his house, it’s all about his needs and that of his owner; I mean he’s not a greedy puppy but when you’re the ONLY “child”, it just happens that way sometimes (speaking from experience…yep). Everything was peachy and right on track, until one day during “make a fuss time”, when a stranger walked in… *cue western-ish showdown music*

His name….Zorro. (Love it!) His mission (if he actually had one)…to destroy life as Mister Bud knows it, or at least that’s what Mister Bud thinks…at first. The REAL lesson is more about turning the “me, me, me” into “we, we, we” (kindly notice there is only ONE “e” on that “we”…so as not to be mistaken with potty time *-*)….otherwise known as sharing. It’s hard at first as they both have their own things (smart choice on the owner’s part) and personalities don’t always mesh when one can be bossy and the other grumpy, but all that changes when that thread of commonness is found between them.

That one little similarity (which I’ll let YOU discover) makes a world of difference in their relationship and turns their frowns upside down. Now instead of a bother, they look forward to the time shared…and give their owner as well as the cats in the neighborhood a run for their money. ^_^ It’s truly a tail…I mean tale of friendship found unexpectedly and how rewarding it can be if we only give those new to us a chance to shine. Don’t just look at what’s wrong with a situation, find the silver lining. It can lead to wonderful experiences AND relationships you may have otherwise missed out on.

Finally, let’s discuss artwork. This is a storybook, yes, but the pages are largely given to Mister Bud and Zorro; otherwise the scenes are fairly sparse. Is that a bad thing? No way! It actually works quite well since the story centers on them specifically and the other items/critters featured are more to show their daily happenings than anything else. With every turn of the page, you are greeted by one of (or both of) our canine leads getting into something new or starting some sort of mischief, but the real jewel beyond their obvious cuteness is their facial expressions. From excited to sad, grumpy to bossy, surprised to content….there’s always something flitting across their little puppy faces and it adds a bit more of that “smile factor” I usually find in storybooks because let’s face it, while it’s always about the story, the illustrations in works such as this play a HUGE part. Bravo to the Mr. Goodrich…on both counts!

In conclusion, a book fit for readers of all ages that will have you smiling with joy as you discover how their story ends. Young ones will get to see how enriching making a new friend can be while those young at heart readers will get the chance to not only be reminded of that fact, but laugh along at their antics. A good read through and through, with artwork not to be missed…this one is a keeper (and perhaps something I need to read to one of my own pups… *hmmm*).

Review copy came from my personal library as I was lucky enough to win an autographed copy several months back (YAY!). This book is available now at a bookstore near you from Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers. To discover more about this book as well as their full catalog, feel free to visit them online, like them on Facebook, or follow along on Twitter. For those of you already enamored with the world of Mister Bud and Zorro, I’ve got news for you….there’s another book in the series being released next month! That’s right….stand back because this time….Zorro Gets an Outfit! (Can’t wait! ^_^)






Until next time….Zorro says DON”T FORGET TO GET YOUR VOTES IN FOR THE IBBA COMPETITION ENDING 04/23.…and happy reading!