Bibbiti Bobbiti BARK: The Hairy Dogmother by Julia Dweck

Hello everyone!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers…the place to be when the need to read strikes but the genre you seek is “anything goes”. 

Curious about that last sentence are we?  Well it’s easy enough to explain if we just look at the books covered this week.  We've got swashbuckling adventure, magical reading, a conversation starter and now….a leap back to Children’s Fiction you have to see to believe.  So you see?  We are a mixed bag sort of site, but in my mind….it keeps things interesting!  (Hopefully the same can be said about the site in YOUR mind as well… *crosses fingers*)  Anywho, back to today’s post…

 The featured title of the day came to my attention via an enthusiastic tweet from the author herself.  Upon investigating the title, I could totally see why she was so excited about the book, despite the fact that she penned it, because really in a word it is…ADORABLE.  There are so many other words that could be penned to this work but before I start throwing adjectives all willy-nilly, allow me to properly introduce the book.  Today’s book of choice is…

The Hairy Dogmother

By

Julia Dweck

Illustrated by

Delfin Barral

About the book…

Harry is a beagle with a secret. Everyone knows that dogs are man's best friend, but did you know that some dogs can grant wishes, too? Harry's a hairy fairy from his head to his knees, except that he scratches and has lots of fleas. Readers will be hooked on the fun and fast paced action of this comical rhyming tale. The Hairy Dogmother is for every little girl who has ever dreamed of being a princess.

I totally agree with the last line, provided you change little girl to EVERY girl…or even boy’s who wished to be princes for that matter (just needs a little more imagination to change it around).  ^_^ 

For those of you that follow my site or even those that just happened upon it and scoped out the images/reviews, you know I’m a dog lover.  Through and through, my pups are like family…no wait, they ARE family and provide not only adorable photo ops and puppy kisses, but enough moments of laughter and smiles to last a lifetime.  Yes, if you don’t have a dog (or pet of whatever sort you fancy), you are sorely missing out.  But I digress, let me get back to the hairy star of today’s title choice…

Harry is adorable in every way a puppy can be…add to that the ability to grant wishes and BOOM!  He gives most of our four legged friends a run for their money.  The secret to Harry’s wish granting though (and the moral of the story) isn’t in everything he is able to magically materialize or change before the little girl’s eyes; it’s in the revelation.  That dawn of understanding that happens just before we reach book’s end.  It reminds us that  life may seem perfect if we only had this or were only that, but true happiness and fulfillment comes not from a store or mani-pedi (simmer down ladies, I’m making a point here... ^_^), but from surrounding ourselves with those we hold dear.  Family and friends provide the true sparkle points in life...and speaking of sparkle…

Did you catch a glimpse of that cover?  Beyond cute, is it not?  I love the bright colors and happy expression on little Harry’s face.  Each scene we encounter within the story is just as enchanting too!  From the moment Harry reveals his true self to the moment he’s taking off with a cookie for the road, all the details are there beautifully displayed in full color just over dramatized in order for little ones to really capture each scene.  It works!  It really makes it spring to life and is something that is carried forth through every e-page of the book.  Hats off to illustrator Delfin Barral for a job well done!

What’s that?  Oh, you caught the mention of an “e-page”.  Yes, you caught me.  This was an ebook or more specifically a Kindle book and my first venture into the land of storybooks in this format.  My thoughts?  I can’t say it didn’t work because it did and I was rather taken with the images as well as the layout since it appeared similar to an actual print book with the landscape setup.  Do I prefer it to a print copy?  No.  While it makes it easy to take with you and a great read for on the go, I’m still an old school fan….love my paper books.  Now that’s not to say this will be my last venture into the digital storybook world (because it won’t), it’s just to state my allegiance to the “tree book” (phrase and image borrowed from my bloggy friend Petty Witter), may it “live long and prosper” (<- - no giggling for those that got that reference ^_^).

In the end, a highly recommended read from me to you suitable for all ages and sure to enchant all those who set their sights on Harry.  Whether dog lover or simply an avid reader, the story is touching, the rhyming sweet; this one adds up to a genuine bookish treat!

EBook for review courtesy of author Julia Dweck.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title as well as her other works (which I will be investigating soon…stay tuned!), check out her full profile page on Amazon, her official website with even more bookish wonders, like her on Facebook, or follow along on Twitter.  This ebook was published by KiteReaders earlier this month and is available now on Amazon should you desire a copy to call your own. 

Until next time…happy reading!