Happy BOOK BIRTHDAY to... DRAGON DOG by Suzanne Lang and Max Lang - REVIEW!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers!

Today, we're tossing confetti and donning our party hats as we usher in the arrival of a NEW title via Random House Studio.  It's FIERCE, it's FLUFFY, and it's simply FABULOUS, but I'm sure you'll see all of that for yourselves in just a moment...unlike Sowerbutts, whom you'll also hear more about.  😉  Ladies and gents, readers of all ages, I give you today's title in the spotlight...

Dragon Dog

by

Suzanne Lang

Illustrated by Max Lang

Random House Studio

9798217223718

About the book...

When the evil wizard Simpkin Sowerbutts attempts to create a dragon as loyal as a dog and instead spawns a dog as fierce as a dragon, he banishes his embarrassing and so fluffy creation.

Outcast and alone, Dragon Dog roams the land looking for a home only to find foes around every corner. But Dragon Dog prides himself on being fierce—like a dragon—and defeats all who challenge him. Soon everyone in the land of Quatsch is afraid of him.

Everyone except a lost little lamb named Dandelion.

Dragon Dog help his new friend find her way back to her flock, and Dandelion helps Dragon Dog embrace his fluffy side and find a place to call home.

Oh yeah, and along the way they narrowly escape the jaws of the biggest, meanest dragon around.

An exciting and silly fantasy that shows readers we can be both fierce AND fluffy.

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Welcome to the land of Quatsch, where you're about to embark on a story that may have happened long ago, but hits home in the here and now. There's a mad wizard (Simpkin Sowerbutts), a spell/creation gone wrong (at least according to Sowerbutts, but I mean, come on...are we gonna take HIS word for it?), and a tale of what happens when we stop living up to the expectations of others, discover our true selves, and find our place in this great big CRAZY world. Trust me, while our world seems pretty darn crazy, Dragon Dog's isn't really shining up any better...at least at first.

Readers will FALL IN LOVE with this FLUFFY, FIERCE, and FABULOUS critter...so watch out parents, you may get some requests for one of their own (note to the author, illustrator, and publisher...a stuffy take home version of Dragon Dog is SIMPLY A MUST!). He is all of the things noted, despite being told from every angle that he wasn't what he was suppose to be and that made him somehow less. In reality, it made him SO MUCH MORE because the shortsighted wizard (Sowerbutts...ha! Sorry, had to say it one more time AT LEAST!) never took the time to get to know his creation, nor contemplate the repercussions of what might happen in the future when he let the "relationship" be so sower...I mean, sour.  *ahem*  HINT: An impromptu dinner party where the menu is RATHER INTERESTING!

All in all, this is a GRAND ADVENTURE with LOVABLE characters (did I mention Dandelion?  *gasp* She is such a sweetheart, and just as FIERCE as the next lamb!), GORGEOUS artwork, fabulous WORDPLAY, and so much IMAGINATION that I'm filled to the brim with delight...and I think readers of all ages will join me in that feeling! Check out this inspiring AND fun story available now wherever books are sold (happy book birthday!)!

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Special thanks to Priyanka at Penguin Random House for the chance to bring this feature to you, as well as the ARC for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, the illustrator, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title celebrated its BOOK BIRTHDAY today via Random House Studio, so join the fun and share your love of reading!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

RB Listening Circle: THE SISTERS 8: ANNIE'S ADVENTURE! - Audiobook Review!

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers. It's time for our monthly audiobook pick via the RB Listening Circle thanks to the RBmedia Team (THANKS!).  This time around, I went with a Children’s Fiction title that is the kickoff book in a series you may have heard of before, but have you HEARD it before? 😉

The Sisters 8:

Annie's Adventure

by

Lauren Baratz-Logsted with Greg Logsted and Jackie Logsted

Narrated by Tina Wolstencroft

Publisher: Dreamscape

Published by: Tantor Media, Inc

Release Date: Jun 30, 2026

About the book...

A large problem has befallen the Huit girls. (Sisters, actually. Octuplets to be exact.) One particular New Year's Eve, the girls wait for their mommy to bring them hot chocolate and their daddy to return with more wood for the fire. But they don't. Mommy and Daddy, that is. They're gone. Poof! Maybe dead—no one knows for sure.

You must see the problem here. Eight little girls on their own, no mommy or daddy to take care of them. This is not a good thing.

So now these little girls must take care of themselves. Get to school, cook the meals, feed the cats (eight of them, too), and pay the bills. They can't ask for help, oh no. After losing their parents, being split up would be completely unbearable.

At the same time, the question remains: What happened to Mommy and Daddy?

The Sisters Eight (as they are called, affectionately and otherwise) are determined to find out. Luckily, they do seem to have someone or something helping them.

It's a good old-fashioned mystery with missing (or dead) parents, nosy neighbors, talking refrigerators, foul-smelling fruitcake (is there any other kind?), and even a little magic. Eight little girls, eight cats, and one big mystery—let the fun begin!

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This was a GREAT start to what sounds like a FABULOUS series for readers/listeners young and young at heart!

I had seen/heard of this work when it celebrated its print debut back in the day (hello Mount TBR!), but never got around to it. When I saw it was a newly minted audio option, and available as part of the RB Media Listening Circle, I knew I had to dive in! So glad I did!

The narrator does a wonderful job of bringing the cast to life, and that's no small task with EIGHT sisters (plus their make believe Mommy and Daddy voices!), their classmates, teacher, neighbor, and other adult types to voice! Each is distinct from the others, and easily identified so you don't get lost in the narrative. Speaking of the narrative...

The story is certainly something you'll remember and want more of! The styling reminds me of the Unfortunate Events series, both with the shorter books and the focus more on one character at a time, but the mystery of the missing parents, the mysterious appearing communications, the slippery neighbor, and the ever helpful and attuned handyman, all lend to its uniqueness in a way that's all it's own.

Aside from the mystery filled story, we also have valuable life lessons that the girls are inadvertently learning (and sharing!) along the way. From discovering your own "power" to working as a team, the basics of driving to the proper way to conduct one's self even if Mommy and Daddy aren't around, there's oodles to love and learn from these charming siblings. I know I'll be tuning in to find out what happens with Sisters 8, and highly recommend it to you if this review has peaked your interest in the slightest... because it's even better!

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About the author...

Lauren Baratz-Logsted is the author of over twenty-five books for adults, teens (including The Twin's Daughter and Little Women and Me), and children (The Sisters 8, a nine-book series she created with her husband and daughter). Before becoming an author, Lauren was an independent bookseller, freelance editor, Publishers Weekly reviewer, sort-of librarian, and window washer. She lives with her family in Danbury, Connecticut.

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Special thanks to the RB Media team for the audiobook to listen and share with you. (THANKS!) For more information, click on through the links above, and be sure to snag your copy to experience it for yourself!

Until next time, if it looks good, READ (or listen to) IT!