Meet Boboko and Laptop, proud owners of fantasy author Alma Alexander

My guests this week are Laptop and Boboko, proud owners of fantasy author Alma Alexander. Alma writes the exciting Worldweaver series! Read on to find out what's it like living with a fantasy author and what these cats' names have done to their self esteem...

Laptop, since you claim to have twice the brains of your brother Boboko, I'll begin with you. Tell us, how did you two came to live at Alma's household?

She doesn't think I know this, but I do - they wanted two cats, and two of my siblings were grey striped tabbies and she originally wanted at least one of those. But both were spoken for by the time she came to look for us, and it was me who joined Boboko in the household in the end. Boboko, by the way, was ALWAYS first choice - but he's all beauty and no brains and I'm comfortable in my own place. For instance, it is only I who sleep with Alma under the covers, not the Fluffy Prince. So there.

Boboko, are Laptop's claims true? Or is this some annoying feline feminist phase she's going through?

Er, what she says. What's "phase"? Or "Feminist"?... Ooooh, look, shiny toy. 'Scuse me...

What is it like living with a fantasy author?

Laptop: A cat is all about truth and integrity...

Boboko: I thought those were dogs...

Laptop: ....never mind him. He never left kittenhood. As I was saying. A cat is all about truth and integrity, and our Mom, well, tells lies for a living.

Boboko: They're pretty lies.

Laptop: Well, that's neither here nor...

Boboko: And they keep us in kibble. That's true enough.

How did Alma come up with your names and what has that done to your self esteem?

Boboko: There was a cat called Boboko in Charles de Lint's book "Mulengro" which Mom thought was the quintessential cat - and she wanted to call a cat of her own by that name, just because. I don't remotely resemble the Boboko in the book, but I like to think that *I* am her yardstick for the name now, and not that other cat who did nothing other than inspire it...

Laptop: And I was named by Dad, because Mom got to name the Fluffy Prince. Let me tell you we get some weird looks. Laptop? A cat called Laptop? But you know what? it kinda fits, now. And it lends itself to twisting. Apparently Mom thinks I"m a chatty cathy because now and
then I get called Yaptop...

Boboko and Laptop: Of course, we have our REAL names. Which she has no clue about.
That's okay, she's only human, she isn't supposed to. We love her
anyway.

So Laptop, tell us a little about your mom's books and her writing habits? Is she one of those self centered, egotistical authors?

Nah. If anything, the opposite. It takes the concerted effort of all three of us (Dad, me, Fluffy Prince himself) to keep up her self esteem when it comes to her writing. I keep on thinking that if only she'd start writing about CATS I could do a lot more with this.

Boboko, which one of Alma's books is your favorite? Are there any cats in her books?

Well, there's a nook on the shelf of the hardcover "Jin Shei" edition where it's good to nap, so I guess those... and I'm told that there was a cat in that book, an important cat.... ooooh, shiny toy, look!

Who does Alma love the most between you two?

Laptop: There are times I think she ONLY loves FLuffy Prince. But then, in the evenings, she lets me curl up next to her and we hold paws for hours - and there's the fact that she and I are bedmates, especially in the winter, when it's nice and warm under the covers with her. And she worries so when there's something wrong with either or both of us, or when we squabble. She loves us both. We both love her.

Boboko: I know I was a Chosen One. I know that all I ever have to do is ask and what I want is usually given to me. She indulges me shamelessly; I nap inside her oversized red sweater in winter and curl up comfortably against her belly for hours and she would rather die of hunger and thirst than move and disturb me before I'm ready to wake up. She fusses with me when I demand it. She gives me treats. Yes, she loves me. Oh yeah, and she loves my sister, too, She'll make a point of fussing us both if we're in the same range of reach, But she's mine. Mine, mine, mine. MINE.

Tell us something weird about Alma nobody knows.

She can lucid dream. She can control the dreams, sometimes. We know this because we are cats and we can go freely into her dreams when she falls asleep at night.

Sometimes, she even dreams about us.

We make sure of it.

Thanks, kitties!!!

Laptop: (preening) Most welcome, I'm sure.

Boboko: Anything else we can... oooooooh! shiny toy! Scuse me!

Laptop: (quiet sigh) did you know we have our own website? go to www.worldweaversweb.com adn click on "cats" to see our portraits...

Thank you, Kitties!

Interview with Sparkles, the Fire Safety Dog, proud owner of Dayna Hilton

Woof! I'm excited to have as my guest this week a very special dog: Sparkles. Together with Dayna, her human writer mom who also happens to be a fire fighter, Sparkles does lots of school visits and teaches children about fire safety. That's why she's known as the Fire Safety Dog! She's been all over the country and all over the news. I'm sooooo jealous!

Hey, Sparkles, thanks for dropping by this side of the woods, girl! How did you come to live with Dayna?

Well, that’s a really interesting story. I was living in a house with 62 other dogs and was really miserable! Can you imagine living in a house with 62 other dogs? It was so crowded and I wanted to get out of there so bad!

Thank goodness I was rescued and taken to the animal shelter. From there, the folks at the Dalmatian Assistance League of Tulsa took me and my dal pals to foster homes for awhile. Boy, was it ever nice to be around people that wanted to take good care of me!

One day, my foster parents told me that I was going to meet somebody really special. I was so excited that my tail wouldn’t stop wagging! They knew that I needed to be with someone who really cared about me since they told me that I was a special dog. What does “special” mean?

Anyway, I met Dayna and I fell in love with her right away! She talked so sweet to me and gave me lots of hugs. She sealed the deal when she rubbed my tummy! I get all warm and fuzzy just thinking about that day! Best day of my life, I tell ya!

During the ride to Arkansas, I was so excited and couldn’t wait to live with my new family. That was in 2003, and I am still the happiest dog on the face of the planet! Those other icky days are now long gone and I am now doing what I was born to do, being a fire safety dog!

I hear she's a firefighter and together you teach children fire safety. How cool is that! How did that come about?

At first, I didn’t know Dayna was a firefighter. Heck, I didn’t even know what a firefighter was! When I got to her house, I saw all of her gear that she wears to keep her safe from fire. She told me all about being a firefighter and how she loved helping people. And, after meeting all of the firefighters at Johnson County RFD #1, I knew I wanted to help keep people safe too!

One day (now this is REALLY funny!), mom asked me to crawl low. What mom didn’t know is that I already knew how to crawl low. I crawled low the first time that she asked me to and she was so excited that she started jumping up and down all over the place! How funny is that? She took a video of me, but what I needed to do was take a video of HER! She looked so silly, but I could tell that she was happy, so I tried really hard not to laugh.

Then, Mom and I drove three hours round trip for eight weeks while I took a basic obedience class. Heck, I could have done the course in three weeks, but I just wanted to make sure that mom got her money’s worth! : )

I still needed more training to become a full fledged fire safety dog and mom was lucky to meet Kari who was taking classes at the local university and who also happened to be a professional dog trainer. BONUS!!!! Oh boy, was mom super happy about that! Kari spent time with me teaching me all sorts of cool things and I became educated in the ways of a fire safety dog.

One day, Mom put a shiny gold badge with my name on it on my work vest, and I was officially a fire safety dog for her fire department. Another very special day!

So tell us about Dayna's book!

If I have heard this story once, I have heard it a MILLION times! Mom tells it all the time! But, for you Amigo, I will share the story. : )

Mom always wanted to write a children’s book, but she didn’t’ know what she wanted to write about. One day, as she was putting on my red work vest… BAM!!!!!!!! The idea for the book hit her like a bolt of lightening! All I was doing was wagging my tail in excitement to go to work and see the kids, and next thing I knew, she’s writing a book, Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog, a story about me and my love for helping teach fire safety!

Now this next part is kinda funny, but it stressed mom out, so maybe it’s not so funny (sorry mom!). I’ve never told this story before, and I promised you a scoop, so here goes!

Mom and I were selected to be in a video by Oklahoma State University’s Fire Protection Publication’s to help other fire safety educators. Mom and I were known for having a really good fire safety reading program and they said that they needed a children’s fire safety book FAST. Mom, being the quick thinker that she was, said, “I have a book, but it’s raw and it’s not finished yet.” Do you know that mom finished her book in two days and read the book for the very first time in front of a kindergarten class and a camera crew? No pressure! Me, I had a ball and loved her book! I just sat there with my tail wagging and knew that we had something special.

Mom also has a Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog audio book. What’s really cool about the audio book is that it was made by three generations of firefighters: my Grandpa Glenn, my mom, and my brother, Michael. Spanner (my sister dal, also a rescue) and I also got to participate. The audio book even has cool sound effects, like the sound of a fire truck! So much fun!

How do you teach kids about fire safety? Don't they get distracted by wanting to pet you?

Mom’s really clever! She hides me while she and the firefighters talk about fire safety. That way, the children really listen to the important fire safety messages! It’s really important that the children know and understand the importance of fire safety. I help her, hmmmm, what’s that she calls it? Oh ya, I help her “reinforce” the fire safety message.

To reinforce the “Get low and go” fire safety message, I get in my bed and pretend to be asleep. When I hear, “Beep, beep, beep!”, I know it’s the sound of the smoke alarm and that it is telling me to “Get out! Get out!” I get out of bed and crawl low and go to my meeting place, which is a mailbox http://www.motionbox.com/videos/309ddfb21e1ee6c1be).

Speaking of meeting places, where’s your meeting place, Amigo? I hope you have one! It’s important that you have one so that your family can meet there if there’s a fire. That way, the firefighters will know that everyone is safe and they won’t have to risk there lives to go find you if they don’t have to.

Anyway, since I am hidden most of the time, the children don’t get distracted, but when I come out, that’s a whole different story all together! Mom shares with them that if they sit still and listen, that each of them will get to pet me and get a special Sparkles’ sticker! That usually does the trick and you could hear a pin drop!

What's the most important fire safety tip you'd give to kids?

I have so many fire safety tips, but the one that is most important is that everyone has working smoke alarms. Test your smoke alarms once a month and change your batteries twice a year!

When you hear the sound of a smoke alarm, it is telling you to “Get out! Get out!” Get low to the ground (the air is cleaner and cooler there) and crawl low on your hands and knees and go to your meeting place. Your meeting place can be a tree, a fence, or even a mailbox, just like my meeting place!

Make an escape map with your family and practice your home escape drill at least two times a year. You can even include your pets! Firefighter Dayna and I want everyone to be safe!

How can parents and educators learn more about your work?

I have an awesome fire safety website for kids, parents and educators (www.sparklesthefiresafetydog.com). What’s cool about this site is that there are fire safety tips, videos, coloring pages and all sorts of free downloadable stuff on there! You can even see that video of me crawling low for the first time!

Looking for a fire safety blog? I have that too (http://www.sparklesthefiresafetydog.blogspot.com)! And don’t forget my twitter page (www.twitter.com/sparklestfsd) and Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sparkles-the-Fire-Safety-Dog/58302653884). If you sign up on my Facebook page as a fan, we have drawings to win a copy of my, I mean, Firefighter Dayna’s book!

Another exciting project that I just started is helping my good friends, Wendy and her dog Cappy, on their A Dog’s Voyage Around the World blog. I’m Cappy’s fire safety friend and travel with him on his voyage, helping keep everyone safe (http://adogsvoyagearoundtheworld.blogspot.com/).

I’m also sharing really cool fire and other safety tips on Wendy’s Animal Talk Blog (www.wendysanimaltalk.blogpost.com). Mom just got through writing a post about people making an emergency disaster kit for their pets. How cool is that? And, I better mention mom’s blog too (www.childrensbookauthordaynahilton.blogspot.com). You can follow mom and me as we spread fire safety all over the country!

Mom loves it when people put our fire safety links on their webpages and blogs. If you want to help us spread the fire safety message, please link to us! Here is a page with most of our links http://www.sparklesthefiresafetydog.com/sparkles_favorite_links.html!

That would make me and my mom so happy, and, you would be helping us keep people fire safe!

Are there more books in the works?

Mom’s next book is called, Sparkles Goes to Boston. Last year, mom and I spent three weeks taking pictures of our friends, Firefighter Jim Peltier, Chief John Mauro, and all of their friends at the Southborough Fire Department, which is just outside of Boston. Did we ever have big fun taking pictures for our book! We hope the book will come out in the spring.

I also heard mom and her friend Wendy on the phone the other day and they are already sharing ideas for their next two books. Mom has at least six more fire safety books about me in her head! Makes me wish that I had thumbs so that I could help her write!

What the best part of living with a fire fighter author?

Hmmmmm. The best part? That’s a tough one!

The best part of living with a firefighter author is when we hear good news. In February we heard that our book helped save the lives of two children and their families (www.sparklesthefiresafetydog.com/saves). Mom was so happy that day when she found out! It makes all of that hard work that we do worth it. We are so thankful that the two families are safe and it makes us want to work even harder!

Are your doggy friends jealous of your stardom? How do you handle fame?

Gotta admit it, being on FOX and Friends (http://www.motionbox.com/videos/0a99dbb01c19e1c287) and on PBS KIDS Sprout on Demand and the Sprout webpage (www.sproutonline.com/firesafety) is way cool cause it’s a great way to share the fire safety message!

Being mentioned on the floor of Congress (www.firehousedogpublishing.com) and at a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing (http://www.motionbox.com/videos/ee9ed8b61c1be164) was also pretty cool, but we keep things in check. My dog friends aren’t jealous cause they know that we are helping keep people safe and they really like that!

How do I handle fame? To me, it’s not about being famous, it’s about keeping children and their caregivers fire safe. For me and mom, it’s our job. : )

Thanks, Sparkles! You're doing an important job, girl!

Interview with Basil, Douglas Quinn's fictional cat

Woof! Please welcome my guest, Basil the Cat. Now, Basil is not your regular kitty cat. For one thing, he's a fictional cat based on a real-life cat that died years ago, and he's a character in Douglas Quinn's mystery novels... Basil is here to talk about the fictional world he lives in and about the book's protagonist, Webb Sawyer.

Now, the author responsible for these creations, Douglas Quinn, is also an editor and book reviewer. You can find him at Gather. He loves writing for adults but also for children. In fact, his first children's book will come out before Christmas!

Sounds complicated? Just read the interview to find out!

Hi there, Basil! To begin with, where are you from?

Well, I was the last survivor of a litter living in and around the British Cemetery in Ocracoke Village on Ocracoke Island. That’s part of the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Every now and again I’d see this lady in a wheelchair go by. The first time she actually saw me, I was peeking out from behind a tombstone. She called to me and I bounded over to her, through the wrought iron fence and jumped up on her lap. I rode with her all the way to the grocery store and back to her house. I didn’t even think twice about going back into that creepy cemetery. The lady’s name was Blythe Parsons.

Tell us how you came to live with Webb Sawyer.

Oddly enough, Blythe was allergic to cats, so I wondered why she let me come live with her. As it turned out, she kept me out on her deck for a few weeks. Then one day we got into her van, which was converted for wheelchair-bound people, and made a several-hour trip up Ocracoke Island, across the ferry to Hatteras, then all the way up to Nags Head. She dropped me off with a man named Brant Cloninger, who took me on a skiff from his bait and tackle shop to a stilt house at Blue Heron Marsh.

I wasn’t sure what was up, but when the man named Webb Sawyer came home, I knew I had found the person I was meant to be with. Oh, he wasn’t too sure at first, but I soon charmed him into loving me–no problem.

Just who is this Webb Sawyer and what does he do?

Webb Sawyer was created by author Douglas Quinn. Webb’s a retired army sergeant–well, he was kind of forced out because he shot a captured Serbian death-squad leader in the face. But that’s another story. At any rate, he’s a little bit of a loner, although he has a few really good friends. He likes to fish and he takes me out with him when he fishes in the marsh. At first, he just fed me the scraps, but now I get to share some of the good parts.

As for what he does besides fish? Well, he seems to get himself mixed up with not-so-nice people who bother his friends. For instance, some Colombian guy was bothering Nehi, a girl who works for Webb’s on-again, off-again girlfriend, Nan–by the way, I like Nan. At any rate, Webb broke the guy’s finger and, in turn, this guy and three of his friends came in the middle of the night by boat and tried to kill Webb and burn our house down. I hid until the next day. I’m not sure exactly what happened, but when it was all over, one guy was dead in the marsh water and the other three got back in their boat and sped off. There was a lot of shooting. I was really scared.

What kind of fictional world do you live in? Describe it a bit.

I love it here at Blue Heron Marsh. Webb’s house sits up ten feet out of the water on stilts. It originally was a fishing house, but was remodeled into a real home with all the conveniences. It’s got a closed in front porch that faces the Roanoke Sound. Webb calls it the back porch because he doesn’t like the idea of the front of his house facing any direction people might be traveling by, even if by boat. His real back porch is open but roofed and faces the marshes. Sometimes we fish right off the porch. Underneath the house is a landing dock and a raised area where Webb keeps a freezer with extra fish. He stored a body in there once. It was one of the bad guys. It’s a great place for a cat to live.

I like to sit in the window facing the causeway that runs between Nags Head and Roanoke Island and watch for anyone coming out to the house. Usually it’s Nan. It was there that I heard the bad guys coming and woke up Webb to warn him.

Do you get to take part in adventures in the book, or are you mainly a watcher?

Oh, Webb takes me some places, but so far I haven’t really gotten into the action. That’s probably for the best. I subscribe to the old saying, “Make love, not war.” I heard Webb say that once. Funny, since he was in the army and, as I said before, gets himself wrapped up in some violent situations. He really is an easy-going man. He just won’t put up with evil or corrupt people who bother him or his friends. He wants to make things right. That seems to get him into troublesome situations.

I hear Webb is a beer snob. Is that true?

He only likes Grolsch. I guess it’s a taste bud thing. If in a pickle, he might condescend to drink Heineken. He drank an Oranjeboom once but wasn’t happy about it. Besides that, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him go outside the Dutch brews. His friend, Ben Straker, from the Uwharries region of North Carolina, drinks Bass Ale. Webb calls it Panther Piss–if you will excuse my language. Me, I don’t see how humans can drink that stuff. Now, coffee, that’s a different story.

Who is your favorite character in the story? Why?

I presume you mean in Pelican Point. In Blue Heron Marsh, I didn’t show up until the epilogue, so I missed all the characters and the fun in that one. In Pelican Point I’ve got to say that Preston’s (Webb’s son’s) girlfriend, Sunshine Bledsoe, is my favorite. When I met her she seemed kinda shy and meek but I heard that at the end of the story she turned out to be a real spitfire. Also, while I still like Nan Ftorek, she and Webb seem to be currently on the outs, and I have taken a liking to a new lady in Webb’s life named Clarky Ayers. She likes to fish and is good at it, too.

Where can readers find Pelican Point and the other Douglas Quinn books?

All the major online booksellers carry them. Amazon is the best as they deliver the quickest. Also it can be ordered by any local bookstore through the distributor, Ingram. By the way, I’ve asked the author if I can have a really exciting scene in Swan’s Landing, the next Webb Sawyer Mystery, and he promised me I would. “Hurrah for my side!” I learned that one from Webb.

How does it feel to be a fictional cat?

I don’t know about other fictional cats but I have a great friend in Webb Sawyer, a great place to live, get to go fishing all the time, have plenty of food and drink and get to go places in his old Ford pickup he calls Trusty Rusty. What more could a cat ask for? Come to think of it, maybe Webb could find a girlfriend with a female feline. Hee-hee!

Give us some fictional feline advice.

As a well-known cat once said, “Truth may be stranger than fiction, but fiction is truer.”

Thanks for the interview, Basil!

Note: The Character, Basil, is based on the author’s cat who, as a neighbor’s kitten, came to visit, decided he liked it better at Douglas Quinn’s house and, when the neighbors moved, stayed. A couple of years later, he was found dead, killed, it is believed, by a local gray fox. He was extremely friendly and trusting. That’s probably what led to his demise.

Interview with Patches, owner of author Beverly McClure

Hello, woof, my faithful readers! Today I'd like to introduce you to Patches, owner of young adult author Beverly McClure. Beverly is a super nice lady (or so my mom keeps saying) and the author of many young adult novels published by Twilight Times Books and 4RV Publishing. Check out her website and her blog!


Hey Patches, how you doing, Man?

I’m trying to stay out of trouble, but it isn’t easy.

That sounds like the story of my life. Anyway, thanks for stopping by! Woof! Here are some questions for you, dude.

Meow! Goodie! I like to talk.

Who is Patches, the Cat?

I don’t know my exact birthday, but I’m about three years old, according to the vet. I’m a calico, and I guess my former owners decided they didn’t want me. One day I found myself in the country, no home, nobody to love me, nothing to eat. That’s when I learned to keep trying. This pretty white house had a patio with lots of insects flying around the floodlights. I’m a great jumper, so I sprang up and caught a moth. It took several to fill my empty stomach. Then Beverly saw me. It was love at first sight, at least for me. She brought me in the house and fed me chicken from a can. I’ve been her cat ever since.

So what's it like living with Beverly?

She’s easy to live with. She gives me yummy food and makes sure my water dish is full. I snuggle beside her at night, and she doesn’t roll over and crush me. When I tell her I want to go outside, she opens the door for me. She has her moments, though, like when I sharpen my toenails on her furniture. Then she fusses at me. She bought a couple of scratching posts, she calls them, for me to use. But they aren’t as good as the chair. She also moves me when I try to type on her computer. How’s a cat to write a story, without a keyboard? I can’t hold a pencil in my paw to write on a yellow tablet.

She looks so sweet in the photo. Is she as harmless as she looks?

Looking over my shoulder to see where she is. No Beverly in sight. Good. This is just between you and me, Amigo. Yup, she is harmless, except when she’s working on a story, which is most of each morning. If I want to take a nap in her lap then, she says I distract her and tells me to sleep on the sofa. I pout a little, but being the understanding cat that I am, I do what she says.

I'm not as understanding, I admit. I sulk BIG TIME. I hear Beverly writes stories for young adults--that's teenagers, right? How does she know what teenagers want to read?

I think she’s never grown up. Inside she’s still a teenager and likes to relive those years through her characters. Kids today have some of the same problems kids years ago had. (No, I’m not telling you how many years ago; Beverly has sworn me to secrecy.) Another reason she knows a little about teenagers (no one knows everything about teens, not even teens themselves) is because she has three sons who were once teenagers and gets ideas from things they did.

Of all of Beverly's books, which one is your favorite? Are you in any of them?

I like Rebel in Blue Jeans best, because of the animals in it. No, she hasn’t included me in any of her books, and I don’t understand why. I’m loyal, loveable, and pretty. But do you know what kind of cat she put in Rebel? A Siamese. Do you believe it? A Siamese. Beverly claims she wrote the story before she met me, or she’d have put me in, and she can’t change it now. I still think I’d be a more interesting character.

I heard those Siamese are really infantile, always begging for affection. Anyway, tell us about Beverly's latest novel. How long did it take her to write it?

She has two novels coming out this fall/winter: Caves, Cannons and Crinolines and Just Breeze. She told me from start—getting the idea and doing the research for Caves—to finish took about four years. At the same time she worked on that one, she wrote Breeze, in about three years.

Did she ignore you during that time? What did you do to get her attention?

I wasn’t her pet when she started either story, but towards the last I came on the scene. She was really busy writing and hated interruptions. When I wanted her attention, I did different things: One, I rubbed against her legs and gave her my politest meow, letting her know I was lonesome and needed cuddling. Two, I stretched out on the floor by her desk, rolled onto my back, and smiled, showing her how beautiful and big I am. If that didn’t work, I jumped up on the dining table. That got her attention fast. She says the table is for eating on, not cat naps.

Leave us with some feline words of wisdom.

If you want something bad enough, keep trying. When I spot a juicy grasshopper or a tasty mouse, I crouch and wait, not moving a muscle. Then, at the right second, I pounce. The critter never sees me coming. Oh, yeah, sometimes a fast mouse escapes, or a grasshopper lucks out and flies too high for me to reach. But if I hang in there I succeed. So keep trying. Say “I can do this.” Set your eye on the target. And pounce. What I’d really like to catch is a rabbit. I don’t like them anymore than you do, Amigo.

Sending a soft “purr.”

Thank you, Patches! Woof!

Baby Dog Beans Comes Home, by Jennie Hale Book

Hey there, dear audience... my mom reviewed this cute little picture book about a two golden retrievers. I took a peek at the photographs and they're adorable--but then, what's NOT adorable about golden retrievers? (big sigh)...

Baby Dog Beans Comes Home

A Paul and Beans Adventure

by Jennie Hale Book

www.AbbottAvenuePress.com

ISBN: 0-9767514-2-9

Hardcover, 24 pages, $13.95

Children’s, 2 and up

What is it about golden retrievers that makes a dog lover, young or old, go wild?

In Baby Dog Beans Comes Home, author Jennie Hale captures the sweet “magic” of these gentle, devoted, intelligent dogs while offering young children an important message they can identify with.

The story is seen from the perspective of Paul, the older dog who until now has been the only “child” in the family, and Beans, the new baby brother. More than anything, Beans wishes to be accepted by his older brother, but Paul is not ready to be friends, play catch, or share any of his toys. As a matter of fact, Paul liked it a lot better when it was just him. All this changes when Beans runs into serious trouble and Paul rescues him.

As Paul realizes in the end, “It’s not always easy when a new brother or sister comes into the family. But even if you’re not best friends right away… give them a chance and you’ll have someone who’ll be there for you your whole life. And that’s pretty great.”

This is a book that can be read to a very young child, and one that early readers will relish on their own. The large, adorable photographs are sure to delight people of all ages.