The Daily Bark: The Puppy Problem
by Laura James; illus. by Charlie Alder
128 pages; ages 7-10
Bloomsbury Children's Books ~ releases January, 2022)
Gizmo was a city dog – until he wasn’t. For some inexplicable reason, Granny packed up the car, loaded up Gizmo, and drove away from the only home he’d ever known. Now he’s far from his familiar world of groundskeepers and manicured landscapes. There are flowers. And bees. And mud!
And the dogs out here in the country are …. Ginormous! Well, at least they look that way to Gizmo, who is a tiny little sausage dog. A sausage dog, NOT a sausage! he has to remind his new friend Jilly, an Irish wolfhound. At least the puppies are Gizmo’s size, more or less. They are cute, energetic, and friendly.
They are also being put up for adoption to people who might live far, far away. And Jilly has no idea what to do to prevent this from happening. Luckily, Gizmo has a nose for a story, and he knows this one will sell. So he does what any newshound would do: start a newspaper. Soon the New Dog in Town finds himself editor-in-chief.
STOP the PRESSES!
Will Granny discover muddy paw prints on her keyboard?
Will she miss that ream of printer paper?
Will the puppies be saved?
And why does Jilly insist that Gizmo read the news out loud?
As a journalist, I totally enjoyed this first book of a new series. I can’t wait to read what adventures lie ahead, and what new stories the Daily Bark will paw-print. I wonder whether they’ll do doggie-bag reviews of local eating establishments…
I don't usually like stories with animals as the main character. But I'm a dog lover and this one sounds so fun.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like such a fun read—a dog as a journalist is pretty much a foolproof recipe for a fun story! Thanks so much for the wonderful review, Sue!
ReplyDeleteOh what a fun story. I think this will delight the age group. And I do like stories with animals as main characters -- as do children. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteDog stores seem to always be popular with kids. This one sound like a winner. Thanks for featuring on MMGM.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a book kids will love! I am reminded of when we had to find homes for puppies years ago - no matter what we said, my parents wouldn't keep them all. Wish Gizmo had been around!
ReplyDeleteThis was very cute. I'm not sure I'll buy it for my middle school library, because it is a bit young, but I did enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteDoggie-bag reviews! Hahahaha! Sounds like a plan. This sounds cute. I do love the early middle-grade books that are short and sweet. Thanks for the post.
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