National Dog Day is on August 26 and we are getting ready to celebrate all our ulti-mutt friends in literature!
100 Dogs
By Michael Whaite
32 Pages | Ages 2-5 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780593308301 | Random House BFYR
TOP DOGS! Can there really be 100 dogs behaving in oh-so familiar doggy ways packed into the pages of this picture book? Leap dog, sheep dog, fallen fast asleep dog. . . . Follow Michael Whaite’s fun and lively rhyme as it weaves its way from happy dogs to yappy dogs to every type of dog in between. This romp of a read-aloud is bursting with amusing details to spot and hilarious hounds that dog-lovers won’t be able to resist. Readers will want to pore over it again and again. Which dog is yours?
Awesome Dog 5000
By Justin Dean
208 Pages | Ages 8-12 | Paperback
ISBN 9780525644842 | Random House BFYR
Marty, Ralph, and Skyler might make the ultimate secret combo when battling alien-slime ninjas in their favorite video game, but in real life they’re just regular kids. That is, until the three best friends discover Awesome Dog 5000, a robotic dog with very real power-ups. Awesome Dog can “bark” a sonic boom, “walk” at speeds over three hundred miles per hour, and “fetch” with an atomic cannon. Life for Marty, Ralph, and Skyler just got a major turbo-boost! Awesome Dog 5000 is a wild action-comedy told through a mix of text and black-and-white illustrations, with a mystery to solve at the end. Can you handle the awesomeness?
Dear Beast
By Dori Hillestad Butler
Illustrated by Kevan Atteberry
96 Pages | Ages 6-9 | Paperback
ISBN 9780823448432 | Holiday House
Simon has taken care of his owner, Andy, for many years. He’s a good cat. Clean, responsible, and loyal. What more could a boy want? Even when Andy’s dad moves out, Simon is certain that Andy doesn’t need another pet. So why would Andy’s dad adopt a DOG?! To make matters worse, the animal is a rude, rowdy troublemaker. Simon’s job is clear: the beast has got to go. He decides to write him a letter. Strongly worded, of course. But when the dog’s response sets off an unexpected correspondence, Simon realizes the beast may be here to stay. Can he make room for another pet in Andy’s life?
Dog Squad
By Chris Grabenstein
336 Pages | Ages 8-12 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780593301739 | Random House BFYR
When trouble calls . . . it’s DOG SQUAD to the rescue! Duke is not your average dog. Along with his crew, he fights crime and goes on claw-biting adventures helping dogs in peril in the hit streaming sensation – DOG SQUAD! Fred is a pretty average dog. He’s scrappy. He’s loveable. But he’s not brave like his heroes on Dog Squad. Fred looks an awful lot like Duke from Dog Squad though. In fact, when Duke needs a stand-in, Fred’s the perfect choice. But the Dog Squad action doesn’t always stop on screen! When there’s danger in real life, can Fred find the courage to step up and save the day?! It’s all paws on deck in this action-packed, middle grade adventure series just right for anyone who loves dogs – and anyone who loves to laugh!
Hugo and the Impossible Thing
By Renée Felice Smith and Chris Gabriel
Illustrated by Sydney Hanson
40 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780593204634 | Flamingo Books
Hugo has one goal – to conquer the Impossible Thing. At the edge of the forest stood the Impossible Thing. All the animals in the forest often wondered what was beyond the Impossible Thing, but since everyone said getting through it would be impossible, no animal ever tried. Until a brave little dog named Hugo decides he just might be up to the challenge. With determination and some unexpected help from his friends, Hugo learns that what may seem impossible might just be possible after all.
I Am Not a Dog Toy
By Ethan T. Berlin
Illustrated by Jared Chapman
40 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780593119013 | Random House BFYR
A fun bear, who wears a vest with many pockets, is the brand new toy for a little girl. Bear couldn’t be more excited to play with the girl, but she is a little less than enthused. In fact, she throws him into the dog’s water bowl. Splash! Bear doesn’t take the hint. Dog, however, is very excited to play with Bear. But Bear insists he is not a dog toy, he is a kid’s toy. So he keeps trying to get the girl’s attention . . . to no avail. Will Bear ever realize that Dog is the better friend? Kids making friends will see that friendship isn’t really friendship unless it’s reciprocated in this hilarious and sweet picture book.
I, Cosmo
By Carlie Sorosiak
304 Pages | Ages 8-12 | Paperback
ISBN 9781536219081 | Walker Books
Ever since Cosmo became a big brother to Max ten years ago, he’s known what his job was: to protect his boy and make him happy. Through many good years marked by tennis balls and pilfered turkey, torn-up toilet paper and fragrant goose poop, Cosmo has doggedly kept his vow. Until recently, his biggest problems were the evil tutu-wearing sheepdog he met on Halloween and the arthritis in his own joints. But now, with Dad-scented blankets appearing on the couch and arguing voices getting louder, Cosmo senses a tougher challenge ahead. When Max gets a crazy idea to teach them both a dance routine for a contest, how can Cosmo refuse, stiff hips or no? Max wants to remind his folks of all the great times they’ve had together dancing – and make them forget about the “d” word that’s making them all cry. Told in the open, optimistic, unintentionally humorous voice of a golden retriever, I, Cosmo will grab readers from the first page – and remind them that love and loyalty transcend whatever life throws your way.
Mad About Meatloaf (A Weenie featuring Frank and Beans Book)
By Maureen Fergus
Illustrated by Alexandra Bye
56 Pages | Ages 6-9 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780735267916 | Tundra Books
Weenie loves his human, Bob. He loves his guinea pig friend Beans and his cat friend Frank. He loves naps, adventures and sharing. In fact, Weenie loves pretty much everything (except the mail carrier). But the thing Weenie loves and desires more than anything else in the world is meatloaf. And he’ll do anything to get it. Join Weenie, Frank and Beans on a laugh-out-loud meatloaf adventure, complete with a trench coat disguise, a wild meatloaf trap and even a hungry wolf.
Puppy Problems
By Paige Braddock
96 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Paperback
ISBN 9780593524213 | Viking BFYR
Crackers is a rescue dog who’s a bit on the nervous side, but pretty comfy at home with Butter, a very plump cat who – like all cats – is all about himself. The two pets have a good life: big backyard, nice couch, good eats, and an owner who goes to work every day so they can pretty much do what they want. Enter Peanut, a brand-new puppy with big floppy ears, unabashed energy, and no appreciation for the quiet life. The little dog is a chowhound who dips into everybody’s food bowl. He drools, he chews up stuff, he doesn’t get how stairs work, and he’s afraid of the dark. Yowl! Not to mention he’s hogging their owner’s lap. Even the squirrels in the yard are laughing at this goofy little canine. Butter and Crackers have had it! This puppy has to go! But when the backyard gate is left open (the cat’s idea, of course!) and Peanut wanders out and gets lost, the older animals remember what it was like to be alone – and lonely. Butter and Crackers to the rescue!
Rocket Has a Sleepover
By Tad Hills
32 Pages | Ages 4-6 | Paperback
ISBN 9780593181225 | Random House BFYR
Rocket is having fun at a sleepover! But when Owl, Bella, and Fred get ready to catch some Z’s, Rocket refuses to go to bed. Can a bedtime story soothe Rocket and help him fall asleep? With its simple words, lots of repetition, and bright, colorful illustrations, young readers will love this Step 1 Step into Reading leveled reader about an unforgettable sleepover, which they can ready all by themselves!
Toasty
By Sarah Hwang
32 Pages | Ages 4-6 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780823447077 | Margaret Ferguson Books
Toasty loves dogs – so much so that he’d like to be one. He knows there are some differences – most dogs have four legs, but Toasty has two arms and two legs. Some dogs sleep in dog houses, but Toasty sleeps in a toaster. All dogs have hair and fur, but Toasty has neither because he’s made of bread. In spite of these differences, he decides to go to the park to play with the dogs but runs into trouble when they want to eat him. Lucky for Toasty, he is rescued by a little girl who has always wanted a dog but can’t have one because she is allergic. Toasty is the perfect dog for her.
Our Marketing and Publicity Director, Vikki VanSickle, was on CTV’s Your Morning today to talk about some of her top kids book picks for back to school. Check out our titles from her recommendations below and don’t forget to watch her segment for the full list!
Carol and the Pickle-Toad
Anne’s School Days
Both Sides Now
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