A Thanksgiving Tail

Hi!

     A couple of days ago my humans started getting ready for something called "Thanksgiving." Now, that's a long word for a little pup like me, so I turned to Allison for some answers. Padding into her room, I hopped up and put my paws on her bed. Then I tilted my head in my best "I've-got-a-question-aren't-I-adorable" look. What was this Thanksgiving anyway?

     Allison smiled when she saw me; she's a pretty smart human. She always knows when I want to learn more about the big wide world. Lifting me up to sit on her lap, Allison rubbed those special spots behind my ears and told me all about the humans who had the first Thanksgiving. The way I understand it is that two groups of humans - the pilgrims and the native Americans - made friends and had a humongous party to celebrate. They had lots and lots of food, and everybody remembered how thankful they were to have friends and food and families. Now American humans celebrate Thanksgiving every year to pay attention to how lucky they are - and to EAT!

I have to say, Allison had me at "turkey." This Thanksgiving party? I could dig it...

     So THAT'S why my humans had been running around making new foods I'd never smelled before. That's why Suz and Allison came home from the store with a gigantic turkey. That's why Rachel found me a special holiday bow tie to wear - just so I could be fancy for my first Thanksgiving ever!

Here I am in my Thanksgiving finery. Dressed to impress. Awoooo!

Note my snout-licking excitement as I pose with a stuffed turkey (who was not, I'm sorry to say, as tasty to chomp on as the real thing).

     To celebrate my first Thanksgiving, Allison read me one of my humans' favorite Thanksgiving books: Cranberry Thanksgiving.

 

In this old-fashioned New England tale by Wende and Henry Devlin, a human-pup named Maggie invites her friend Mr. Whiskers to Thanksgiving dinner with her grandmama. But uh-oh, her grandma thinks Mr. Whiskers is a bad man who wants to steal her secret cranberry bread recipe! It turns out, though, scruffy Mr. Whiskers saves the day (when a certain other guest tries to steal the recipe!).

I liked this book for its characters and the expressions in the illustrations. Mr. Whiskers is my favorite. Not only does he have a bushy beard (perhaps like an oh-so-handsome puppy you know?), he knows pirate songs and is not afraid to ask for more food at the dinner table. And he stops the nasty man from running away with Grandmother's recipe! A bit old-fashioned for very young human-pups, I recommend it as a family read for little ones from grades 1-3.  Can't judge a book by its cover, according to Allison; Mr. Whiskers doesn't look like a hero to Grandmother, but that's what he becomes! Woof! Two paws up for Mr. Whiskers and his cranberry friends!

  

     I know I'm just a puppy, but I have A LOT to be thankful for: my wonderful humans, my squeaky ball, my nice long walks, the bacon treats and bones Suz gets me, my friends (Sadie, Finnegan, and my dog park romping pals), and all the adventures I get to have.

 And the turkey. I am most definitely thankful for all the turkey I ate today. Ruff! Yummmm!

     Off to dream of the turkey leftovers to come (and maybe puzzle over those crazy big balloons Allison showed me on TV today...how did Snoopy get so big?). Happy Thanksgiving, everybody! Awoooooooo!

                                                                                               Thankfully yours,

                                                                                               Sam I Am 

Fancy Fall Fun: Sam I Am is Back and Ready to Enjoy Autumn

Hi!

      So I did a very silly thing awhile ago. A week before that thing called Halloween, I ate a tasty-looking rock, and a few days later I got sick. Allison, Rachel, and Suz had to bring me to a funny doctor who took a picture of inside my tummy. You know what? That mean little stone had gotten stuck in my tummy - and I had to stay overnight at the doctor's office so they could take it out. The nurse was nice, and I felt kind of better (except for the sore cut on my belly). But I was SO EXCITED to see my humans when they came to get me!  

      Anyway, that's one of the reasons Allison and I couldn't write. We didn't have time because I had to rest and feel better. Now of course, I'm back to my old ruff-and-tuff self again. Time to hide in the countless piles of crunchy leaves, track the acorn-hunting squirrels, and go on lots of adventures in the chilly fall air! 

Who wouldn't like romping around, paws crushing leaves and tongue out to lap up the autumn breezes?

Here's a few suggestions for fun fall reads:



Cynthia Rylant's Henry and Mudge Under the Yellow Moon:
A great book of stories about a pup named Mudge and his human Henry! Whether standing by his human-pup during scary stories or playing in the leaves, Mudge is a wonderful, comical friend  for Henry. This one's the second in the Henry and Mudge series, and a favorite of Allison's and mine! Two paws up and a tail wag! Human-pups around 1st and 2nd grade will love it as read aloud especially! Ruff!!!

Henry and Mudge look at the moon together. They should practice their howling! Awoooooooo!

Maurice Pledger's Hiding in the Woods:
This one's a touch and feel book about the animals that live in the woods, from mouse to deer and fluttery butterflies. Best for preschool human-pups who love to explore through touch and hunting in pictures for the animals! One paw up!  

Alexandra Day's Follow Carl! :
This is a beautiful wordless picture book about a Rottweiler named Carl who leads a bunch of human-pups on merry game of follow-the-leader. Talk to your human-pup about what happens in all the pictures! Best for ages 3-7, and two paws up!

Off to snooze a bit and maybe work on one of those new bones Suz bought me. Liver-pork-chicken flavor! Yum!

                                                                                Yours in Autumn Adventuring,
                                                                                Sam I Am

Sneezy, Wheezy Sundays with Sam I Am

Hi!

     I tried to eat Allison's umbrella a few minutes ago. It was just hanging there on her doorknob, looking very suspicious to me. So I balanced on my bum and gave it a great big CHOMP.

Allison didn't like that too much.

     She's been doing this thing called "homework," and I think it takes too long! When we decided to take the rest of September off from blogging so Allison could focus on getting used to school, I didn't realize how much time she was going to spend on this "homework." I mean, really. What's the use of writing essays and reading long, hard papers when she could be learning just as much from me? I taught her how to play catch-me-catch-me-you-can't-catch-me. I taught her how to play Real basketball (Allison didn't know that you're supposed to try to grab the ball with your teeth, would you believe that?). I even taught her my special swagger-walk that I use in the dog park to let everyone know I'm the friendliest wauzer in town. And what does she do instead?

Something called "archetypal criticism" and another thing called "management theory." Yuck.

      Is it any wonder I have to attack rain gear to snap her out of it? Or sneak under her bed for a tissue feast? Or break into the bathroom for a solo game of tug-the-towel? WOOF! A dog's got to do what a dog's got to do.

     I'll take squeaky toys over literary theory any day. Ruff!

     I guess part of the reason why Allison isn't so fun lately is that she worked so hard on homework and school stuff that she got sick. She has something called "a cold." When I tilted my head a little and woofed softly to ask if there was such thing as catching "a hot," she laughed but then the laugh turned into a cough. My poor human's snout is drippy all day too. I did a better job being patient yesterday when Allison stayed in bed. If there's one thing I've learned it's how to snuggle!

I even kept Allison's spot cozy for her while she got up for some water.

I'm a good guy like that.

 

      Anyway, this morning Mama Suz gave my sniffly human a spoonful of this nasty-smelling stuff - medicine I think. So Allison felt a little better today. She took a break from homework when I tried to tackle her umbrella. And we read a great story about a teddy bear with cold!

Teddy Bears Cure a Cold by Susanna Gretz, illustrated by Alison Sage, is about a teddy bear named William and all the things his teddy bear friends do to help him get better when he catches a cold. Charles makes a chart to keep track of William's fever because he feels really hot, Andrew makes him special tea, and Louise and Sara help make him comfy in bed. Poor William is very unhappy being sick...but he finds out that he likes all the attention from his friends! Only when he finds out about a special surprise does he admit that he feels better! What an ending! Awoo!

I give this book two paws up and a tail wag. Sniffling William's grumpy faces remind me of the faces Allison makes when she's sick and mad about being sick. I like looking at all the pictures, with details like the temperature chart, puzzle pieces all over William's blanket, and get well cards made by the bears. I especially like the bears' friend the dalamatian dog! The bears' personalities and expressions, the familiar situation, and the gentle humor will make human-pups grin and ask for the book again and again (especially when they're sick or don't want to go to school!). Best for human-pups PreK-3.

Allison says there are other books about the same teddy bears and their dog; I hope we can find them to read more about William, that silly bear!

     Right now, I think I'd better go work on that new bone I started chewing this morning. Allison's starting to sneeze again and I don't want her ACHOOOOOS to blow our blog away! She should rest anyway because she has to try to go to school - wish I could sneak in with her! 

Don't you think I'm smart enough for what Allison calls "higher education"? Awooooooooooooooooo! 

Yours in Get-Well Snuggles,

Sam I Am

"Dragon Boat," Said Sam

Hi!

     Boy oh boy oh boy! What a howling-happy day! This morning Allison and Rachel took me to something called the Chinese Dragon Boat Races and Taiwan Festival. By the big river that goes through Pawtucket, a giant puffed-up dragon arch showed where to go. Oh! The people! The smells! The sights! THE NEW FRIENDS TO MAKE! Arooooo! I was so excited my tail didn't stop wagging for a second!

     First we went and sat by the water to watch the dragonboat races. Allison - who had explained earlier that dragons are gigantic winged lizards that can breathe fire - pointed the boats out to me. Each boat had the head and tail of a fierce-looking, red-nosed dragon! Luckily, these dragons weren't real, so I wasn't afraid of becoming a toasted wauzer pup. They were actually kind of funny, packed with bunches of humans in thick jackets. The humans had to move the dragons across the water with these flat stick-things. Silly, huh?

See? This guy has a beard like my beard (but mine is black and grey) - and spiky horns!

Here we are posing with another dragon in a big tent. This dragon was made of wood. Smelled like maple tree to me...not so scary! Ruff!

     After making friends with some human-pups (their daddy was on one of the dragonboats), I padded after my humans to explore more of the festival. And guess what? I'm not the only dog interested in dragons...

This is Quahog, a very fun new friend with a very different name! What's a "quahog" anyway?

      Anyway, after that my humans and I listened to a group of older human-pups beat on these huge drums and then to lots of girl-humans play music. The girl-humans came to Pawtucket all the way from a place called Taiwan, across the sea. They made music with strange instruments, but it was pretty. I also had fun making friends with the dragonboat rowers sitting next to us; those guys didn't mind a bit when I hopped onto their laps (even if they wouldn't give me their chicken salad!). Overall, I really liked the festival, and when we got home I happily curled up for a nap. Rrruff! I knew I'd dream of dragons!

     A little later, Allison read me two books with dragons in them. The first is about a bunny who wants a dragon shirt, and the second is about a princess who outsmarts a not-so-nice dragon:

In Rosemary Wells' Max's Dragon Shirt, a simple shopping trip quickly turns into an adventure. Ruby takes her little brother Max to the store to buy him new overalls, but quickly gets distracted by a red dress. Max, a bunny-pup who wants a dragon shirt instead of new overalls, follows his sister around the store without saying much. Except for two words, over and over...

"Dragon shirt," said Max.

     Soon Max finds himself alone in a boring dressing room - and wanders off in search of a dragon shirt. What comes next in this comical story will make many human-pups giggle aloud. Let's just say that Ruby learns not to leave Max alone anymore, and that Max finally gets what he wants! Great silly fun, this book is a must-read for little human-pups who stubbornly insist on their own sense of style (as for me, my fur's enough...no shirts or clothes-shopping for this pup!). Allison says that this was one of her favorites growing up, especially the funny colors and sizes of the dresses Ruby tries on. And the ending, which even involves ice cream! Fans of Rosemary Wells will enjoy this classic Max and Ruby tale of sibling interaction. Two paws up and a tail wag for this one! Best for human-pups grades PreK-2. 

The Paper Bag Princess, written by Robert Munsch and illustrated by Michael Martchenko, is an unsual picture book fairy tale. As Allison puts it: Princess likes prince. Dragon eats castle and steals prince. Princess runs off to rescue prince - with only a paper bag for a dress. You see, this dragon is not a very nice one. He has terrible manners, bounding up and wolfing down an entire castle like that! Cats are more polite! Woof! Fortunately, this dragon meets his match in the fiesty (if a little dirty) Princess Elizabeth. Would-be princesses and other human-pups who enjoy dragon stories where the dragons do not get killed will like this book! With pictures that bring out the laughable in both the dragon's and Elizabeth's personalities, this story is modern fairy tale with a happy ending won by wits alone. It just goes to show that being mean and hurting people ("violence" Allison calls it) isn't always the answer. And princes who don't appreciate being rescued don't deserve a second thought! You go, girl! Aroooooo! Two paws up, and best for human-pups grades PreK-3.   

Now I'm out the door for one last trot around the yard before snuggling up with my stuffed little Clifford and my blanket. Fall is coming; it's getting chilly at night lately! Dragons must feel lucky. Think how nice and toasty they stay in the winter! Wonder if I could make friends with one and persuade it to cuddle? Hmmmm....

Yours in Dragon Dreams,

Sam I Am

If You Give a Wauzer a Book....

Hi!

     Allison had her first day of library school today. She woke up really early - when it was still dark! - and then she left to get on a big, loud bunch of connected cars called a "train" to go to Boston. I was a little nervous when Allison left. I knew she was worried about meeting new humans and getting the teachers' answers right. I want all of my humans to be happy! You know, I waited alllll day and chewed my bone and played toss with my giraffe and took lots of naps until Allison finally came home (I went with Mama Suz to pick her up at the station). And she was okay! Arooooooooooooo!!! In fact, she told me and Mama funny stories about the train and her class. After that? A hamburger supper and a much-needed game of tug-the-towel...  

Tug-the-towel! Ruff! A great afterschool activity!

      Happy about how fun her class was, Allison decided to read me a special story about a tiny mouse who goes to school. Here it is:



Click for a link to download a Mouse coloring page.

If You Take a Mouse to School, written by Laura Numeroff and illustrated by Felicia Bond, is a cheerful tale about a mouse's adventures in school. Hitching a ride in his friend's lunchbox (his friend is a little human-pup), Mouse explores everything at school - from science experiments to spelling to building a wonderful house of wooden blocks and clay. Allison says this is a great book for human-pups to learn about something called "cause and effect," and many little ones will love the mouse's antics and facial expressions (shown in colorful, detailed pictures). My favorite picture is the one where Mouse is building a green volcano; he's even wearing funny glasses called "goggles" to keep his eyes safe when the volcano goes BOOM with sticky goo. Awoooo! I think human-pups will relate to the small hero of this story, making this a memorable read! I give it two paws up and a tail wag! Best for human-pups grades PreK-3.

And if you like this one, try If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, If You Give a Pig a Pancake, If You Take a Mouse to the Movies, and If You Give a Moose a Muffin.   

Thinking of cookies...time to hunt down a bedtime biscuit! Cookies are good for staying a smart puppy, you know.

Your Cookie-Loving Student,

Sam I Am

Hungry Poetry Beasts: A Silly Literary Snack Attack

Hi!

     I just finished chewing one of my tennis balls to pieces. It was lots of fun, cracking the squishy stuff up and then tugging at the fuzz. That is, until Allison took it from me. She says blue fuzz isn't good for my "digestion." When I whimpered in confusion, she muttered, "If you eat the ball, you'll get a tummy ache! Chew, don't eat!" 

     Okayokayokay. So no more eating fuzz. I looked up at her with my best puppy eyes. Allison gave me the ball back (repeating that I was not to EAT it), and then she and Rachel read some poems to me. I settled down to chomp and listen. The first poem was called "The Tummy Beast."

"The Tummy Beast" is one of several poems in Roald Dahl's book Dirty Beasts, illustrated by Quentin Blake. It starts, "One afternoon I said to mummy,/'Who is this person in my tummy?'" From there, the pudgy human-pup tries to convince his mama that there is a beast inside him that makes him do bad things like "raid the biscuit tin." When this funny poem reaches its most exciting part, the tummy beast makes sure it gets heard! Awooo! I loved it! My tummy growls for Milkbones a lot, so I know how the pup feels!

The rest of the poems in this book talk about other naughty animals, including a crocodile who eats human-pups with mustard and a winged cow who gets stinky revenge on a bullying grown-up human. The beasts are very dirty and on the hungry side (littler human-pups might not like the poem about the crocodile...that was funny and scary at once), but in general the poems are silly fun. The pictures of the scraggly humans and jaggedly-toothed beasts made the poems come even more alive! Ruff! Two paws up.  Best to read aloud (Allison does different things with her voice to make me jump!) with human-pups PreK-3.  

 *Also recommended: Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes.

     

Just remember that snuggles and laughs are great for growling away scary beasts of all kinds! Woof! (And silly faces and books and family!)

Here's another hurricane poem for you (Allison and I wrote it to laugh at the storm instead of being scared or mad without the lights):

          

  "They say that some wauzers are shy

But Sam? Oh, he'd always say 'Hi!'

He padded up to Irene

And said, 'Ruff! How you been?'

That mad storm nearly blew him sky-high!"

    I really did go out to see that Irene lady-storm. Allison took me out for a quick bathroom trip, even though I hate to get wet. The wind stirred all the leaves around my paws and the branches looked like they wanted to bite my tail off! Luckily, I didn't blow away. And I have a great story to tell my new friends at the dog park (especially Daisy the beagle and Marty the pug, puppies like me!). 

     Anyway, I got so into the first Dirty Beast poems that I forgot not to rip at my ball's fuzzy stuff. Allison took it away - for my own good, she said - and Rachel picked a few poems out from another book to distract me. Awoooo! I go wolfish at night, but maybe Shel Silverstein can tame me?

We only read some of the poems in Where the Sidewalk Ends, but I already have a favorite. There's one about a human-pup getting eaten by a boa constrictor (a big, BIG snake). Sounds scary, but it's funny because the little boy is writing the poem as he's getting swallowed! Yipe! There's also a good one about a boy who loses his head (I don't think I would lose mine, but I'll make sure to have Allison help me find it if I do...need it to sniff and EAT!). Oh! And another about a double-tailed dog! From what my humans and I have read, there is plenty of silliness in this book - in poems both long and short - to satisfy human-pups' need for laughter and imagination. This one makes a pup like me want to write some more poems, myself, arooooo! Two paws up, and best for GR 3-6. Again, read them aloud and have fun acting out the wacky stories within the poems!  

Boa constrictors and dirty beasts aside, I think I should go to sleep before my humans decide I need a bath. I'm getting to be quite a dirty beast myself with all the scampering around with Jacob and playing rough-wrestle-run in the mud at the dog park. Maybe if I act ferocious they won't feel like filling up the tub...

Your very own Dirty Beast Reader,

Sam I Am



Lights Out? Don't Pout!: Of Power Outages and Poetry

Hi!

     If you were wondering why Allison and I didn't write for a long time, it's because of the silly storm. That troublemaker Hurricane Irene! Arooo! Something happened on Sunday night that made the electricity go *BOOM-click* and switch off. This meant no way for Allison to use her computer, so no blogging! And boy, what adventures have I had lately!

     Here's a little paragraph Allison wrote for me on an index card during our power "outage" (because a pup like me wants to remember things):

     "We haven't had this thing called electricity for a whole day. Allison has been reading by the light of little fires on top sticks called 'candles.' They smell sweet and smoky, but hurt my eyes if I stare at them too long. Suz just took me out for the last time - and we saw lots of bright stars. There are no lights on our street, so only the sky gets to twinkle hello to any pups and humans curious enough to be outside. It's been quite a day: bringing boxes of food to Lizzie's and cooking at Lizzie's house - and eating steak (my humans had to cook all the meat before the fridge went to sleep). I played with Lizzie, telling her about the wind-ripped leaves turning all the puddles on my street dark and patchy. Got to go now. Allison says we're going to try making up some poetry by candlelight! Hope I get to blog soon! Ruff!"

---Dictated to and written by Allison by candlelight, 10 pm on August 29, 2011  

     Anyway, because there wasn't any power in our house, my family spent a lot of time outside. In between naps in the grass, I'd watch Allison read some of her longer books, or listen while she read aloud to me. That was during the day. At night, Allison would run around lighting candles; the whole house glowed, making it the perfect time to try more poetry. My humans made the best of a silly situation. And of course, books and imagination always help! Woof! 

A picture of me after coming in from Irene's yucky wind and rain! Snuggles and books helped my family and me stay cheerful during the storm and our time without power! What did you do during Irene? 

     To start our poetry off, we read a book by a human named Jack Prelutsky (Allison said I would get "inspired," whatever that means):

  Dog Days: Rhymes Around the Year by Jack Prelutsky, illustrated by Dyanna Wolcott, is a short, simple poetry book for human-pups starting to read. The author and illustrator provide a poem and picture for each month of the year, cheerfully and comically showing life from a dog's point of view. My favorite poem was the one for July. It goes: "It's very noisy in July,/ When fireworks light the evening sky./ Though I'm a patriot and proud,/ For ears like mine, it's much too loud." With pictures drawn in what Allison calls "a childlike style" that kids will relate to (with little details here and there like hidden witch hats), this book is a great read for very small human-pups, grades PreK-2. Two paws up!   

Just for fun, Allison and I will be putting some of our hurricane poems up soon. Here's one of my favorites:

When that silly Irene put the lights out,

That good puppy Sam did not pout.

His humans made steak,

And a piece he did take,

In the happiest of moods, I don't doubt!

---Sam I Am & Allison 8/29/11

     Awooooo! I'm very sleepy now, so I think I'll leave writing about the rest of my storm adventures for tomorrow. Did I mention I got to go to the dog park finally? And that I played with Jesse today? It's been so exciting that I'm all tuckered out. Until tomorrow then, friends.

Yours in Hurricanes and Silly Poetry,

Sam I Am

Cloudy With a Chance of More Good Books: How I'm Dealing With Hurricane Irene

Hi!

     Humans are a silly bunch. The more I think about it, the funnier it seems how crazy lots of people act when something called a "hurricane" might happen. Allison explained that a hurricane is a big storm with very strong wind; sometimes it causes floods and makes trees fall down. Okay, so that doesn't sound too fun (a little pup like me has to be careful in high winds - I don't want to get picked up and end up in the clouds!), but Daddy says that this hurricane won't even be that bad by the time it gets to our home. He watches something called "the radar" on his computer to see what's really going on. It'll probably just rain. So all this romping around, taping windows and buying a ton of extra food from the store? Kind of silly. Sometimes I think people worry too much. 

 Do I look worried? Ruff, no!

     Allison says that other places will get more wind and have to worry more. If there were a real threat to my family, my humans would be calm about it. We always have plenty of flashlights (Jacob-Baby loves to play with them), and Daddy knows safe places to go in case the house isn't safe. But this time, all I'm worried about is how wet and yucky I'll get from walking in the rain (fluffy towels can fix this!). Just stay inside and pay attention to any changes in the storm. No need to fear this famous "Irene"; I just got my cone-thing off for good, and I'm ready to play! Awoooooooooooooooooo!

     Instead of boring old rain, it would be more fun to have weather like the weather in the book Allison and I just read. It's called Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, and here is my favorite picture:

Hey Mr. Weatherman! How about a hamburger hurricane? Mmmmm.

Written by Judi Barrett and drawn by Ron Barrett, this imaginative story makes a pup sit up and drool! A flying pancake inspires an unforgettable bedtime story - the tale of a town called "Chewandswallow." Grandpa the narrator sets the scene: "The only thing that was really different about Chewandswallow was its weather. It came three times a day...Everything that everyone ate came from the sky." I know what you're thinking...

Where is this magical place, where storm clouds bring flurries of yummy hotdogs and puddles of meatballs pile up in the streets? It would be wonderful to find the town - and never worry about shopping for food again.Take me there, fast as paws can trot! But Chewandswallow one day discovers that their weather is no picnic...

Ron Barrett's vividly textured illustrations show what happens when the weather turns nasty. No more meatballs from the sky; some days there is only pea soup fog or stinky cheese. Even scarier than that, the food gets bigger and BIGGER! Yip!! Soon the townspeople must decide what to do - before more humans get wopped over the head by giant burgers and more buildings get swallowed up by breakfasts. I give this book two paws up and a tail wag. Human-pups will love the pictures and like the hopeful note at the end (which shows how imagination and stories can transform real life!). This one's tough to put an age range on, as the jokes in the story will go over young human-pups' heads even as they yelp happily over the jello sunset and orange juice rain. Probably best for grades K-4, or younger with grown-ups. Also great for older humans. And anyone who can laugh about how surprising the weather can be (New-Englanders, Allison says with a smile, in particular). 

Try also:  Pickles to Pittsburgh by the same humans. It's not as good as the original, but it has more fun with giant food. 

Off to dream of giant burgers and chicken legs! Good-night and happy hurricaning (be safe and don't panic)!

Yours droolingly,

Sam I Am

Oh To Be a Salty Dog: Damp Fears and Brave Leaps

Hi!

     I fell into a tide pool today. I guess I should've seen it coming; those silly rocks were slippery with this gooey green stuff. Ruff! I was just so excited to see what Rachel was looking at down among the rocks of Beavertail (in Jamestown, RI) that *sliip-plunk*! My paws slid right into a slimy rock puddle, and I yelped in fear.

  I was scared of getting swept away by the big fierce Ocean. Had to get outtt!

      When I clawed and pawed myself out of the pool, I smelled like seaweed. Nudging Allison with a salty nose, I tried to shake dry. Dratted rocks. Grrruff! At first I didn't want to take any more chances near the tide pools, but my humans promised that they wouldn't let me drown - there was nothing to be scared about. So I spent the rest of the afternoon happily bouncing over and around the rocks (and even making friends with a funny animal called a tortoise). You can't let your fears stop you from doing fun things - be brave!

 Try not to let fear hold you back! There's lots to see and smell and taste and experience in this interesting world! Awoooooo!

     Anyway, I dedicate this post to a nice girl I met before we went to Jamestown. Allison and Rachel took me to this restaurant in Providence that let pups sit with their humans in the sidewalk cafe part - India it's called. The human lady who brought us our food (juicy hamburger and yummy rice for me and spicy-smelling plates of food for Allison and Rachel) was acting a little strange. She kept smiling nervously and making small shaky steps to stay away from my wagging tail. Then she told us...

     "I'm sorry, but I'm a-a-afraid of dogs. I have a-a phobia."

     Afraid of dogs? I panted, kind of surprised. Then I remembered how afraid I am of vacuums. No matter how silly it seems and no matter how many times my humans tell me that the vacuum won't hurt me, the dust-eating roar makes my legs run away on their own! This human girl can't control what she's afraid of anymore than I can control it. Even so, this nice human faced her fear and managed to smile at me. Very brave! You could say that she's one of the reasons I didn't run away from the dark, scary sea. I faced my fear - and had a great day!

     And here's a good bedtime story for any pup or human-pup with a fear:

   

Martin Waddell's Can't You Sleep, Little Bear?, with pictures by Barbara Firth, is a sweet, simple bedtime story that will comfort the littlest human-pups with its repetition and lovable bear characters. In this Pre-K level book, Little Bear tells Big Bear that he can't sleep. Why? He's afraid of the dark!

(I know how scary the dark can be. On some of my first nights with my humans, I was afraid and cried a bit when I had to go to bed. But now that I sleep in Allison's room, she's sure to put a small nightlight on - that way neither of us are scared! Woof!)

Everyone - even grown-ups - get afraid. 

Big Bear, who understands that everyone has fears, gives Little Bear a present to help: a tiny light! Guess what though? Little Bear still can't sleep. Big Bear continues to give Little Bear bigger and bigger lights - until he decides that Little Bear needs to see something outside...

With an ending that will encourage all little ones to face their fears and find bravery next to a friend, this book earns two paws up. The warm, fire-lit illustrations and obvious love between the big and little bears make this one of my favorites. Read it and remember that a bright friend (or mama or daddy or grandparent or sibling) can cheer up the darkest night and banish the worst fears.

Off to Allison's dark (but with a nightlight) room! Aroo!

Yours in Salty-Sea Bravery and Bedtime Stories,

Sam I Am

Yearning for Learning: A Pup Thinks About School

Hi!

     All the humans around me keep going on and on about this thing called school. Allison is worried about starting library school, Rachel has been busy trying to figure out her "classes," and Suz is already planning to teach her students about inventions (like the inventions in Andrew Henry's Meadow, but less fancy...things like cars). What's the big deal about school?

     When Allison took me to Slater Park (my first time there!), I stopped her in a bit of shade. Pawing at her jeans, I whimpered my question. What is school exactly?

     "It's okay, little one. We're all kind of nervous about doing something new. But school is a what humans call a place where we go to learn things," Allison murmured. She rubbed a itchy spot behind my left ear, and I sighed. "Of course, everyone learns by having adventures and paying attention to the world around them. School is just a special way to learn about the specifics, the details!"

     I shook myself. Then I sniffed a clump of grass while I thought about this. Then I remembered that Allison and Rachel had mentioned that I'm going to start school as soon as the silly cone is off. As soon as my humans can sign me up, they said. Okay. So I won't be left out after all...but...but...

    I whined. Now I was starting to feel nervous.

    Allison smiled and gently led me over to a big green wooden stage. We sat there licking up a kind of ice she called "watermelon slush." Then she told me that learning is an important part of life for both pups and human-pups. Later, we read a book about a very smart dog and how he puts his smarts to use in making friends and stirring up happy trouble. Ruff!

Anne H. White's A Dog Called Scholar, with pictures by Lilian Obligado, is a comical chapter book about a golden retriever and those whose lives he changes. First named "Little Moo" and then "Cubby," this feisty pup is finally given the name "Scholar" by his family - all because he must have a private tutor to learn to behave! Soon, the already-smarty-pants Scholar is putting his good manners and ideas to use around town. Whether scheming after chocolate cake (I guess this was written before humans decided chocolate was bad for dogs.), causing chaos during a school play, or making friends with the "King Dog," Scholar is a memorable, lovable character. Most of all, human-pups will like Scholar for his generosity. He is always giving someone a present; my favorite part is when Scholar interrupts the end of the school play by throwing props as gifts to the audience! It's great to learn and to share! A little outdated, this book still earns a paw up from me. Awooooo! Best for human-pups grades 3-5. 

Whew. Even just talking about school and all that learning is making me sleepy! Break time! Woof!   

Off to beg Allison for a bedtime story (maybe another about a smart dog...I need to know more to grow up smart and strong),

Sam I Am 

        

Buildings and Belonging

Hi!

      My silly doctor's orders are that I need to keep this cone on longer and let my humans put gooey cream on my stitches. Awoooof! I don't like this one bit, but at least I still get lots of attention (like extra chicken treats!!) from my worried family. And as Allison says, it could be worse. My friends don't seem to mind my having to wear my funny hat; Chloe and Dante and Quincy and Sadie all assure me that I only look a bit comical. They even understand why it's so important that I keep busy munching grass (sweet and tickly on my tongue) and body-slamming doors (to feel strong grrrrrr) - to stop from being frustrated about the cone. It's nice for a pup to have friends and a place where he belongs. Ruff!

     Sometimes when a pup or human-pup feels like he or she doesn't belong, an adventure results. This afternoon Allison shared one of her favorite books (Mama Suz used to read it to her when she was a pup) with me. It's about a human-pup named Andrew Henry and what he decides to do when his family don't understand him...

Doris Burn's Andrew Henry's Meadow starts out simply enough. Andrew Henry, the middle-born human-pup in his family, loves to build and invent things. But uh-oh, all of his inventions - from the helicopter he builds on the kitchen ceiling to a pulley system in his little brothers' room - make his family angry. No one appreciates Andrew Henry's projects, poor guy! So he trots off in search of a new place to belong and to work on his inventions. After Andrew Henry builds a house for himself in a meadow, another human-pup shows up. She wants a place to watch birds - a place away from her bird-hating farmer dad! Luckily, Andrew Henry builds her a treehouse. Well, you can guess what happens next! A whole herd of human-pups gather in the meadow to live in houses built by the happily busy Andrew Henry! One by one, each human-pup finds a place to belong in the meadow, away from grown-ups who scold and do not understand.

  See? And this is only half of Andrew Henry's meadow! Allison's favorite is the treehouse; mine is the one in the front of the picture. Why? Because it is dug under the ground - great for digging for hidden bones!

Fortunately, Andrew Henry's faithful dog Sam (Not Sam I Am, but still a sign that this pup is very smart. Woof!) is able to lead the human-pups' mamas and daddies to the meadow when everybody starts to miss Andrew Henry and his friends. Although Allison tells me that this book is a bit out-of-date (Today women are not limited to cooking and sewing like Andrew Henry's mother and sisters are, for example.), I liked this story. Human-pups will love the black-and-white pictures, full as they are of details like the workings of Andrew Henry's inventions and the special parts of the human-pups' houses. And I think little ones will relate to longing for a nook of their own away from parents (especially in such fun houses!). Two paws up for this book, which is best for grades 3-6 - or for anyone with a love for creative solutions to problems and special places. 

     Let's see...Andrew Henry could build me a house with a fluffy, comfy floor, lots of hiding spots for bones and squeaky toys, and a window in the roof to see the moon. Mmmmm. Rrrruff! He could even make it brown and white and brindle-ish colored like my hair, and a cupboard filled with bacon and turkey and sausages. Ooh, I'm drooling just thinking about it! Too bad Andrew Henry is in a book, and I am out of it.

Oh well. My own home with my family (with adventures to the big beautiful ocean sometimes) makes its own special place. Awooooooo!

I'm going to finish watching some sort of confusing mystery show (on that strange television box) with Mama and Allison. Then it will be belly-rubs and bedtime, cozy with my stork Herbert and my giraffe and my bones. You know, I really don't need Andrew Henry's building skills...even if that cupboard of meat would be fantastically yummy. 

Yours in Content Belonging,

Sam I Am

A Sick Day for Sadie, Or Friends are the Best Medicine

Hi!

     You know what? My friend Sadie has to wear one of these silly cone Elizabethan collar things for awhile too. Allison and I were having our usual after-kibble walk when we stopped by Sadie's yard to say hi - and there she was, looking sad and sick! I whimpered softly until she got up and padded over. I guess she had to have an operation on her left hind leg because she had a big long line of stitches. Pawing at the fence, I woofed a question about how she was feeling; instead of jumping around like she usually does, Sadie hung her head so low it touched her paws. My poor friend! Awoooooo!

     Allison crouched down and rubbed my back, murmuring get-well wishes to Sadie. Then she reminded me of a book we had read one rainy afternoon when I was still feeling yucky. Maybe I could tell Sadie about it and that would cheer her up? I twitched my ears in thought, and then decided Allison had a good idea. This book in particular shows how much friends can help when you don't feel well. I shared this story with Sadie, so maybe you'd like to share it with your friends (especially next time they get "sick as a dog"...what a silly phrase, ruff!).

Written by Philip Stead and illustrated by his wife Erin, A Sick Day for Amos McGee is a very special picture book - for a number of reasons. This story, with its Caldecott-winning pictures and loveable main character, is wonderful! A very nice human by the name of Amos McGee works hard at the zoo doing his job - and works even harder making sure he is there for all his animal friends. Whether the tortoise needs a playmate to race with (and let him win) or the rhino needs a handkerchief (he "always had a runny nose"), Amos is there to help. So when this terrific human gets sick, his animal friends hop a bus to be there for Amos! 

A simple story of understanding and friendship becomes unforgettable for human-pups who will love the pictures as much as Amos! My favorite part of the pictures' details is the penguin's funny web-foot-shaped socks! Allison loves that the rhino wears a red scarf - and also that a tiny mouse and bird appear in many of the pictures! I give this book two paws up and a tail wag! Great for human-pups K-2 or any pup who needs cheering up during a sick day (especially if there is a silly cone involved!). Remember: it's always nice to cheer someone up! Wooof!

     Of course, I also told Sadie that she should try to stay positive. After all, I've been walking around with this foolish collar for over a week, but I'm still having adventures! Like yesterday...Allison took me for my first walk in the woods behind the library. Oh the SMELLS! The bushes and the mud and the chipmunk tracks to sniff! It was on that shady walk that I saw my first FROG ever! I saw what looked like a bump on a rock in the middle of a gucky pond, and all of a sudden it jumped and went *plonk* *plonk* *plonk* in and out of the water. Well, arooooooo! I must have jumped a little myself.

See? Even cone-collared pups can sniff out swamp-creatures! Rrrrruff!

     I'm going to go see Sadie again tomorrow. Then I can tell her about my lazy day in Colt State Park today with my family. I want to ask her if she likes getting wet in the salty water - I don't like it much but I've seen some dogs dive right in. Also if she's sniffed out that white cat that's been prancing around the neighborhood. Maybe I could bring her a handkerchief too...I just need to borrow one from Mama Suz's laundry basket when my humans aren't looking. Aroooo!

                                                                        Yours in Sniffs and Silliness on Sick Days,

                                                                                         Sam I Am  

Be a Peanut Butter Friend: Stick Together with Those You Love!

Hi!

      Still in my funny cone hat, I've been trying to do what Allison told me and relax. She says if I run around too much I might "bust" my stitches and it would hurt. But it's so hard to stay still with so much energy! Arooooo!

     See, this is my Aww-can't-we-play-chase? face.

     Allison lets me play fetch, but doesn't throw Clifford very far. That way I don't have to work as hard. She makes up for no chase games with extra books though! I think I would've started to go crazy if my humans had not been so nice to me! (Things get ruff without friends!) That's what friends are for; they take care of you and cheer you up when you're sad. Friends stick together like peanut butter to the roof of my mouth! Just like the friends in the book I read today...

Mini Grey's picture book Three By the Sea is an unusual story about three unlikely friends. Cat, Dog, and Mouse live happily together in a little house on the beach - until a travelling sales-fox comes to visit and stirs up trouble. (The fur on my back bristled when Allison read aloud the part when the Fox swaggers in with his pin-striped suit and trouble-making questions.) Suddenly Dog feels like Cat is getting lazy, Cat feels like Mouse's cooking is boring, and Mouse feels like Dog is a terrible gardener! The three friends argue, and a tearful Mouse leaves home - only to be swept up by a big wave. Human-pups will like this story's exciting climax as Dog, Cat, and Mouse all pull together to save Mouse and their friendship. As for the ending? It shows the power of friendship renewed, the importance of talking to your friends, and why sometimes you have to compromise when you love someone. Compromise means everyone works together toward the best solution for everyone - even if one pup needs to give a little bit up! I give this book one paw up, especially liking the illustrations that at times (so Allison says) seem like a "scrapbook style." Best for human-pups in grades K-3. Arooooo!  

Now I'm sleepy. All this rain and reading sure makes a dog want a snuggly snooze! Until next time, then!

Your friend (still stuck in a cone),

Sam I Am