Right now I'm resting after a nice play-chase with Allison. Even when a pup can't get outside as much to run after squirrels because of the rain, it's fun to have what my humans call a "rampage" around the house. Everyone should try it! Grab your bit of rawhide, duck underneath the table (panting loudly, of course), look this way and that, gallop through your chaser's parted legs, growl softly, run back to the kitchen, give the rawhide a shake, and then do it all over again. Allison is getting better at being the chaser. Aside from the fact that she sometimes manages to distract me with one of my squeaky toys - not fair!
Anyway, with all this wet outside the past few days have been kind of slow. Now, I don't mind a cozy rainy-day nap sometimes, but I'm a dog of Action at heart. I want to Do Things, have adventures. Being stuck inside too long makes me go wild. I steal socks. I attack unsuspecting table legs. I claim every towel I see as my own chew-toy/nap pad.
I can't help it; rainy days get me down (then I make mischief).
Seeing me go crazy, Allison did what she always does when she's solving a problem or teaching me a lesson: go over to one of my family's book cases and pull out some stories. Today she picked two. One is a book about two human-pups having fun inside depite their own rainy-day troubles. The other is a story about some very strange puppies who live in Texas (a place so hot and sunny, Allison says, that reading about it will keep us cozy).
So What If It's Raining by Miriam Young, illustrated by Carol Nicklaus, tells the story of friends Jason and Jennifer as they spend a rainy day inside. Amazingly, these human-pups don't seem to care about the weather! Sunshine? They don't seem to miss it! Because they have what Allison calls "imaginations."
"Yip?" I looked up at Allison, waiting for her to explain. Imagination? Is that something to eat?
"An imagination is someone's ability to make pictures and stories in his or her head," she said.
I cocked my head at her. Huh?
Allison smiled. "Okay, Sam. Now, think of a big juicy hamburger the size of the kitchen. It's sitting in the next room, waiting for you. But a monster is guarding it. You have to chase it away to get the burger..."
BURGER! I could see it, almost smell it. It would take me days to eat it all up! I jumped up and ran toward the family room, growling and ready to face the monster. But when I got there, I didn't see any burger or monsters! What happened?
"Your imagination ran away with you," Allison laughed. "There was never any burger, but you made it kind of real by imagining it!"
Imaginationed burgers aside (in this case learning made me HUNGRY!), Jason and Jennifer put their imaginations to good use. Floods, circuses, bandits, elves, and science experiments! All in one afternoon! The illustrations of Jason's living room change with each story the friends create, making it impossible for readers not to come along for the ride. Two paws up from this happy pup! Allison says it's probably best for human-pups ages 6-8, with parents' help. Enjoy!
Chili Dogs by Carla Tedrow, illustrated by Lou Grant, tells the tale of a Texan family. Two humans and their dalmatians Taco and Tamale must struggle against their evil, mean-to-pups landlord Mr. Derrick. Mr. Derrick also has dalmatians - but he is very mean to them! When Tamale has puppies (chili dog pups!), the Cabreras family get excited because a puppy contest could win them enough money to save their restaurant! There are some scary parts in this book, such as when Mr. Derrick tries to puppy-nap the chili dogs (I ran out of Allison's room and wouldn't come back until she promised there was a happy ending), but everything works out! The setting is both warm and spicy, the characters unique and lovable, and the story's ending for Mr. Derrick very satisfying! Two paws up and a tail wag from me! This colorful book stands up against animal abuse and will show human-pups the importance of hope, family, and imagination in changing the world! Best for human-pups ages 4-8, but all will love the pictures and the wonderful dogs!
*BIG PUPPY YAWN* Time for bed after a great day! These two books helped me beat the rainy-day blues as my humans sometimes call them. Imagination and family - so glad I have both! Even if I'm still wishing that burger were really in the family room...
Yours in Spice and Stories,
Sam I Am
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