My Journey to the Book Barn, a Wonderful Place

Hi!

      I wanted to write about my adventures yesterday, but my family and I got back home really late. I was so sleepy that Allison had to carry me to my bed and tuck me in next to Mr. Squeaky Duck. You see, we traveled all the way to a place called "The Book Barn" in Niantic, Connecticut (you have to spell it "connect-i-cut" - Allison helped me with that). The second I padded toward the first building, I just knew that I had found a special place. Imagine, a bookstore surrounded by lots of gardens and nooks and crannies to sniff! Lots of different buildings (some like houses, others like sheds and outside closets) filled with gigantic bookshelves! Games like checkers on wooden tables, and little cars and balls for human-pups to play with!

Best of all, I was allowed EVERYWHERE!!!

Clockwise: A pup among the stacks, posing with Allison in front of a little display of the Book Barn (it looks like a dollhouse),& the main Barn building.

     My humans and I spent quite a few happy hours roaming around the books. (In between, Daddy taught me a new game with something called a "basketball," which I'll be writing about soon!) One small building was painted with animals and had a whole section of dog books inside! Right away I found a book for some future ahem adventures baking cookies:

It's called Tasty Treats for Demanding Dogs. Arooo! Sounds yummy!

      Of course, I also found the energy to try to befriend the locals. Unfortunately, one in particular was kind of mean when I tried to start a game of chase:

Away she stalked; silly kitty!



          Because writing about even a couple of our fantastic bookstore finds will take me awhile, I'll leave that for tomorrow. But I definitely recommend this Book Barn place! It's possibly the only human-pup AND pet-friendly bookstore on the east coast (At least, it's the first I've been allowed to browse in! Woof!). For a fun book-filled adventure, check it out! I know my humans and I are going back again and again.

                                                                     Yours in unique destinations,

                                                                      Sam I Am



Sniffing Out Good Books - My First Bookstore Adventure

Hi!

     Yesterday was a busy day for my family and me! My humans took me to Burlington, MA to check out a sale at something called "The Used Book Superstore." After an ear-flapping car ride, Allison and Rachel followed me into a pet store to do some shopping while Mama Suz and Daddy went ahead to scout out some good reads. I wasn't allowed inside the bookstore, you see (a silly rule), but I found a new squeaky duck and explored the local park.

Lots to sniff around the Burlington Common!

      Then I went for a walk after giving Allison directions on what to look for in the bookstore.

Here are three of our favorite finds:  

Puppy Victoriana, a small board book (less destructible, so good for human pups who are teething like me). It features pretty old-fashioned pictures of dogs and a few lines of old-fashioned doggerel in between. "Doggie scampers when I call,/And has a heart to love us all." Exciting for dog lovers of all ages, really! Simple, but unique. *There is also a Kitty Victoriana in print for any human with the patience for those evasive felines (the cat next door STILL won't play with me! GrrRuff!).  

Scruffy's Museum Adventure by Claudia Logan, illustrated by Jozeph Zaremba. This story's plucky canine adventurer is like me: a bit scruffy and full of curious mischief. I listened happily to the tale of Scruffy's race through Boston's Museum of Fine Arts. Most of the story depends on the illustrations of the paintings and the other strange things Scruffy finds - and also on his comments about each discovery. One of his favorites? A statue of a three-headed dog named Ceberus. (My question is, does he have three tails to wag too?) When the humans in charge of the museum finally catch Scruffy, his family decides on a compromise to keep Scruffy learning about art (you'll have to read to find out!). All and all, a  brief but good dog's eye-view of the MFA for elementary level human-pups and their families. 

Someday, Allison says, she'll take me to Boston to explore, even if I can't actually go into the museum. Maybe I'll sneak in like Scruffy...? I can't wait! YIP! 

The Best Pet of All by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Hanako Wakiyama. I was a little unsure when I saw the cover of this book. Allison explained that the green winged creature was a dragon. I cocked my head. What's a dragon?

"Well," Allison said, "It's a big flying lizard with the temperament of a kitty and the ability to breathe fire."

I rolled over and whined. Was this going to be a scary book then? But Allison scratched me behind my ears and began to read. "On Monday I asked my mother if I could have a dog..."

As it turns out, the dragon is part of a little boy's smart plan to convince his mama to let him have a dog. Dogs may be messy (hey, everyone makes mistakes) and loud (sometimes I get very excited, yipping and attacking things like cardboard boxes and soda bottles), but they're not as bad as a dragon who eats spaghetti in the bathtub! Once again, a doggy saves the day at the end of this story. Allison especially likes the illustrations, which she calls "retro" and full of bright colors (oranges and greens and yellows, she says)  and the details. This book had my tail wagging, so I'm sure human-pups ages 4-8ish will love it too!

     After all that excitement, I'm ready for a nice calm day. Maybe a bit of snoozing on the big cushy pillow in Allison's room.   

 After all, my humans bought a whole box of books yesterday; I'm going to need lots of energy to keep reading!!!

Yours in book hunts,

Sam I Am