Pants, Trips, and Automobiles: A Dog About Town

Hi!

     This is the life! Days like these make me happy happy HAPPY to be a dog. Today Allison and Rachel took me on another adventure in the car. I don't understand it, but Rachel turned on something called the "air conditioning" - and cold air blew at me from all sides! I stayed on Allison's lap until we stopped for a little while. Rachel got out of the car and stuck what looked like a snake in a hole in the car.


      "Gas," Allison explained. "The car needs gas for food."
    
      Gas? How strange. I've heard that word before, mainly when my tummy is a bit upset and my humans say things like "silent but deadly" and "cute smelly puppy." Cars are strange animals I guess. Also, the car has a big wheel that my humans use to tell the car where to go; with Rachel outside, I hopped into her spot and decided to give it a try.


       "Woof," I muttered under my breath. Go on, Car. Take me to somewhere that has bacon-flavored cookies and no gates.


      The silly thing just sat there. Fine, I thought. At least I have a good view of everything from up on this wheel.

Hmmm...how does it work?

Rachel was laughing at my attempts to make the car go. Like her hat?

     After that my humans took me to meet more of their human and animal friends. Ana, Aurora, and their mama fussed over me and lent me a couple of toys to play with. Not so long ago two dogs named George and Pepper lived with them, but now both of them are in Doggy Heaven. That's what Allison says.This family was so nice that my tail was going happy-wild!

Ana and I have an outside snuggle!

     I also got to meet Fritz, a cat (who unkindly puffed up to a scary size when I barked a play-challenge at him), some chickens (the rooster made a funny jump when I leaped toward him to say hi), and some BIG beasts Allison calls "horses." I got along with Corey the horse the best, bouncing up on my hind legs to sniff hello. 

Hi Corey the Horse!

Bounce! Got to sniff, got to say hi!

     In between I chased a few bugs, watched Ana and my humans drink something called tea, snuggled up to Ana and Aurora's mama, and explored. To my my surprise, the adventure wasn't over! After saying good-byes (good-bye for now, that is), my humans brought me to The LIBRARY. Know what's in The LIBRARY? BOOKS!


    Because of another silly rule, dogs aren't allowed inside The Library, but I wandered around with Rachel while Allison went to find us some more fun books to read. I even got to see Cristina (Jacob-Baby's mama and one of Jesse's humans). She's always ready to give me a good pet! 


   Now I am, as my humans put it, "zonka-puppy." Very tired from my wonderful day. But of course never too tired for a story. This one may just turn out to be one of my favorites...its hero is almost as adventurous as I am! 

In The Adventures of Taxi Dog by Sal and Debra Barracca, illustrated by Mark Buehner, a dog named Maxi tells his own story in rhyme. I loved this book! Maxi is a stray before Jim the taxi driver (he rides in a special kind of car and helps people get to places) rescues him. I never had to roam around the streets avoiding the dog catcher, but I was rescued just like Maxi! Thank goodness for humans like Jim and my family! Never too late to help an animal in need - we appreciate it! Woof!

Throughout the rest of the story, Maxi has adventures with Jim in the taxi. From clowns and opera singers to airplanes and hotdogs, Maxi encounters a lot of interesting things! Most of all though, this story is about friendship and teamwork between a dog and his human. Friends are important - otherwise who would you go on adventures with? Who would help you when you're sad and lonely? A pup needs friends in life!

Two paws up and a tail-wag for this book! Allison adds that the attention to detail, the vibrant colors of the illustrations, and the keen-eyed portrayal of life in a big city like New York make this a winner. Featured as a Reading Rainbow pick, The Adventures of Taxi Dog will have the human-pups laughing and barking praise for hero Maxi. Be sure to check out Maxi's other adventures: Maxi, the Hero and Maxi, the Star.  

Allison says I should also post some of my pictures from the Art Festival this weekend. Libraries, art, horses, tea, cars, roosters, gas! What a whirl of new things to dream about! So I'll let her put the pictures up if she feels like it. Off to snuggle up with my squeaky duck - right after I give my humans a last kiss to show how much their friendship means to me.

               Yours in Friendship and Exploring,
Sam I Am

Green Eggs and Sam (That's me!)

Hi everybody!

     Things have been pretty ruff today; I'm not used to it being so HOT! Allison says that we're moving into the "dog days" of summer very quickly this year. But woof, my tongue's getting tired from panting so hard. I'm still just a little guy, as my family likes to remind me, so my first summer's going to be interesting.

      Anyways, my humans suggested that I write about my favorite book for my first entry: Green Eggs and Ham. When Allison first read me the title, I was very happy! A book about food? YUM. Nevermind the green part - dogs are colorblind, remember? So a bit of green ham sounds tasty!

Of course, I didn't know yet that you're not supposed to eat books.

      Allison and Rachel were nice about it. After the initial shrieking, they gently pulled the book's pages from my mouth. And told me: "Books are friends, not food, Sam I Am!" I cocked my head to the side, like I do when I'm trying real hard to listen. Then I sneezed, which kind of ruined the effect.

That's when Allison started the T.R.E.A.T.S. system. It means To Read Educates an Already Terrific Sam I Am. Every week we're going to read a few new books together, and then she'll help me write about what I think. (I can't try typing, Allison says, until I learn to stop attempting to eat the keys off her laptop.) So we started with Dr. Seuss' Green Eggs and Ham. Look below - that's the other Sam I Am, the one I'm named for.

     All stretched out on a blanket in the backyard, I couldn't help getting excited when we started reading. Open the book and there's my name! Over and over! It was almost like the book was about me! I tried chomping on the cover one more time. I almost couldn't help it; I'm teething, so I want to chew everything: 

 Allison gave me my bone and reminded me that books are for reading!

      When we had finished the book, I decided I really liked it (even if I wasn't allowed to give it a good gnaw). One funny-looking guy refuses over and over to try Sam I Am's green eggs and ham. No matter how many options Sam gives him for dinner companions and setting, the funny guy turns his nose up - even though he's never had green eggs and ham before! Finally Sam I Am wears him down, and he discovers he LOVES green eggs and ham. Silly guy. Never turn down a free lunch.

      What Allison calls the "illustrations" are fun too. All loopy and wavy and full of unexpected surprises. This Dr. Seuss character must be quite the interesting human being to think of such a story!

      What I liked the best though, was how I could relate the story to my life. You see, Allison's family didn't always want a puppy. From when she was just a pup herself until recently, she'd been asking her parents for a dog. And her silly family kept on saying things like, "But we're probably allergic," and "That's a lot of work." They'd never even tried having a dog. A little while ago, Allison's family finally decided to take a chance and try something new. Ta-da! WOOF! Here I am, all the way from a shelter in Tennessee! I am like that guy's green eggs and ham. Never be afraid to try something new!

      I might be a puppy, but I already know that life is full of adventures. Adventures like trying new foods (I found out that bananas are yummy), going new places (like the park, YIP!), and meeting new humans and animals (I'm so glad I met my humans!). I know it can be scary. That's why there's things like books and friends and families. So Green Eggs and Ham gets two paws up and a tail wag to boot. Allison says that this classic book is best for ages 5-7 (in people years, that is). Enjoy! I'm off to try to befriend that crazy cat next door - maybe if I'm persistent like Sam I Am the furball will finally want to be friends. In any case, she's fun to chase. Aroooooo!

                                                                      Yours in new adventures,

                                                                                            Sam I Am