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 

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  

"Bub" is All You Need: Listen and Understand, Young Pup

Hi!

      Allison couldn't write for me yesterday because there was something called a "storm." Gigantic flashes of light and big booming sounds coming from outside. I guess the sounds and lights messed up her computer. As it is, the booms and flashes messed me up; for two nights in a row I've woken up and gotten very lonely and confused all of a sudden. That makes me howl and whine and cry for my humans to please please wake up and give me a snuggle! The storm also made my tummy so nervous that I had an accident. Uh-oh!

     All I wanted was to be let out of my crate and explore what was going on outside - and my humans didn't understand at first. Sick and concerned about needing to protect my family, I tried so hard to tell them. I felt a little sad because of it, but today Allison told me that I was a good boy. Accidents happen, she says, and we're still working to understand each other, my family and I. It can be frustrating when others don't understand you or you don't understand them. Everyone's different, as even a little wauzer-pup like me knows by now. It takes patience and love to get along with people (or dogs) you meet - and practice!

Explore and try to understand others - it's a part of life! WOOF!

     Today Allison decided that we would read a book about a kind of funny misunderstanding. This story features a king, a queen, a little prince, a cook's daughter, and best of all, the prince's faithful dog!

    Natalie Babbitt's story Bub or the Very Best Thing opens with two royal parents having a royal fit about what is best for their little boy, the prince. They go on to ask everyone in the entire castle what is best - and all the while their human-pup is trying to tell them, "BUB!" (Which, Allison tells me, is human-pup "baby talk" for LOVE.) Of course the grown-up humans don't understand their son - nor do they take notice of the dog (who wears a silly hat that I would never wear) who lovingly follows his human and a particular stuffed dragon toy around. Silly humans!  

For what Allison calls the "masterful and realistic" illustrations of those who live in the castle (including the ever-patient royal canine), I give this book a paw and a half up. I especially like the tiny pictures of the dog's adventures above the text. I wasn't completely satisfied with the actual story's ending; the prince's parents still don't understand, even if they cheerfully look forward to when the prince can explain "bub" to them in big-people talk. Only the cook's daughter makes any real effort to understand the prince! Trying to understand takes both time and effort! Nonetheless, a good read. Understanding others can be RUFF!  

Off to play a bit before sleep-time!

                An Understanding Pup,

Sam I Am