The Last Sam-I-Amurai: A Tale of New Friends

Hi!

     Allison and I haven't written in awhile because we were having adventures. Allison's friend from her old school came to visit; her name is Allyson, which sounds like my human's name but is spelled different, and she's terrific! She sure knows how to give a good belly rub. At her house in a far-away place called "New Jersey," her family includes an Old English Sheepdog named Doug - and Doug did a great job training his human! I have to say that I enjoyed the extra attention from my new friend.

     Allyson had to go home today, which made me a little sad. My family keeps telling me that she'll come back to visit again sometime though! Then we can have more adventures. Allison and I showed her the emus, took her on a picnic, and even went to a special outdoor movie in Providence with her. The movie (it was called "The Last Samurai," which made me happy because part of it was like my name) was very loud and there were lots of humans fighting in it. Too scary for human-pups. Why can't everyone just be friends, I wondered. I had no problem making new friends all around us, from this big tattooed guy with a funny mustache to a group of girls and a little grumpy dog named Butch. I had a lot of fun with Allyson and my Allison, which just goes to show that making a new friend always means a new adventure!

Snuggling with my new friend Allyson! 

     To cheer ourselves up after Allyson left to go back home, Allison and I pulled out another book we found at the Book Barn. This one is about a little polar bear who desperately wants a friend - and makes a new friend through a courageous adventure:

In Hans de Beer's Little Polar Bear Finds a Friend, Lars the polar bear starts out very sad. There's no one around for him to play with! One day, however, he goes for a walk and ends up getting trapped by humans hunting animals for a zoo. When Lars finds himself on a big boat with other caged animals, he sets them free - including a brown bear named Bea. Then begins a journey past cities, through forests, and over rough oceans to get home! Lars and Bea become fast friends, and this story's wonderful ending shows that no matter how different the two bears are, a strong friendship holds them together! Arooooo! Two paws up and a tail wag for this book! Beautiful illustrations and a heart-warming story make for a book human-pups will love! Best for human-pups K-3.  

Also recommended by this author: The Little Polar Bear, Little Polar Bear and the Husky Pup, Little Polar Bear and the Brave Little Hare, and Little Polar Bear, Take Me Home! (and more, including variations - like board books - for littler readers!)

Off to cuddle my giraffe now! And then I will happily dream about meeting even more new friends soon! Rufff!

Yours in Friendship and Other Wonderful Things,

Sam I Am

Dog Houses and Magnetic Mayhem

Hi!

     Do you know that when a human says someone is "in the doghouse," it means the person is in trouble? Imagine that! Allison says it comes from when humans made their dogs sleep alone (outside in a little house) whenever the pups did something wrong. Some families still have their dogs sleep outside like that - though not always because they were bad.

Well, yesterday I was "in the doghouse."

     You see, I did a silly thing and started to eat the couch in the family room. I didn't really mean to; it's just that when I was curled up under there, I got the urge to CHEW. A littttle bit of cloth was hanging down, so I gave it a chomp. Then a tug. And then another tug and another and another. Aroooo! Before long the underside of the couch was kind of...um...shredded. Oops. I guess you could say Suz and Daddy (and even Rachel and Allison) weren't too happy about this. I was in trouble alright. Later my humans reminded me that everyone makes mistakes and that they love me no matter what. 

      "Just no more munching on the couch, mister!" Allison added. Then we set to work reading some of our finds from the Book Barn. Here's one of my favorites:

    Australian author Bruce Whatley's Magnetic Dog is a funny picture book about a pup named Skitty. Narrated by Skitty's little girl, the book tells all about the dog's special talent: she's magnetic when it comes to food!

I twitched my ears at Allison and voiced my question with a whine.

Arruu? What is "magnetic"?

"When something is magnetic, it attracts something else. Mostly it has to do with different metals," Allison answered.

She led me into the kitchen and over to the fridge - that big cold box where my humans keep food - and pointed to the little toys stuck to it.

"See? These things are "magnets"; they stick to the metal-stuff in the fridge because they're magnetic."

I pawed at one of the small magnets toward the bottom. It moved, but stayed stuck to the fridge. Wow. Okayyy. So Skitty attracts food. Sounds like a good deal, right? 

So all Skitty has to do to get food to come to her is give her humans that special magnetic look. And happy chaos results! This overall silly story, with its pictures of flying food and wonderfully expressive faces (the illustrations showing Skitty's eyes and those of unsuspecting humans made Allison and me laugh), gets one furry paw up. Great for a quick, giggly family read, and best for babies-prek.      

Me? I want to learn Skitty's trick. Maybe if I squint my eyes and bite my tongue a bit to concentrate...

But no. I bet Skitty's trick would land me "in the doghouse" again. My humans get upset when I try to nab food. Like that time I nipped up a piece of Suz's bread one lunchtime. What can I say? Sometimes a pup's got mischief on his mind.

Yours in magnetic tricks and trouble,

Sam I Am  

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



Smarty Pups and True Friends

Hi!

     As today was another hot day, my humans and I were stuck inside again. But this time Jacob was here, just like every Friday! I had some fun giving kisses and romping around Jacob's trucks and other toys. Later I curled up under the table to listen and watch as Allison and Rachel helped Jacob make pictures with a funny bunch of soft, colored sticks. I tried to eat one once; Allison took it away from me right away.

     "That's a crayon," she scolded. "Not for puppies to eat, silly!"
     
      Wuh-oof? A crayon? It smelled kind of strange, but I saw no reason I shouldn't have a small chomp. I ran my tongue over my front teeth - a bit of crayon flakes was stuck there - and suddenly sneezed.

     Allison tried hard not to smile as she looked up from the crayon. She touched her earring in that worried way she has whenever I've eaten something I'm not supposed to. Then she sighed, let a little laugh out, and explained:

     "Crayons are colored wax sticks - not eat-able - that humans use to draw pictures. So don't eat them! Okay?"

     I woofed my agreement.
     
     Allison smiled, a real smile this time. "You've got a lot to learn puppy, a lot to learn to grow up to be a big smart dog."

I guess I'd better keep reading and learning and adventuring then!

      In hopes that I will learn not to do silly things like eat art supplies and try to destroy the underside of the couch (There was a loose bit of cloth - I couldn't help but tug at it! Ruff!), Allison read me a couple of longer books about a two dogs. Each dog is smart in a special way, although both know the power of friendship and love.

       Cynthia Rylant's Gooseberry Park tells the story of a group of unlikely friends - and the lengths one pup will go to make sure his friends are safe. Life with his human (a kind, mild-mannered professor) is wonderful for Kona the chocolate lab. He has his friend Gwendolyn the hermit crab at home and gets to see his friend Stumpy the squirrel during frequent trips to the park. What a life! Aroo! 

However, Kona is faced with a giant problem when an ice storm puts Stumpy and her squirrel-pups in danger! With the help of Gwendolyn, a comical bat Murray, and his own smarts and bravery, Kona must find a way out of the house and over the ice to save his friends without the professor finding out. This story of stubborn friendship gets two paws up and a tail wag from this pup! Clever, caring Kona and the goofy Murray steal the show and will make human-pups cheer. The group of friends must use all their talents and love to make sure a mama and her pups are safe and together! Recommended for human-pups grades 3-5 - or anyone who loves a good tale of friends. 

In Vivian Vande Velde's Smart Dog, a dog with human-smarts (he can speak human and work a computer!) and a good heart escapes from a science laboratory to avoid having his brain "dissected." I howled in a kind of sympathy for Sherlock when Allison read this part. Why would anyone want to take apart a pup's head?! *Shudder* It's a good thing Sherlock finds a loyal, clever friend in a girl named Amy. What follows is a comical, claw-biting story of mix-ups and plots - which ends happily for both smarty Sherlock (who still has a lot to learn) and Amy (who finally realizes that true friendship is much better than being "popular"). Best for grades 3-6, I give this book two paws up. 

I'm off. I hope Suz and Daddy will forgive me for the couch. Allison is right; I still have a lot to learn! This pup will keep reading...

Your working-on-his-smarts friend,

Sam I Am   

I Like Ike: Of Dog-Day Daydreams and Some Wonderful Reads

Hi!

      I'm dog-tired after a spirited game of chase with Allison. She's becoming quite good at it; her barking is getting better, and her pounces are almost wolf-like. True, she'll never have a tail like mine (which helps a pup like me balance and bounce), but my loveable human is learning! Allison says that she's afraid the heat might drive us "stir-crazy" and so makes sure we are doing different things - even while we're stuck inside.

     Lately I guess I have been a little crazy. A howl here and there, long sessions of barking (I swear I smelled a skunk last night, even if my humans didn't believe me!), and lots of dives under the couch. To keep me busy, Allison decided to show me some of her postcards and guidebooks from when she went exploring around England and other fun places. We couldn't adventure far in the heat, but we could adventure with our imaginations!

An afternoon nap: Italy at my snout and England at my hind-paws.

     Continuing on an imagination adventure (once I'd finished my nap), Allison and I read a book about a dog named Ike who has his own journey. He too collects a bunch of postcards from the places he visits. Anyone up for a roadtrip? Ruff!

In Mark Teague's LaRue Across America, Ike LaRue is faced with a problem. When Ike's human does a very silly thing and agrees to take the neighbor's cats on vacation, our canine hero decides to send a number of postcards home throughout the cross-country trip. Mainly to tell his neighbor that her pesky felines are putting a cramp in his carefree style! The cats, for example, refuse to play at the water slides and even cause chaos in the giftshop of a dinosaur park. Arooo! Silly kitties!   

   Not all is as it seems, though. What the imaginative Ike writes in his postcards is maybe a little bit...dramatic. Readers will laugh when they realize the contrast between Ike's adventure's and his increasingly desperate-to-escape-cats-as-car-companions messages. Mark Teague has made Ike's imaginings black and white, while the narration features colored illustrations, as Allison points out (see the above example taken from Teague's Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters From Obedience School). Even human grown-ups will appreciate the finer details of the story and the skillful illustrations. Happily, Ike's vacation ends with a wonderful twist that human-pups will love, the postcard-penning pooch finally getting his dream vacation. Two paws up and a tail wag for this book and also for Letters From Obedience School. Best for human-pups from K-4, the Ike LaRue books are a must-read! 

*Note: My human Allison has had the fun of meeting Mark Teague in person at a book signing. She says he's very nice, and she highly recommends checking out the rest of his books!

I wonder if I could get Allison to plan a road trip for us? Hmmm. A dog can dream. Woof!

Yours in postcards and imagination vacations,

Sam I Am