Thunder Pug by Kim Norman and Keika Yamaguchi

Percy was a pug, and Petunia was a pig. 

Even so, they loved doing many of the same things:

Carving trails through lanky weeds, 

puffing dandelion seeds,

playing twilight hide-and-seek,

lapping puddles cheek to cheek. 

Thunder Pug is the story of Percy and Petunia, a pug and a pig who are the best of friends. Some of their activities are the same but they also do pug and pig things on their own. Percy is perfectly happy waving goodbye to Petunia when she goes off to the fair. But, when she comes home with a blue ribbon and wears it everywhere, Percy starts to get a little envious and lonely because Petunia doesn't have time for him, anymore. Then, he happens across a comic book.

"Thunder Man" is the star of the comic book and reading about him gives Percy an idea. Petunia has her blue ribbon; Percy can have a cape! He starts wearing a cape and doing good, but he isn't satisfied. Then, he realizes what's missing. He needs a sidekick. Enter Pink Lightning, Petunia in her blue ribbon and a cape. Together, they set off to save a young raccoon dangling above a patch of prickly plants. They manage to rescue the raccoon (sort of) and get tangled up. But, everything is better with a friend.

Highly recommended - This is going to sound weird for a "highly recommended" book, but the first time I read Thunder Pug, I was disappointed. I love the illustrations but I just didn't get the point of the story. It felt like there were too many ups and downs. This is good, but that's unsatisfying, etc. I was a little baffled by the fact that there are two spreads that rhyme while the rest of the book does not. So, I decided I needed to read Thunder Pug aloud to see if that made a difference. And, it definitely did. Thunder Pug is easy to dramatize and when read aloud even the blend of non-rhyming and rhyming bits suddenly made sense. I found myself pointing at things and asking the cat questions, just like I would a child. I even laughed a couple times. The cat wasn't very responsive, but I discovered that Thunder Pug is a book that just needs to be read aloud to be appreciated. Now that I know how fun it is to read, I'm planning to drag my copy of Thunder Pug along to read to the grandchildren, when next I see them.

Other books I've reviewed by Kim Norman (click on the title to see my review):

Ten on the Sled
This Old Van

My thanks to Sterling Children's Books for the review copy!

©2019 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Teeny Tiny Toady by Jill Esbaum and Keika Yamaguchi

Teeny Tiny Toady by Jill Esbaum
Illustrated by Keika Yamaguchi
Copyright 2016
Sterling Children's Books - Ages 4 - 7
40 pp.

Teeny Tiny Toady begins with a disaster. "Help, Teeny!" her mother cries as a human hand snatches her up and plops her into a bucket. Teeny dashes home to get help from her 7 strapping big brothers, who come running to help but toss in a demeaning "We'll save her!" as they run out the door:

Brothers tumbled, bumble-jumble,
as they stumbled for the door.
"Don't you worry, kid. We'll save her!"
Off the seven toadies tore.

They try pushing the bucket over. No luck. Teeny wonders aloud, "Could we lift her out somehow?" but nobody listens. Instead, one of her brothers pats her on the head, pushes her out of the huddle and says, "We can handle this." But, their first attempt is fruitless. Then . . .

Teeny said, "You need a ladder."
"Guys, a LADDER'S what we need!"
"You're a GENIUS, brother!" one toad said.
"He ROCKS!" the rest agreed.

Of course, Teeny ends up saving the day after her brothers try to rescue mama and all of them fall into the bucket. Left on her own, she returns to her original thought process and succeeds. And, they do acknowledge her brilliant idea after they're rescued.

What I really love about Teeny Tiny Toady is that you know from the beginning that Teeny has ideas with merit but since her brothers alternately ignore her or pass on her ideas without giving her credit, she's experiencing what absolutely every female goes through, at one time or another. Teeny Tiny Toady shows that with persistence and refusal to allow yourself to be degraded by false expectations and demeaning comments from the opposite gender, a girl can end up solving tough problems. We all need to learn that lesson as early as possible.

Highly recommended: Cute illustrations and a fun, rhyming storyline illuminate a common kind of problem that runs deep for females in today's world and how persistence and faith in your own ideas will get you through. I love the surprising depth of this children's book. It's the kind of story every little girl needs to hear repeatedly, the younger the better. Wahoo for an early intro to feminism!


©2016 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery  or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.