​Douglas is a dog with a problem.  He is having trouble seeing.  But, he doesn't know it!

His owner, Nancy, can no longer ignore the signs.  After a game of fetch goes goes horribly wrong she decides to take Douglas to the eye doctor.  Douglas is positive that he can pass the eye exam.....until the doctor tells him that he needs glasses.  Will Douglas be able to embrace his new look? 

I love Ged Adamson's illustrations!  His use of water color for the trees mixed with hand drawn characters create truly stunning pictures.  I greatly enjoyed this story and can totally relate.  When I was in the fourth grade, I literally lost my ability to see things far away in one day.  This was a very traumatic experience and this book would have definitely helped me understand what was going on.

While I like the story, I feel that it ends abruptly.  After Douglas gets his new glasses, the story simply stops.  I wish that Adamson would have showed how having glasses has changed Douglas' life.  I would have liked to have seen Douglas succeeding in walking in the park and playing fetch.

I do feel that this book would be a great gift to any child who is in the process of getting glasses.  Douglas is such a lovable character that I know children will adore.

​Prepare for a story of mystical proportions in A Unicorn Named Sparkle by Amy Young.  A young girl named Lucy discovers an ad for a unicorn that is for sale for 25 cents.  She hurriedly sends in her money and eagerly awaits the unicorn's arrival.

While she waits, she begins to dream about all of the things that she and her unicorn will do together.  Lucy has even picked out her new pet's name:  Sparkle.  She also prepares a special cupcake treat to present to Sparkle.

The unicorn man soon arrives with a large box.  Upon opening the box, Lucy discovers that Sparkle is not at all what she had expected.  He is unwilling to play dress up or go to show-and-tell.  With her dreams shattered, Lucy calls the unicorn man and tells him that she no longer wants Sparkle.

When he returns to collect Sparkle the next day, Lucy feels torn.  Could the pet she didn't want turn out to be the pet of her dreams?

I absolutely love this story!  In fact, it may very well be my new favorite children's book.  The story is so touching and strikes a true chord with me as I am heavily involved in animal rescue.  Too often, animals are passed over due to their looks without anyone taking the time to get to know their personalities.  

This is exactly the case with one of my pets.  Penny is a Chiweenie that was born with a deformed front paw and a severe overbite.  No one at the shelter wanted her due to her unique looks.  She was going to be euthanized until a rescue group saved her in the nick of time.  My husband and I then adopted her and she has been inspiring us ever since.  Although she is a tripawd (only has three legs) she can do everything that her four-legged siblings can do.  We had incorrectly assumed that she would need extra care because of the missing leg, but all of our misconceptions were shattered when we met Penny.

There are so many wonderful lessons in this story.  The most obvious is not to judge a book by its cover.  Another is that relationships take time to grow.  Lucy was expecting an instant love connection, but did not realize that building a relationship takes more than just a few days.  The more she gets to know Sparkle, the more she can see just how special he is.

I was also captivated by Young's illustrations.  They are bright, youthful and charming.  Sparkle is adorable!  I love that he has a heart shaped spot by his bottom.  

This book is perfect for readers of all ages.  Sparkle will tug at the reader's heart strings.  I would highly recommend it to animal rescue groups and shelters as part of a humane education lesson.

​The Very Fluffy Kitty Papillon by A.N. Kang tells the fanciful tail of Papillon, the kitty who is so fluffy that he floats away.  His loving owner, Miss Tilly, is constantly worried that Papillon will float away and be lost forever.  She tries to weigh him down by feeding him fattening foods.  Nothing worked...until she noticed the bowl that had once contained spaghetti setting on his head.

This gives Miss Tilly a wonderful idea.  She will make clothes for Papillon!  Miss Tilly starts with a few simple outfits, but soon gets carried away with intricate costumes.  One day, Papillon decides that he has had enough of wearing clothes.  Miss Tilly tried her best to reason with him without success. 

Feeling defeated, Miss Tilly heads to the market.  Papillon is enjoying his high floating freedom when he notices a bird sitting on the window sill.  He floats over to have a look...and follows the bird right out the window!

Papillon did his best to follow his new feathered friend, but he soon finds himself lost.  Will Papillon ever be able to find his way back to Miss Tilly?

I absolutely loved this story!  A.N. Kang's illustrations are simplistic but adorably irresistible.  My favorite set of illustrations can be found on page 10.  Papillon looks ridiculously cute in his numerous costumes.  The shark costume is hilarious!  The expression on Papillon's face reminds me of Grumpy Cat.

I also like how Kang subtly introduces the reader to Papillon's new friend from the beginning of the story.  If the reader looks carefully, he/she will find this friend on every other page in the book.  This would make an excellent discovery game for children.

This is a wonderful story for children of all ages.  I believe that old and young alike will delight in the fun and humorous illustrations.