​Plum is back with an all new adventure in Plenty of Love to go Around by Emma Chichester Clark!  Life is pretty great for Plum, also known as the Special One by her humans, Emma and Rupert.  She is even adored by the neighbor children, Sam and Gracie.  Until the day that Binky arrives....

Plum cannot believe her eyes!  Sam and Gracie are now the very proud owners of a CAT!  She is certain that no good can come out of this new addition.  Especially when Binky begins to follow her everywhere.

What is this poor pampered pooch to do?  Is it truly possible to be friends with a cat?  Is there really plenty of love to go around?

I was very excited to read the second installment in the Plum series and I was not disappointed.  Clark deals with the complicated emotion of jealousy from an animal's point of view.  I found this found this fresh perspective to be very entertaining as well as educational.

The illustrations are whimsical as well as adorable.  I love how Plum's eyes are so expressive!  I also love that the illustrations are hand drawn.  I feel that more and more drawing is becoming a lost art.

I greatly enjoyed following Plum on her journey through jealousy.  Children of all ages will fall in love with Plum and Binky.  This would be a great story to read before adopting a second pet or for parents who are expecting another child. 

​I Will Love You Anyway by Mick Inkpen introduces the reader to an adorable sweatband-wearing pug.  This portly pooch cannot seem to behave.  He digs on the sofa, makes messes on the stairs and even steals socks!

His family tries to teach him manners.  But instead of being a good student, the pug runs away.  He continues his bad behavior by rolling in poo and even chasing cars!  Will this devilish dog be able to change his ways before it's too late?

I fell in love with the bug-eyed pug from the moment I saw the cover of the book.  Chole Inkpen's illustrations are adorable as well as emotionally captivating.  His expressions will put readers through a full range of emotions.  I almost grabbed a tissue several time while reading.

While I greatly enjoyed reading Mick Inkpen's debut title, I found the alternating rhyming scheme to be a bit complicated.  Some of the pages were in perfect rhyme while others were in slant rhyme.  This makes reading the story out loud somewhat challenging.  Not everyone can be Dr. Seuss.

I also have to admit that I really struggled with the ending.  Why would the pug continue to run away from the family that he so desperately loves?  Why has the family not considered enrolling the mischievous pup in obedience classes?  I feel that the story might send mixed signals to very young children.  They may end up thinking that they can continue to disobey their parents over and over again without any repercussions because they will still remain loved.

Overall, this book is a great read for children and animal lovers of all ages.  Being a fur mom to five rescue dogs and two cats, I can definitely relate to the theme of the story. You might even feel the urge to purchase sweatbands for your own fur babies.

​Little Louie tells the tale of a dog with big dreams.  He longs to be a champion like his brothers. But Louie doesn't look or act like a champion.  Instead of learning commands, he plays with his favorite red ball.

Louie has another dream.  He wants to be able to balance on top of his red ball.  Try as he may, he cannot seem to master the art of balancing.  Will Louie ever achieve his dreams of becoming a star?

I greatly enjoyed this book.  Kathryn Finney masterfully shares Louie's story through gorgeous painted illustrations.  Louie is simply adorable with his tongue always hanging out of his mouth.  I have a Chihuahua who does the exact same thing!  I love how Louie's dream is truly his own.  While he longs to be a star, he still wishes to do it his way.  

Readers and dog lovers of all ages will delight in following Little Louie as his chases his dreams.  

​Prepare for adventures of the furry kind in Fuddles and Puddles by Frans Vischer.  Fuddles is a very fat  and spoiled cat.  He spends his days eating, sleeping and basking in the love of his family.  All of that changes when his family adopts a rambunctious puppy.

The family names the pup Puddles and he is completely enamored with Fuddles.  He follows Fuddles everywhere...including the litter box!  The poor stalked kitty can only get a break when the two are let outside to play.  

One day, Puddles takes things too far by eating Fuddles's food.  Fuddles decides to lay down the law.  Puddles soon learns to give Fuddles his space.  But what happens when the friend Fuddles didn't want becomes the friend that he desperately needs?

I simply adored this story from start to finish!  Being the proud fur mom to five dogs and two cats, I can definitely relate to the tensions that develop when a new pet is brought home.  The illustrations are gorgeously adorable.  I was quite surprised to see a two page spread illustration.  Vischer was able to beautifully convey an emotional scene through stunning illustrations.

I highly recommend this book to readers and animal lovers of all ages.  Anyone who has ever owned or fostered multiple pets will totally be able to relate to this fantastic tale.  The characters of Fuddles and Puddles are sure to enchant and delight both young and old.  

​Everyone's favorite Frenchie is back in Naughty Mabel Sees it All by Nathan Lane and Devlin Elliott.  Mabel urgently greets the reader even before page one!  She wants to make sure that her side of the story gets told.

Mabel has been noticing that strange things are happening in her house.  But she can't worry about that now, darlings.  She has been invited to her very first sleepover!  Smarty-Cat and Scaredy-Cat are ready to spend a fun-filled evening with their pooch pal.

While watching a movie with her kitty friends, Mabel sees something very disturbing.  There are monsters in the house!  Will she be able to protect her friends from the scary invaders?  Are things really as they seem?  You'll have to read the book to find out, darlings!

Nathan Lane and Devlin Elliott have done it again!  I simply adore Mabel and the second installment does not disappoint.  Infused with pop culture such at Martha Stewart, Google and selfie sticks, readers young and old alike will delight in Mabel's crazy antics.  Dan Krall's illustrations are hilarious and adorable.  My favorite illustration is on page 12 where Mabel plays dress up with her cat friends.  I love all of the movie references!

I would highly recommend this book to readers of all ages.  This story truly has something for everyone to enjoy.  I hope that Mabel will return soon to share even more stories with her adoring public.

​If I Ran the Dog Show All About Dogs by Tish Rabe introduces children to the wonderful world of dogs.  With the Cat in the Hat as their guide, a little boy and girl set off to the dog show.  While there, the children learn numerous facts about dogs.  

I absolutely loved this book!  The illustrations by Aristides Ruiz and Joe Mathieu pay homage to the great Dr. Seuss and are simply adorable.  If the reader looks closely, he/she will notice that the humans look like their dogs on page 4.  I also love how the book sheds light on the importance of therapy dogs and their work along with descriptions of other working dogs.

I would highly recommend this book to readers and dog lovers of all ages.  Readers will delight in the whimsical illustrations and will walk away with an increased knowledge in all things canine.  There is even a glossary in the back of the book as well as a For Further Reading section which suggests other books about dogs that readers might enjoy.  Bring home this tail-wagging good book today!

​What Cat is That?  All About CATS by Tish Rabe introduces children to the wonderful world of cats.  With the Cat in the Hat as their guide, a little boy and girl set off on a journey around the world in a Kitty-Cat-Copter.  They meet lions in Kenya, tigers in Bangkok and so much more.  Along the way, the children learn numerous facts about cats.  

I absolutely loved this book!  The illustrations by Aristides Ruiz and Joe Mathieu pay homage to the great Dr. Seuss and are simply adorable.  I also found the facts in the book to be quite interesting.  I never knew that there is a breed of cat that actually likes to swim!  Or that a group of kittens is called a kindle.

I would highly recommend this book to readers and cat lovers of all ages.  Readers will delight in the whimsical illustrations and will walk away with an increased knowledge in all things cat.  There is even a glossary in the back of the book as well as a For Further Reading section which suggests other books about cats that readers might enjoy.  Check it out right meow!