Prepare yourself to be bombarded by pooches of all kinds in "I Love Dogs!" by Sue Stainton.  A little boy proceeds to tell the reader about all of the different types of dogs that he likes...which is quite literally EVERY kind of dog.  The boy then takes the reader on a delightful (and colorful) journey through the world of canines as he heads to the local pet store to adopt a pup of his own.

Bob Staake does an amazing job of creating a whimsical world within his illustrations.  His colorful cast of canines will delight readers of all ages.  I especially enjoyed the dogs that were drawn to look like their owners.

Being the proud pet parent of five rescue dogs, I love the theme of adoption that runs subtlety through out the book.  I can also relate to the different types of dogs that are featured in the story (especially the crazy ones!).  Most importantly, I love that the little boy loves ALL dogs.  He is not searching for a purebred or discriminating against Pit Bulls.  He simply loves every dog that he meets.

With powerful life lessons and a cast of unforgettable characters, "I Love Dogs!" is sure to be a classic that will dazzle readers (and animal lovers) of all ages.

Theo embarks on yet another adventure to try to find his sense of smell in "Theo at the Beach" by Jacklyn Crupi.  Forgetful Theo has misplaced his sense of smell but is pretty sure that he will find it...at the beach!  In his quest, Theo encounters many new sights and smells.  He soon finds himself entangled by the very items that should be waking up his nose.  Will Theo's snout ever sniff again?

I absolutely love the illustrations by Aurelia Verdoux.  Theo is an adorable character that is sure to charm readers of all ages.  The characters that Theo meets along his quest are very comical as well as imaginative.  However, I was disappointed to discover that there are only three scents to find in this book.  With Theo being at the beach, I thought of numerous scents that could have been included.  I believe that this would have made the story more memorable and more fun to read.

I do feel that the story could have been longer as there is much more to explore at the beach than what was written.  Overall, this is a delightful read for the emergent reader.  I am intrigued to see where Theo's nose will take him next!