Me & Dog by Gene Weingarten is the heartfelt tale of a boy named Sid and his beloved Dachshund, Murphy.  Sid takes the reader on a journey through Murphy's mind, explaining why he thinks the way that he does.  What Sid is having trouble understanding is why Murphy loves him so much.

Does Murphy think that Sid is a king?  The ultimate master of everything?  Or perhaps another type of ruler instead of just a normal grade schooler.

I fell in love with this book from the very first page!  Owning a Dachshund myself (along with four other dogs and a cat), Weingarten completely captures the psyche of a dog.  I found myself nodding along with all of the very accurate descriptions of Murphy's thoughts and behaviors.

Additionally, Eric Shansby's illustrations are truly breathtaking.  Children will definitely be able to relate to Sid and will certainly want to give Murphy a hug.  This book will delight children and dog lovers of any age and has become one of my favorite children's books of all time.

In Mole's Harvest Moon by Judi Abbot, six woodland friends are planning a harvest feast.  Mole offers to host the feast at his house in the hill.  Duck, Dog and Mole decide that they will remain at Mole's house to begin the feast preparations. 

Bear, Rabbit and Mouse set out to the Whispering Woods to retrieve the necessary ingredients.  Mole reminds his friends that they can find their way back to his house by following the light of the harvest moon.  Waving goodbye, they set out on their quest.

As the sky begins to grow dark, Mouse notices that they are being followed by three mysterious shadows.  Will the trio be able to make it out of the woods?  And will the harvest moon really show them the way home?

This book is a true delight!  The illustrations are vivid and fun and capture the true essence of my favorite season, fall.  Children ages 3-8 will love this story of friendship, fall and fun!    

The Witch who was Afraid of Witches by Alice Low follows Wendy, a young witch who cannot seem to do anything right.  Her oldest sister, Polly, knows everything.  And Wog, her older sister, knows how to do everything.  But Wendy has no witch power at all.

She also has another secret:  she is afraid of witches!  Wendy does not like to cackle or talk in a scary voice.  And she cannot stand darkness.

Wendy begs her older sisters to teach her their witchy ways, but they refuse.  Polly and Wog do not think that she has what it takes to be a true witch.  She cannot even keep track of her own broom!

Sad and alone on Halloween night, Wendy wonders what will become of her.  Suddenly, there is a knock at the door.  Curiosity gets the best of her and she decides to see who it is, despite her sisters' warnings.

As she opens the door, she sees a boy dressed as a ghost standing on her doorstep.  Wendy soon learns that the boy's name is Roger and he wastes no time in inviting her to go trick-or-treating with him.  Can he help Wendy see that she is a greater witch than she believes?

I greatly enjoyed reading this book.  The illustrations are beautiful and very expressive.  I would have liked to have seen a bit more depth with the plot, but I believe that this story will become the new Halloween classic that children will read again and again. 

Paulette the Pinkest Puppy in the World by Tim Bugbird introduces readers to one very unique pooch.  While all dogs look different, Paulette has one feature that always makes her stand out in a crowd.  She is totally...pink!

Paulette is embarrassed that she does not look like any of her siblings.  To make matters worse, all of the other dogs in town make fun of her for being different. She attempts to cover up her pinkness with a large hat and sunglasses.

Her disguise appears to be working, but, she can barely see where she is going.  One day, Paulette trips over a trike causing a disaster of epic proportions.  Can she recover from her blunder and discover her true beauty?

I simply adored this book!  Paulette is a lovable pooch that will steal the hearts of young and old alike.  Stuart Lynch's illustrations are vibrant and adorable and will definitely capture the reader's attention.  The ending of the story truly touched my heart and made me smile.

Children (and adults) of all ages will enjoy reading this story again and again. 

Theo at the Park by Jaclyn Crupi,follows the adventures of Theo on a quest to get his sense of smell back.  He cannot figure out why he is not able to smell anything.  Theo begins to ponder about the places that his sense of smell could be hiding.

Could he have possibly left it at the park?  Eagerly, Theo races to the park to begin his quest.  He attempts to sniff various things throughout the area, but is still not able to smell a single thing.

Feeling tired from his quest, Theo heads home.  Perhaps his sense of smell is waiting for him there.  Will he ever be able to smell again?

I really enjoyed reading this story.  I fell in love with Theo from the very start (I also own a Chihuahua named Theo)!  Aurelia Verdoux's illustrations are adorable and fun.  What I found to be truly unique is that some of the pages of the book are actually scented and not with the old school scratch and sniff stickers.  I would love to know how they do that!

While I liked the storyline and characters, I did not care for the way that the book abruptly ended.  Nothing was resolved and there is no closure for the reader.  I did discover that there is another book entitled "Theo at the Beach."  My belief is that Crupi was attempting to turn the book into a series focused on Theo's continuing search for his sense of smell.  Sadly, I did not feel that the ending of the book lent itself to a follow-up story.

Overall, I found this book to be a great read for children ages 4-7. 

In Pups #2 The Case of the Loathsome Lunches by R. Jackson-Lawrence, we are reunited with our favorite crime solving werewolves:  Jessica, Kiera, Hannah, William and Oliver.  While at their Monday assembly at school, they are introduced to the new school cook, Oliver James.  Mrs. Taylor informs the students that they will now be receiving free gourmet meals prepared especially for them by the Cockney Cook himself.

The children could not be more excited when their eyes beheld the wondrous sights that were to be their lunch.  Pizzas, burgers, ice cream, cake and other delectable delights covered the table.  Plates were piled high and some students even went back for seconds!

However, the next day at school, Jessica noticed that her classmates were acting very strangely.  They were all raising their hands and correctly answering every question that Mrs. Haversham asked!  Not to mention the fact that everyone remains silent at recess.

Oliver soon discovers that the other students are beginning to look the same.  They are wearing their hair and clothes the same way, walking the same way and talking in unison.  What is going on? 

Could there be something in the new food causing their classmates to act like robots?  And why aren’t Jessica, Kiera, Hannah, William and Oliver being affected?  It is up to these wily werewolves to solve the mystery and save their classmates.

While I greatly enjoyed the first Pups book, I was somewhat disappointed with the second installment.  I did not find the plot as gripping as felt that the established werewolf characters were a bit flat.  Additionally, I found numerous grammatically errors and repetitions phrases.

The silver lining comes in form of an unexpected plot twist that turns into a second mystery which remains unsolved.  My interest is definitely piqued and I am curious to see what the next book in the series has to offer.

I found this book to be very thought provoking as well as wonderfully written. The Te of Piglet explores the characteristics of Piglet on a deeper level. While typically depicted as the trembling, shy member of the Winnie-the-Pooh gang, this book delves deeper into Piglet's psyche and shows the true hero that lies within.

I really enjoyed the zen-like interpretations. I also found the writing style to be witty, yet intelligent. While reading this book, I actually kept a journal and wrote down all of my favorite quotes as well as some of my own thoughts and ideas.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone that is a fan of Piglet, Winnie-the-Pooh or just plain reading in general. You will not be disappointed.

This is one of my all-time favorite children's books. I remember having the soft cover edition. The book was a staple of my childhood. My mom would always read the stories to me and I loved looking at the beautiful pictures.

The great thing about this book is that it stands the test of time. All of the stories are timeless and will be remembered for generations to come.

This was one of my favorite books as a child. Eric Carle tells the story of a cricket who dreams of making the beautiful sound that all of the other crickets make when they rub their wings together. Sadly, no matter how hard the cricket tries, he can't seem to make his dream come true.

The illustrations in this book are simply beautiful. And I really love the surprise at the end. What a wonderful finish to a wonderful book.

I am a born and raised Winnie-the-Pooh girl. Needless to say, I was very excited when this wonderful collection was released. This book houses all of my favorite Winnie-the-Pooh stories that I remember reading as a little girl. And the illustrations are simply beautiful.

I was very happy to see that all of the classic Pooh characters were included in this treasury (even Kanga and Roo). These stories will warm your heart and bring you and your family smiles and memories for years to come.