​Prepare to meet the most adorable dragon ever in Too Hot to Hug! by Steve Smallman.  A little boy named Ryan is searching for firewood to keep is family warm during the winter.  He soon finds a cave a discovers a big, golden egg.

When Ryan reaches for the egg, he is delighted to find that the egg is warm.  He happily takes the egg home and presents it to his parents.  Suddenly, the egg cracks open and out pops a baby fire dragon!

Ryan's dad is less than pleased and announces that the dragon must leave.  The dragon begins to cry and Ryan comforts him with a hug.  Little did they know that the baby dragon would provide warmth.

Ryan's parents agree to let the dragon, now named Crumpet, stay at their house.  Crumpet proves to be a most helpful member of the family.  He dries laundry, warms beds and even makes toast.

Crumpet and Ryan are inseparable.  But as Crumpet grows, he also gets hotter.  What happens when Crumpet becomes too hot to hug?

This book is truly one of my new favorites.  I found myself laughing and crying through every step of Crumpet's journey.  Smallman is an outstanding author, telling the story with true heart and soul.  I was instantly hooked by page three.

Cee Biscoe's illustrations are truly magical.  I absolutely love Crumpet from baby to adult!  I wish that I could reach into the book and give Crumpet a hug.  Biscoe creates characters that are both charming and memorable.

I especially love how this story encompasses the trials and tribulations that all pet owners go through.  I am reminded of my own experiences with my furry babies from everything from potty issues to night howling.  No matter what happens, love wins out in the end and I am able to forgive my furry one's transgressions.

This story is a must have for readers of all ages.  Children will especially delight in the adorable illustrations.

​Prepare to be taken on an amazing journey of friendship in Sniffer & Tinni: A True Tale of Amazing Animal Friendship by Berit Helberg.  Torgeir Berge and his German shepard, Tinni, loved to go for walks by the forest.  During one such walk, something emerged from the bushes.

A startled Tinni soon discovered that it was a baby fox!  The fearless fox thought that Tinni would make the perfect playmate...and quickly pounced on her.  After having his fun, Tinni and Torgeir headed for home.

A few days later, Tinni and Torgeir went back to the spot where they had met the baby fox.  Sure enough, the fox popped out of the forest ready to play with his new friends.  Torgeir was concerned about the fox and knew that the babe should not be without his mother.  Torgeir decided to leave food for the fox to make sure that he would not starve.

Tinni and Torgeir began to visit the fox every day.  Torgeir even gave the fox a name:  Sniffer.  Sniffer and Tinni's friendship continued to grow, but would their obvious differences come between this dynamic duo?

This is officially my new favorite children's picture book!  The photographs by Torgeir Berge are absolutely stunning!  The reader can actually see the friendship between Tinni and Sniffer unfolding.  I am always drawn to true stories, which makes this book even more fantastic for me.

I was greatly reminded of the Walt Disney classic  The Fox and the Hound.  The relationship between Tinni and Sniffer is truly reminiscent of the bond between Copper and Todd.  I am very glad that Torgeir encouraged this unique friendship and was able to capture it on film.

I would highly recommend this book to readers, animal lovers and photographers of all ages.  Readers will easily become swept away by the amazing adventures of Tinni and Sniffer.  This story is sure to become a new children's classic.

In Bob the Dog by Rodrigo Folgueira, a little boy named Mark takes his dog Bob out for a romp in the park. They are having such a wonderful time! The pair are laughing and running without a care...until a tiny canary flies into Bob's mouth.

Bob is beside himself with guilt. He cannot believe that he has just eaten a bird! Mark soon discovers that the canary (named Jeremy) is alive and well...and hiding from something.

Mark enlists the help of his woodland friends Roger the Rabbit, Cathy the Cat and Oscar the Owl. Surly, they can come up with a way to get Jeremy out of Bob's stomach. But what if they can't? Will Jeremy be forced to live in Bob's tummy forever?

I absolutely love Poly Bernatene's illustrations! They are both whimsical and adorable. I especially love all of Bob's facial expressions. I also love how Bernatene uses mixed media throughout the book, such as hiding pages from other books within the illustrations. Adding a pawtographed photo of Lassie to Bob's dog house was a very cute (and hilarious) touch.

While I greatly enjoyed the ending, I felt that the resolution to the story came a bit too quickly. I feel that the story could have been flushed out for a least four more pages. Overall, this is a fun read for the emergent reader.