Poor Louie

Author  & Illustrator:  Tony Fucile
Walker Books 2017
Complimentary copy provided by Walker Books in exchange for an honest review
                                               
Back of Book:
Louie has the life every Chihuahua dreams of.....walks with Mum and Dad, ice cream on Sundays and snuggles every night. But when Mum's belly grows bigger, things begin to change...

An ever-so-cute chihuahua opens this story with a glum introduction. Sitting in a darkened kitchen he tells the reader that his name is Louie, although mostly he's called 'Poor Louie.' With his sad puppy eyes and a slight droop in those pointy ears, he begins his tale of woe.

Life was great  when it was just him, Mum & Dad- daily walks no matter what the weather, dinner at the table, ice cream treats and snuggles in bed. As a puppy,little Louie was one pampered pooch. 

But then things start to change...Hanging out for tea parties with Mum and friends USED to mean lots of attention for Louie......until those pesky babies started turning up. Pulling his ears, squeezing his tummy...little Louie just couldn't wait to get home. But things get a little odd there too- Mum's been holding her nose at the sight of dog food, there's some strange new household items arriving and there's not much room in bed with Mum's ever growing stomach.
                         
Poor Louie realises that there's going to be two little intruders in his home and decides it's time to escape....Thankfully he doesn't get too far- a neighbour finds him, takes him home and leaves him in the darkened kitchen where he where he awaits his fate.....

With comical and colourful pictures, Poor Louie is a fun read for pet lovers or expectant families. With his cute and expressive face, Louie's character is utterly lovable- he tugs defiantly on his dog lead for walks, laps up ice cream with great gusto and pans out on the family bed with his little tongue hanging out. As the baby characters enter into the story, he becomes even more expressive- looking shocked and stressed mostly!

A big hit with my 3 year old son, 'Poor Louie' arrived in our home at the perfect time. We've rummaged out a number of books in recent weeks, in preparation for the new arrival due this summer and 'Poor Louie' has become a family favourite. It's opened up discussions about growing baby bumps, crawling babies, tired Mommy's, cribs, strollers & all the preparation that goes on in advance of a new baby . We have two small dogs in our home and the book is also a nice reminder of what's appropriate and not appropriate when playing with family pets.

Happy reading,
Missus B x


     

Things To Do With Dad

Author & Illustrator : Sam Zuppardi
Walker Books 2017

Complimentary copy provided by Walker books in exchange for an honest review.

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 A mostly wordless picture book, 'Things to Do with Dad' is a day in the life of a father and son.  Starting their morning making breakfast together, the little boy broadly grins as Dad flips pancakes,setting the scene for a day of fun together.

But as Dad clears away the plates, both appear glum when the dreaded 'Things To Do' list is spotted on the kitchen fridge. With a list of chores including washing dishes, hoovering and hanging out laundry, it looks like Dad won't have much time for fun today! 

As he sets about his tasks,the little boy tries to join in....blowing bubbles while Dad washes the dishes, building a tower of blocks as Dad assembles a book shelf.....But soon he realizes that he's going to need a little more creativity to help turn this day around!