Read all about it! Edge-of-the-seat drama, a scintillating secret, a heartwarming resolution--it's all here in Laura James and Charlie Alder's The Daily Bark: The Puppy Problem, the first offering in a new chapter book series that, if its inaugural title is any indication, will feature all the canine cuteness that's fit to print.
As The Daily Bark begins, city dachshund Gizmo is forced to move to the village of Puddle after his human, Granny, decides that country living will be more conducive to her memoir writing. Once Gizmo has made the move, he befriends Jilly, his Irish wolfhound neighbor, who has four "Awww..."-inspiring pups. The next day, Jilly has a grim report for Gizmo: "My owners are planning to sell the puppies by the end of the week. They're going to be sent far away from Puddle and I'm never going to get to see them again." Jilly has an idea: she and Gizmo can trawl the village and ask the other dogs if they know of local homes for the pups. Gizmo racks up some new dog friends as he and Jilly make the rounds, but they get nowhere with their mission. Now Gizmo has an idea: using Granny's typewriter, he creates a newspaper bulletin (the headline: "Keep Jilly's Puppies in Puddle!") urging its readers to "encourage humans with dog-friendly homes to come to Pine Tree Close tomorrow. Find the puppies a home!" The success of his plan affirms for Gizmo his talent as a writer, and The Daily Bark, with its all-Puddle-dog staff, is born.
James (the Adventures of Pug series) delivers a giddy entertainment harboring a couple of serious concerns: in addition to Jilly's anxiety about being separated from her pups, there's her shame about her inability to read, about which she comes clean toward book's end. As a pup protagonist, Gizmo is a winner, his appeal only enhanced by his athletic limitations ("I'm not very good at sports," he admits. "I mostly like napping"), which he demonstrates with a series of pratfalls. Alder (illustrator of the Doggo and Pupper series) runs with The Daily Bark's slapstick and beguiling aspects, using firm lines filled with solid colors to show Gizmo's klutziness and adorableness to full advantage. Also on parade is Alder's fine detail work--note newly minted newspaperdog Gizmo's green eyeshade visor and the titles of the books in Granny's office, which include "To the Doghouse by Virginia Woof" and "Mansfield Bark by Jane Pawsten." --Nell Beram, freelance writer and YA author
Shelf Talker: This darlingly amusing first title in a chapter book series finds a city dog and his human moving to the country, where the pooch makes new friends--and finds his professional calling.