Official Review: Popo and His New Home

Heidi M Simone · Post by **Heidi M Simone** » 15 Mar 2019, 11:14

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Popo and His New Home" by Bella Sou&Ava Sel.]

3 out of 4 stars

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Following the themes of animal love and adoption, readers follow a small family as they adopt a cute and fluffy dog named Popo. Authors Bella Sou and Ava Sel have co-written the children’s book, Popo and His New Home, as the first in a five-part series following Popo and his adventures.

Six-year-old Rudy has always wanted a dog, so for her upcoming birthday she asks her parents one. To her delight, a furry friend is added to their family.

My favorite aspect of the story was the exposure to theme of adoption and the joy that dogs can bring to a family. There was even a page where the concept of looking online for adoption was touched upon, which I found very realistic because that is how I found my dog.

Illustrator Darzi Razie does a nice job in creating pictures to accurately portray the story’s plot. The only exception would be on Kindle location 13, where it states that Popo can make people laugh, while the illustration features a group of dogs laughing. That specific page is adorable, so children may not mind the mistake. It was an exceptional choice to include a diverse group of people who attended Ruby’s birthday. As someone who is nearsighted, I even appreciated seeing the amount of people wearing glasses at Rudy's party.

Though the characters weren’t developed too well, the idea of a child wanting a dog for his/her birthday is a relatable concept, I'm sure, to many children. Unfortunately, the writing was somewhat stiff and lacking in vocabulary. For example, the specific breed of Popo wasn’t mentioned and there weren't very many higher-level words included. In addition, there were a handful of mistakes, which in a short children’s book could be problematic for children to see as they learn by example.

Popo and His New Home is a quick, sweet book that I’m sure many children would enjoy reading. The illustrations were fun and the themes were great to explore, but due to the stiff writing and the errors, I give this children’s book a 3 out of 4 stars. It would be best suited for toddler to preschool-aged children to read with an adult.

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Popo and His New Home
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nooregano · Post by **nooregano** » 19 Mar 2019, 19:58

With some more detailing, it seems like the book would've been perfect! Thanks for this insightful review, and have a great day!

0017meow · Post by **0017meow** » 20 Mar 2019, 04:34

This book really suitable for children because of the happy and light theme brought up in it. The moral values also easy to absorb from the view point of kids . Yes, there are many grammar mistakes but children really can't see and understand grammar I dare say... But it will be perfect with a good grammar because their parents usually buy things for them and some parents really strict.

Post by **kandscreeley** » 20 Mar 2019, 07:33

I think that children's books should always challenge a child's vocabulary somewhat. So it's too bad this doesn't do that. Still, I love the idea of discussing adoption of pets with kids. I know they would love it, too! Thanks so much for this one!

Crazyreader01 · Post by **Crazyreader01** » 20 Mar 2019, 14:25

I think the storyline is great as it will encourage children to want to adopt animals from shelters or rescue centres instead of just buying one. Also, illustrations in children's' books are just the best. Thanks for the review!

Adedayo+23 · Post by **Adedayo+23** » 29 Mar 2019, 15:01

The review made me smile. Sounds like a lovely book, stiff vocabulary and errors aside. Hopefully, the author will appreciate constructive criticism and make adjustments accordingly. Thanks for an insightful review.

Janelle Juncos · Post by **Janelle Juncos** » 13 Apr 2019, 07:59

I adopted my pupper after seeing him online! Stiff writing is hard to get over, even in a children's book. As the parent of a toddler, I know that if I don't enjoy reading the book I'm going to steer her toward something else. Thanks for the review.

Stephanie Elizabeth · Post by **Stephanie Elizabeth** » 16 Apr 2019, 15:20

What a great idea for a book! I also adopted a rescue puppy from an online adoption agency. It is wonderful that adoption is touched upon, as there are so many animals that need homes.
Great review!

Post by **Kibet Hillary** » 06 May 2019, 04:59

I love the fact that book was fun to read and that it has many great themes in it also. I would love to read this book too soon. Thanks for the great review.