Official Review: Puppy Tales ll by James Vought

[AvidBibliophile]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Puppy Tales ll" by James Vought.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Missy Jo-Ellen and Jimmy are a married couple that own 3 dogs: Bridget and Phillip, a pair of dachshunds, and Casey, an Australian shepherd. These canines spend copious amounts of time discussing their feelings, but they also chase squirrels and make silly jokes. As a dachshund, Bridget’s stumpy legs cause her to feel excessively short, so she is particularly sensitive to jokes about her height. Peter the squirrel knows this and proceeds to tease with wild abandon.

Puppy Tales II: Emotions is a children’s book by James Vought. Over 62 pages, young readers will learn how to identify and regulate some of the emotions that they have likely experienced. Managing feelings and actions with the STAR (Stop-Think-Act-Review) Plan is a technique that encourages brief reflection, rather than impulsive actions made without thinking. This book contains 5 short stories that discuss anger, fear, frustration, happiness, and sadness. One of the stories features the apprehension that’s often triggered by a blaring smoke alarm, while another story hints at the jealousy felt over a new puppy/sibling joining the family.

I enjoyed how the content discourages whining and emotional ‘meltdowns’ and highlights the distinct differences between teasing and bullying. Trust is essential and forced relaxation is often necessary. Breathing techniques and coping strategies can help with dispelling distractions and finding a sense of calm. Assertiveness requires patience, and teamwork can prove quite beneficial. Vought has thoughtfully assembled all of these teaching points into adorably pet-centric scenarios.

The colorful illustrations by Regina Gelfer are darling, and a glossary follows the end of each section, defining previously utilized terms like “obedience training” and “veterinarian.” Boxed ‘Question’ queries appear throughout the stories, urging readers to interactively contemplate some True/False and open-ended questions that are applicable to whatever topic was just discussed. The book concludes with a section on “Feeling Happier by Using the Opposite Action and Positive Thinking,” so if kids are feeling sad and lonely, they should make an attempt to be active and social instead.

Children will likely giggle when envisioning Bridget crunching carrots, Phillip sinking in the mud, and Casey weaving his way through agility courses; they’ll be drooling over freshly baked cookies right alongside the dogs! I feel this book would be appropriate for elementary school-aged children; the reading level has been appropriately tailored to fit their degree of comprehension. I did encounter a few minor grammatical errors and typographical inconsistencies, but beyond this attribute, there was nothing I disliked.

I award this book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. It teaches children to remain aware of their feelings, accept and process their emotions, and embrace themselves for who they uniquely are.

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Puppy Tales ll
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Patrick Maina1]

Handling emotions in an appropriate manner is a worthy lesson.The STAR technique would indeed help.Insightful review

[AvidBibliophile]

Handling emotions in an appropriate manner is a worthy lesson.The STAR technique would indeed help.Insightful review

Most definitely agree! Emotional regulation is an important step in development and maturation. I’m glad this one was able to present such a valuable technique in a fun and furry way. Thanks for your comment!

[Ellylion]

Sounds like an amazing read for kid that is so helpful as well! The cover is so lovely, I believe, the illustration are no less beautiful Thank you for a great review!

[RetiredOBNurse]

Puppy Tales II is a perfect title for a children’s book! And the STAR concept sounds amazing as well. I certainly hope parents/grandparents will sit down and read this book with their children and use it as a teaching moment to better enable them to cope with life’s ups and downs. It is hard enough in this world and this book sounds like it has lots of ideas to make it a little easier for all of us. Thanks for the wonderful review!

[AvidBibliophile]

Sounds like an amazing read for kid that is so helpful as well! The cover is so lovely, I believe, the illustration are no less beautiful Thank you for a great review!

The illustrations were truly adorable! I think young children could gain a great many lessons from this one. Thank you for the sweet words!

[AvidBibliophile]

Puppy Tales II is a perfect title for a children’s book! And the STAR concept sounds amazing as well. I certainly hope parents/grandparents will sit down and read this book with their children and use it as a teaching moment to better enable them to cope with life’s ups and downs. It is hard enough in this world and this book sounds like it has lots of ideas to make it a little easier for all of us. Thanks for the wonderful review!

It’s nice that the author was able to apply so many emotionally unique human situations to experiences that dogs have too. Fear, joy, jealousy, humor... they’ve all been woven in!

[Elvis Best]

I do enjoy reading children's books. Thanks for your lovely review. Good job!

[AvidBibliophile]

I do enjoy reading children's books. Thanks for your lovely review. Good job!

Thanks, Elvis! I honestly enjoy reading them too. The illustrations brighten my day, and sometimes it’s just nice to get lost in a happy little world of whimsy for a bit. Wishing you well!

[Honest-reviewer]

Looks like it’s a great book for kids. I might enjoy reading this as well. Thanks for your wonderful review.

[AvidBibliophile]

Looks like it’s a great book for kids. I might enjoy reading this as well. Thanks for your wonderful review.

Even as an adult myself, I enjoyed following the lives of these pups to see what they might get into next. Their emotions felt applicable and genuine! Thank you for the kind words.

[Kanda_theGreat]

A book that teaches children about emotional intelligence is relevant in our contemporary world.
Thanks for your thorough analysis.

[Poonam dhir]

This book must to read everyone. It teaches us how we can face our weekness nd make them as our strengths. It's great book for kids they can learn so much from this book. Me nd my kids loved this book.