"Lulu and Her New Best Friend" - a book wrap

Unwrapping

Lulu and Her New Best Friend

 Authored by JoAnn M. Dickinson

Illustrated by Debi Schroth

* Ages:  6-8

* Grade Level:  1-3

* Paperback:  38 pages

* Publisher:  Dog Ear Publishing LLC

* Pub. Date:  February 20, 2019

* Language:  English

Unwrapping some wonderful illustrations for you to enjoy

Unwrapping the Story

Lulu and her mom goes to the park and are playing hide and go seek when Lulu discovers a cold, wet, collarless dog hiding in her favourite bush.  She and her mom hurry off with the dog to try and find its owner.  

Lulu takes all the responsibility of being a pet owner thereafter.  She and a friend bathe the dog, feeds her, and the lucky canine gets to sleep curled up on Lulu's bed that night.  Early the next morning the dog is sporting a collar and leash and off the two go to try and find her real owner. 

Will she be successful?  After asking many merchants in her town if they recognize this dog she finally is directed to an elderly man sitting alone on a park bench.  She discovers that the man's name is Mr. Kurt and he confesses that he is the owner. She finds out that the dog's name is Buttercup. 

" Mr. Kurt said, "I am getting too old to care for Buttercup.  She is too big and all grown up."

He realizes that the two are a good match and he surrenders his dog to Lulu and allows her to take Buttercup home. Lulu is over-the-moon happy with his decision and runs off with skip and a jump to tell her mom the good news. They become inseparable and live a happy life together!  

I must confess that I have very mixed feelings about this book.  It starts out with a loving and close relationship between a mom and her daughter.  Lulu, after discovering the stray dog, seems to  take charge and makes all the upcoming decisions about the fate of the pooch all on her own.  Having a pet means a huge shift in family dynamics and everyone in the family should be part of that decision.  She never goes and asks her mom if it's okay to keep the dog she accepts him.  

I also feel bad for Mr. Kurt.  I wish the author could have included him somehow in the happiness and joy.  Perhaps he could have had some visiting rights to see Buttercup and in so doing connect with this loving family himself.  He is left abandoned in the park sitting all alone and wiping away tears from his eyes while Lulu happily tears off with her new BFF which used to be his dog.  It would have been wonderful if Mom had brought Lulu back to verify if it truly is alright for Buttercup to come and live with them.  

The illustrations are lovely and certainly enrich the text but the rhyming is awkward and doesn't flow properly.  Some ideas are disjointed in places:  Lulu discovers the dog in her favourite bush in the park while playing her game and then on the next page the dog is laying on the grass beside a frog which had nothing to do with anything except dog rhymes with frog.  Maybe it's just me but I feel a much stronger message could have been portrayed making the book more heart-warming and inspiring.  Lulu and her mom could have reached out to a lonely, forgotten elderly man and included him too then it would have been a happily ever after for all involved.  

Storywraps Rating - 3 HUGS!!!

( mostly for the illustrations which were wonderful, they would have certainly gotten a 5+++ HUGS!!! standing alone) 

Meet the author

JoAnn M. Dickinson was born in Wisconsin and moved to Southern California at a very young age. For nearly 15 years she has been a successful Real Estate Broker in Southern California. I Love To Go Camping is inspired by her grandson and his infectious enthusiasm for nature and life. JoAnn is currently working on several other children's books that will be out later this year

About the illustrator

Local artist, Debi Schroth has been honing her skills as a muralist and decorative painter for 35 plus years. She has worked with private and corporate clients throughout California and across the United States.

Transforming a space using illusionistic painting techniques ( trompe l ‘ oeil) has been her greatest challenge and joy. She works closely with her clients to carry out their vision. 

Over the years, Debi has painted many different subjects working mainly in acrylics. Animals have always been a favorite subject; she feels they give a painting life, personality, and a sense of fun.

She studied art at Cal State Long Beach but likes to say she learned the most from “on the job training, never saying no, and never giving up!” She feels most fortunate to have made a career doing what she loves.

While still having a passion for large scale projects, she is excited to explore painting smaller works at her beloved studio in Twin Peaks.

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