Review: Who Wants To Be a Poodle I Don't

Summary: Trixie Twinkle Toes lives in the lap of luxury, with every creature comfort a manicured paw away. Adored by the glamorous Mademoiselle Bruleé, the little poodle has a maid to plump her pillows and a cook to prepare her nibbles. But Trixie isn’t happy. She doesn’t like the puffing and poofing and preening. She doesn’t like being dressed in little pink ponchos. She wants to be dazzlingly dangerous and daring. She wants to step in puddles! With a witty text that scampers across the pages and hilarious mixed-media illustrations, Lauren Child offers a one-of a-kind treat -- sure to entice both spirited little readers and deeply devoted dog-lovers alike.

Lauren Child takes the lead with this wry and wooly tale of a pampered poodle who just wants to paddle in puddles -- like REAL dogs do. -- Candlewick

When I first saw WHO WANTS TO BE A POODLE I DON'T by Lauren Child, I thought the cover was absolutely gorgeous. Of course, I am a sucker for the color pink and cute little dogs; but the cover was textured for the dog's curls and the collar even had a fake rhinestone embedded in it! It was just too adorable -- and "very girly" according to Booking Son!

Despite my son's initial impressions of WHO WANTS TO BE A POODLE I DON'T, he actually ended up really liking the book. I did too! We both came to the same conclusion about this story, but I'm not entirely sure it was for the same reasons. We both liked the story, but I think he liked the dog and I liked the presentation. I think it's safe to say that WHO WANTS TO BE A POODLE I DON'T is a picture book that can appeal to kids of all ages!

The story is just precious. A very-pampered poodle decides that she doesn't want to be a poodle -- she just wants to be a normal dog and play in puddles. Booking Son truly appreciated that a dog wouldn't want to be dressed up in raincoats and forced to stay inside unless the weather was nice. He loved that the dog eventually was able to play in puddles and just enjoy being a dog!

As I read this book to my son, I thought the pictures were terrific. I liked this illustrations of the dog, Trixie Twinkle Toes Trot-a-Lot Delight, and her owner Verity Brulee; however, I absolutely loved how the entire story was presented. Each page looked as if the characters and objects were cut-out of patterned paper; and the text was all different sizes and wrapped around the pictures. The entire time I read this book, I kept thinking that the characters looked familiar and they reminded me of something. It wasn't until a few days later that I realized Lauren Child is the creator of the Charlie and Lola books -- it all made sense!

I definitely recommend WHO WANTS TO BE A POODLE I DON'T to preschoolers, elementary age kids, parents, and teachers. It's a beautiful book that also has an entertaining story, and it's perfect for reading aloud. In fact, I was excited to find that there are activities geared towards this book including a connect-the-dots, a matching game, and a word find. It really is a perfect book for teachers to feature in their classrooms.

Thanks to the publisher and The Picnic Basket for sending me a copy of this book.