First-time author Sue Gilligan-Hannon introduces readers to her two adorable goldendoodles, Sammie and Lula, in her new book, Sammie and the New Baby, the first in a planned series of books addressing themes common to young families.
Sammie is a very, very happy dog who just loves and adores his family. He can go on long walks with his dad and take car rides with his mom, where he can stick his head out the window and take in all the great smells as they go. And probably Sammie’s favorite activity is eating. Eating from his dog bowl, eating from the kitchen table, eating from…just eating.
There are so many fun things Sammie does with her family, like playing catch, napping in the sun, and oh yeah, did I mention she loves to eat? Life is good for Sammie: he loves his family and he knows that everyone loves him.
One day, some strange things show up in the house: a baby gate, a new food bowl, a blanket, a ball…wait a minute, this doesn’t look good for Sammie. The adorable golden doodle is shocked to discover a new puppy in the house. How could his family get another dog? And the worst thing is that his whole family seems delighted with Lulu, the new puppy.
Author Gilligan-Hannon has written a charming story about welcoming a new baby into a family. Instead of showing the usual reactions of a young child to a new baby, the author tells her story through the eyes and thoughts of a dog. Children will be easily drawn to the story of Sammie, who suddenly feels like her family has forgotten about him once the new puppy arrives. The illustrator, Morgan Spicer, has done a fantastic job of creating two very cute dogs that help capture the imagination and will likely delight children. The children will fall in love with Sammie and Lulu and come to understand that having a new baby does not mean that their family will forget them, but that a new sibling can bring a lot of fun. And Sammie’s discovery, at the end of the story, of the problem, er… fun that he and Lula can get into will make the kids laugh.
Quill Says: Welcoming a new baby into the family can be a challenging and stressful time, but Sammie and Lulu are ready and eager to help ease the transition with their adorable new story, Sammie and the New Baby.
