Lisa Barbernell-Pliner

Babydoll is a maltese puppy that is scared to be around people she does not know. When Lisa comes to visit her, she speaks calmly and Babydoll allows her to play with her. Lisa and her husband Donald adopt her making her the happiest puppy ever. She is a "designer dog" that goes everywhere with her well known parents who are famous shoe designers. Her owners take care of her exceptionally well, to the point of what most people would think was spoiling. They took her everywhere with them, fed her human food at the table, and let her help with their jobs. Donald actually began a line of doggie fashions called ‘Friends of BabyDoll Pliner’. This is a cute story that teaches about caring for another living being and being loving and compassionate. At the end of this story, the Pliners find out that they are going to be adopting and that Babydoll is going to get a baby sister. The story will continue in the next book. The illustrations are very well done. The humans have real emotions and Babydoll is as cute as you could imagine.

The book is based on real events, and Babydoll and her owners are real, though Babydoll has passed away. The Pliners have started a foundation called "Peace for the Children" and I can see where this story actually fits into their beliefs. This is a short book, but the illustrations and text will spark discussions about dogs in general and Babydoll specifically. I can see it becoming a favourite with young children. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.… (more)

Since today was National Puppy Day my daughter insisted we read something that was dog centered so I was very happy to find this. We read it together and I really loved it. We adopted 2 dogs not that long ago so it made her feel even more connected and happy about the adoption as she could now imagine it from the dog's point of view. Our dogs also are very spoiled but they don't eat at the table; though if my daughter now has their way I'll have to set 2 extra plates! I felt the author did a wonderful job personifying the experience from an animal's point of view, making adoption seem so incredibly important and creating an overall beautifully heartwarming story. I can't wait for more by her so my daughter and I can enjoy further stories together.… (more)