Book Review - Good Dogs, Great Listeners @friedabherself

Good Dogs, Great Listeners: The Story of Charlotte, Lily and the Litter

By: Renata Bowers with JoAnn and Joel Bacon
Illustrated by: Michael Chesworth
Publisher: Charlotte's Litter, Inc
Publication Date: 2015
ISBN: 978-0986300110
Reviewed by: Ellen Feld
Review Date: December 1, 2015

Charlotte is a young girl with a vivid imagination. Together with her beloved dog Lily, and “The Litter” (a group of six ‘stuffies’), they go on many adventures. Those adventures could be so much more amazing if Charlotte would pick up a book and read it through to the end. Unfortunately, whenever she reads, Charlotte keeps getting distracted and never finishes her books. How will Charlotte ever become a veterinarian if she doesn’t read?

One day Charlotte was going to read a book about an ocean voyage. Yawn...why read about the ocean when you can go in the bathroom and create your very own ocean in the sink? Lily and The Litter follow her and before long, there’s a fish, a seashell, a boat…and the floor, overflowing with water. Oops.

Charlotte’s adventures lead to lots of messes and at one point, poor Lily, her faithful dog, gets hurt while playing. Off to the vet they go. The vet tells Charlotte that Lily will be fine but she needs to be kept quiet for a while. What can Charlotte do to entertain Lily that doesn’t require running around? How aobut reading a book?! Will Charlotte be able to stay still long enough to read/finish a book and discover a love of reading along the way?

This is an absolutely delightful tale of a young girl who is full of energy, enthusiasm, and life - who along the way discovers a LOVE of reading. Inspired by six-year-old Charlotte Helen Bacon, who lost her life in the tragic shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, her parents wanted a story to celebrate Charlotte's life, her love of dogs (and all animals) and help others along the way. Good Dogs, Great Listeners does that and more as proceeds from the sales of this book will be donated to the 'Charlotte's Litter' organization, a group dedicated to using therapy dogs to help others heal. Lest you worry, this is NOT a sad story, but a very, very happy, uplifting tale of a girl, her dog, a bunch of 'stuffies' and silly adventures. It's a story that your child will want to read again and again.

Quill says: A book your child will love – and proceeds support initiatives related to literacy as well as the use of therapy dogs for children – a clear winner!

To learn more about Good Dogs, Great Listeners: The Story of Charlotte, Lily and the Litter, please visit the book's website at: www.gooddogsgreatlisteners.com. You can also learn more about Charlotte's Litter by visiting their website at: http://charlotteslitter.org