Grub’s Pups

Written by: Abi Burlingham

Illustrated by: Sarah Warburton

Published by: Piccadilly Press, London, 2011

Ages:   3 – 6 years

Theme:  Family, anxiety, love, patience

Opening Lines: This is me. I’m Ruby. This is Grub. A very exciting thing is going to happen – Grub’s going to be a dad!

Synopsis: When Tilly the dog next-door does not want to play because she is so tired, Grub doesn’t understand. Tilly is about to have puppies and Grub will become a Dad, but he misses the fun they used to have playing in the yard and feels quite lonely. Then the puppies arrive. You will have to read on to find out what happens next.

Why I like this: I found this to be a very cute story. Simply told and large coloured illustrations make this a fun read. Along with how many puppies Tilly has and the naming of them, it will make a great conversation topic. It gently brings about understanding changes in life, a great intro to when a new member is joining the family it also has subtle touches on patience and responsibility. I loved the last line; pick up a copy, you’ll see what I mean.

I was also surprised to see this is one of a series of Grubb books including – Ruby and Grub and Grub in Love.

Resources/Findings: Here is Abi Burlingham’s website and blog. http://abiburlingham.com/books/ check out her paintings as well.

Here is Sarah’s blog… http://sarahwarburton.blogspot.co.nz/   Catch the solitary Bemusement, a great read of the life of an english illustrator.

Some great reviews on goodreads…    https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13094690-grub-s-pups-abi-burlingham-sarah-warburton

As I mentioned above this book would make a great little intro or additional read for kids expecting a new brother or sister.

I’m always pleased to be able to bring you some more special books that have come my way and be able to share them with you and join other great writers over at Susanna’s Blog, where there are literally hundreds of book reviews to view.  So pop over  and visit the lovely author, Susanna Leonard Hill’s blog and find the tab for Perfect Picture Books.    Her blog is full of resources links and activities associated with books reviewed by many authors.