GEORGE THE HERO HOUND, by Jeffrey Ebbeler, Two Lions, March 20, 2018, Hardcover, $17.99 (ages 4-8)
George likes to make sure everything runs smoothly on his farm. He helps Farmer Fritz with most chores and keeps the sneaky cows in their pen. He even gets to take a nice nap in the afternoon.
Things are going pretty good for George until Farmer Fritz up and decides to retire. Not only does Fritz sell the farm, he sells all the animals, including George with it.
Now George has a new family, the Gladstones, to break in, and these city slickers have no idea how to run a farm. George vows to help get them up to speed, if only they’d learn his name!
George the Hero Hound is a cute book told from George’s point of view. The story is simple but sweet, and the illustrations are bright and inviting. Kids will love the Gladstone’s silly shenanigans and George’s can-do personality.
There are a few places where the text isn’t particularly needed — I can tell the tractor crashed through the fence without the word splashed in red letters across the page — and the talking bubbles could have been better incorporated, but otherwise, it’s a fun book to read aloud.
