Alina Tysoe

First sentence: One day, Sasha the human came home with a strange box. I think it's about time that Truffles got a friend.

Premise/plot: Early chapter book in "graphic novel" format. (In other words, an illustrated chapter book with plenty of speech bubbles showing the dialogue). Truffles is not thrilled that his new "friend" is an enthusiastic puppy named Poppy. Poppy considers herself an amateur detective always on the case. Cases seem to find her most of the time, even if they aren't really proper cases. Truffles may just have enough of Poppy one of these days....

My thoughts: I really LOVED the characters Poppy and Truffles. The book is silly, cute, fun. I loved how the story unfolded throughout the book. Definitely reminded me of old school Garfield and Friends episodes in the best way possible.… (mehr)

Cuteness, mystery, forming friendships, and lots of silliness are sure to delight beginning readers, while strengthening those word skills.

Truffles enjoys life as the only pet in the house, but when a box arrives, things change. Inside is Poppy, a puppy with a nose for mystery and clues. And Poppy might be a bit too energetic for Truffles' taste. Poppy has one goal in life: solve the case. The first case composes of finding a case. The second, actually, might be a somewhat real one...but the games are about to change. Poppy leaves, and Truffles needs to discovers the talent for sleuthing if the grumpy cat ever wants to see the irritating puppy again.

Graphics drive this tale forward. Each one holds cartoon-ish goodness and brings the moments to life with the needed humor, zing, or fitting emotions. These are easy on the eyes (not too small or crowded) and very age appropriate from the style side, too. The text is kept concise and won't scare more reluctant readers away. This appears in the image or adds tidbits on the side as needed to move the story along. The words are for beginning readers but also stretch the vocabulary enough to raise the skills. It's a great balance, since readers who are a bit confused can find enough hints in the images to keep them from feeling lost or left behind.

The mix of mystery and fun is simply adorable, especially with two characters, who are as opposite as can be. Truffles' grumpiness can't easily coexist with Poppy's determined detective skills...a relationship, which guarantees funny moments. Poppy also has a lot to learn on the clue-finding end, and there are more than a couple scenes, which readers will realize mistakes and giggle. But what wins over is the forming friendship and heart, especially when Truffles realizes the impossible has happened and goes way beyond a cat's comfort zone. It's a cute lesson for life.

This is a lovely beginning to what I hope is a new series because this duo seems to be ready for many more adventures to come. I received a DRC and enjoyed these characters quite a bit.… (mehr)