From the day my first child was born we read together every night. When our second child arrived, he was instantly included in our reading ritual. Our nightly routine began after bath-time, with me nestled between two sweet cuddly boys reading as many books as they wanted until all three of us were asleep. We read hundreds of books each year and many of those were on repeat for weeks at a time. I miss those days, and I miss having the opportunity to check out the latest in children’s literature. That’s why I was thrilled to read an advance copy of The Very, Very Long Dog by Julia Patton.
Bartelby is a very, very long sausage dog who lives in a bookstore and (just like me) loves to read. He has a group of loving friends who like to take him for his daily walks around town. Bartleby never knows what his back end is doing until he finds himself in trouble. His friends are always there to fix the problem, until one day they can’t. It is then that Bartleby realizes he is the problem. He becomes very depressed and refuses to leave the store. His friends love him so much they create a noisy solution to his problem, so Bartleby always knows where he starts, and ends.
I loved this warm story about a group of friends who accept each other no matter what. The illustrations are simple and sweet, utilizing pastel colors which are as warm as the story. It’s such a lovely story that would be well-suited for babies through age 6. The Very, Very Long Dog is available beginning December 5, and I will be purchasing a copy to give as a gift to a special little girl in my life. I hope she enjoys the ‘tail’ of Bartleby and his loving friends as much as I did!
The Grey Goddess 
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