No Room for a Pup! By Elizabeth Sunby and Laruen Molk – OPTIONAL

No Room for a Pup! By Elizabeth Sunby and Laruen Molk. PICTURE BOOK. Kids Can Press, 2019. $17. 9781525300295

BUYING ADVISORY:  EL (K-3) –OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

Mia wants a puppy but her mom says their apartment is too small. Mia and her grandma hatch a plan. All the neighbors in the building bring their pets over to be babysat. The small apartment is in chaos. By the end, Mia’s mother is worn down and realizes that a puppy isn’t much at all compared to all the pets they watched.

I like that Mia came up with a plan when she wanted something instead of just asking again and again. That being said, from a parent perspective, this story irritates me. If a single mom doesn’t have time, money or energy to help take care a dog, then a better lesson would be that Mia gets to dog sit or volunteers at the animal rescue. Of course picture books aren’t reality but as the one with the purchasing power, I probably wouldn’t pick this one up. The cover looks really dated and unappealing as well.

Reviewer: Stephanie MLS & Author