Barking Planet Children's Books

Dogs, Kids and Non-Violence

Non-violent solutions by the Dogs...

Danger from invaders...warrior tribes...power seeking rulers...these are the conditions that people have endured on planet earth for thousands of years.

Peace loving people find themselves facing overwhelming odds and must find ways to repel these dark forces, or face conquest, pain and loss.

In the Planet of the Dogs series, there are parallels to life today...the Stone City Warriors are invading Green Valley...the Black Hawk tribes are provoking war in the land of the Forest People...and the King of the North wants to punish children everywhere by stopping Christmas.

Our books are fantasy-adventure stories, however they are grounded in reality.

The dogs, aware of the problems and the dangers, seek non-violent solutions because of their nature, their love of people, their courage and their cleverness. We hope that the dogs in our books, by finding solutions to the the threats of the cruel warrior tribes, can provide a non-pedantic lesson in non-violence for children.

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Therapy Reading Dogs...the human-canine connection

We support therapy reading dogs in RI, NY, FLA,NJ, PA, ME, and WI. We are currently looking for therapy reading dogs in MA who believe it might add a dimension to the children's experience to have kids read dog books to dogs...like the Planet of the Dogs series.

Write to us at barkingplanet@aol.com for more informaton and  complimentary books.

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As others see us...the Friendly Book Nook...

Reviews and reader comments give us insights and peceptions of our books, adding to our awareness and helping to inspire us as the journey continues. 

The Friendly Book Nook is hosted by Sally Riley, a teacher for 17 years, a mother of three, a dog lover, and with a passion for reading, good books, and motivating children. This site is an excellent source for finding books to delight and motivate kids.

Here is part of her review of Planet Of The Dogs:

" A book which very much praises dogs -- their ability to love unconditionally, protect us, and enjoy being around us. It highlights dogs innate intelligence. The book is intense at times, but the dogs are definitely the heroes. Boys and girls alike would like this book because it is about a family...It would make a great read aloud for family and/or classroom."

As a teacher of second grade and an avid reader of children's books, we are most pleased to have Sally's approval and her comment,"a great read aloud for family and/or classroom."

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To read sample chapters of the Planet of the Dogs series, please visit our website, www.planetofthedogs.net

We are currently in the USA visiting friends, family, and independent bookstores in New York City and Long Island.

Next stop, is home in Marblehead and visits to NEIBA member stores in the greater Boston area.

Barking Planet Productions is a member of IBPA (Independent Book Publishers of America) and IPNE (Independent Publishers of New England).

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Our Reader's Age Is Unpredictable...

Sally Riley, in her review, echoed others who  have found Planet Of The Dogs to be a great read aloud. 

We first became aware of this several years ago when Melinda Gates, mother of Zach (who was four at that time), wrote the following:

"Well something happened this morning that has never happened before. As soon as Zach woke up, he said he wanted to read more of the Planet Of The Dogs. We've read a few chapters every night this week, but this morning we laid in bed and finished the book --about 40 pages! He LOVED the book and was so exceited as the big battle scene approached that he was jumping up and down on the bed...We've never read such a long book, and certainly not one with so many words and so few pictures. It completely captivated him." 

As this is being written, Zach is nearly 7 and lives in San Antonio. His mom  reports that they have "read all the books in the series and love them". In the photo, Zach is 4 years old. His friend, Tessa, a Great Dane, was his grandpa's dog. Tessa has since departed for the other side, but Zach's grandparents now have two Dachshunds "who love Zach as much as he loves them."  

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"Cats motto: no matter what you've done wrong, always try to make it look like the cat did it." Author unknown

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Children, Dogs and Danger

The challenge of the real world...

A major concern in writing our books is how to achieve a balance in writing stories that basically reflect life in the real word.

A fundemental premise of the Planet of the Dogs series is that life on this planet can be uncertain and dangerous as it always has been, even long, long ago, when our stories take place.

This leads to challenges...How to present a balanced picture of a world that can be dangerous, a world where invaders threaten, and where loved ones can be taken away --  without going too far and leaving the reader frightened.

The problem that good people face, in one form or another, throughout the series, is established in Chapter One of Planet Of The Dogs...

"the abundance and happiness found on Planet Earth were threatened by people like the warrior tribes of Stone City...Their numbers began to grow and soon they were taking the homes, land, and farms where peaceful people lived."

In our books, there is always -- ultimately -- a solution to this dilemma, a solution initiated by dogs. This is where the fantasy comes together with the reality of the real world.

This series of books began with a conversation -- while holding a dog -- about how this world would be a better place if more people could be more "like dogs"...that the fundemental qualities that dogs possess can help us in many ways to overcome our probems...to find peace, freedom from fear and even happiness.

Our hope is to present a world of long, long ago that children will recognize, that has problems and dangers that they can relate to, and that will engage children's imagination without leaving them with fear and bad dreams. We want them to have a wonderful experience that will both entertain and teach.

To read sample chapters from the Planet of the Dogs Series, you can visit our website: http://www.planetofthedogs.net

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Stella and I will be visiting independent bookstores in MA and CT during the summer...and now we are also visiting independent stores in NYC

If you are a NEIBA member, or work with children's books in NYC, and would like us to visit your store, please email us at barkingplanet@aol.com... will bring complimentary reader copies to your store...

Barking Planet Productions is a member of IBPA and IPNE.

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Last March, for the first time on the Internet, the online community of childrens book bloggers -- librarians, teachers, authors, illustrators, and literary advocates -- launched a grassroots effort to promote reading...Share a Story-Shape a Future.

Initiated by Terry Doherty of the Reading Tub, this was a week-long event where people who believe in the power of reading blogged and shared their ideas. Their goal was "to offer tons of practical advice about reading that is free of statistics and educational jargon."

Terry said," We don't want to point fingers and tell people they have to read. Our purpose is to offer ideas on ways reading can be a part of their everyday experience."

To learn more about this terrific blog, to be part of the journey in 2010, and for a wealth of ideas on reading, visit  

http://shareastory-shapeafuture.blogspot.com

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To read a review of Planet Of The Dogs by the Reading Tub, visit http://thereadingtub.com/displaybook.asp?id=1033

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We have extended our complimentary book offer through June to librarians offering Therapy Reading Dog programs to their communities...have the kids read a book from the Planet of the Dogs to the dog...Email us at barkingplanet@aol.com...

We support therapy dog reading programs in RI, NY, FLA, NJ, WI, PA, NY and NH.

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"Heaven goes by favor; if it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in" -- Mark Twain

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Visiting the Planet of the Dogs

We Wish...

We wish we could talk with a child who has actually visited the Planet of the Dogs.

We know that adults have never been there...the dogs knew that only kids could understand them.

However, we also know that there probably haven't been any children visiting there since long, long ago when dogs were just beginning to come to planet earth to help people. 

Children reading the Planet of the Dogs series often ask questions...

They want to know more about what it was like in Muttville, Biscuit Town and Shaggy Corners.

They ask about the dogfood trees and the songs that the Dogtown Chorus sang.

And they ask about how the Puppy Schools changed as more and more dogs came down to Planet Earth.

That's why the new book is coming out next year -- the Planet Of The Dogs Travel Guide

Of course, this is only a copy of the original version...the original Planet of the Dogs Travel Guide was written by the dogs and children who visited long, long ago.

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To read sample chapters from the Planet of the Dogs series, please visit www.planetofthedogs.net

 

 

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The Reading Tub is a force field for children's literacy, founded on the premises that, "Reading with a child is invaluable, and learning to read begins - and is reinforced - at home...reading is the single most important skill an individual can possess." 

The Reading Tub "reviews books that famililes will want to share together."

They also help to make things happen..."We facilitate the process of getting books to at-risk readers. Authors/publishers donate new books to us and we then place them with nonprofits working directly with readers-in-need. These are kids who have no books at home (the #1 roadblock to becoming a successful reader) or who are failing reading benchmarks." 

We are, naturally, believers in all that the Reading Tub stands for and does. Reading opens doors to the mind, doors to life, doors to the future.

There is much more to tell about the Reading Tub ( http://www.thereadingtub.com), and we will continue their story in our next blog, including their role in Share a Story--Shape a Future, A Blog Event for Literacy.

Meanwhile, we want to introduce you, in the photo, to the Founder and Executive Director of the Reading Tub, Terry Doherty, and her daughter, Catherine. 

Catherine, like her Mom, enjoys books and reading...and she loves animals.

 

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Planet of the Dogs was reviewed on the Reading Tub and I was interviewed- here is the link http://thereadingtub.com/displayAuthor.asp?id=72

 

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We are making a summer book tour of several independent New England book stores this summer. If you are a NEIBA member, and would like us to visit your store -- with complimentary books -- please email us at barkingplanet at aol.com 

Barking Planet Productions home base is in Marblehead, MA.

We are members of the Independent Publishers of New England (IPNE) and the Independent Book Publishers of America (IBPA).

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Tails of Bella the Therapy Dog...

Among her many talents, Bella visits hospitals and nursing homes on a regular basis; and, once a year, she participates in a school reading program...In April, 2009, she visited the Fitzwater Elementary School in Willowgrove, PA, as a therapy reading dog.

Bella's owner, Jodi, says, "It is extremely rewarding to watch a child's eyes light up as he/she reads a book and shares their enthusiasm with a furry friend...Bella liked one of the books so much she started to lick the book...haha!"

You can visit Bella at http://bellathetherapydog.com

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"The average dog is a nicer person than the average person."

Andy Rooney

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The Human Canine Connection

At the heart of the Planet Of The Dogs series...

The human canine connection lies at the heart of all our books. This connection is a fundemental to the lives of dog lovers everywhere.

In our books, when dogs first come to earth to help people, it is the children and the healers who are the first humans to experience this connection.

Since no one had ever seen dogs before, and most adults reacted with caution and fear,the dogs had to prove themselves. Once this was done, many people were able to open their hearts and minds, and they experienced the human canine connection .

I first learned about the human canine connection when, as a young boy, I read Real Stories of Real Dogs by Albert Payson Terhune. It was also during this time period that I had a dog of my own, Spot, a smooth-haired fox terrier ( the photo above is of our family dog, Dafi, our current human canine connection).

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Good Morning America, the popular television show, recently featured a delightful segment by Ben Stein on the human canine connection as a way to get through the recession. If you haven't seen it, I urge you to do so...http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4920260n

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The human canine connection often plays an important role in the reviews received by the Planet of the Dogs series. This was especially true when our books were reviewed by Don Blankenship, on the excellent web site Books for Kids:            http://www.booksforkids-reviews.com

Don and his partner-reviewer, Pam T. -- wife-mom-student of the universe --  have an extremely thoughtful, informed and relevant site, with well written reviews. Their reviews are helpful to parents, educators and librarians alike.

Don has acknowledge the importance of the human canine connection in his own life, He and his "wife of45 years have lived in the woods in the Ozark Mountains for 24 years...We are both dog lovers...and very involved with the local library, local humane society, and our church...our current home library contains well over 2,300 volumes."

He has been a health care consultant and college instructer since retirement from the USAF; in recent years, in addition to reviewing Books For Kids,  he has focused on teaching, specializing in younger children and the severly handicapped.

Don and his wife live close to nature -- hiking, canoeing and gardening -- and as he says, "roaming the hills with my dog." 

Don's life personifies the human canine connection and his reviews of the Planet of the Dogs series have been very reaffirming to both Stella and me. In one of them he wrote, "I have been lucky enough to have had companion animals (dogs) since I was born; I have raised dogs, trained dogs, hunted with dogs, lived with dogs, worked with dogs and shared my life with dogs for well over sixty years now...trust me, this author knows dogs."

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 To read sample chapters and for more information on our books and the human canine connection, please visit: http://planetofthedogs.net

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Things began to change rapidly in the time period after the dogs saved Christmas. More and more people began to hear about dogs. 

They also heard about the Day Of The Dogs...they learned about the Black Hawk Warriors leaving the land of the Forest people and the Castle in the Mist. 

And they experienced the human canine connection...

As knowledge of the dogs helping people increased, the need grew for more dogs on planet earth. This meant that more and more children had to visit the Planet of the Dogs...

And so it was that the Council of the Dogs decided that since there were so many visitors coming, a Travelers Guide was needed.

This resulted in our next book -- the Planet of the Dogs Travel Guide...the ultimate guide for the human canine connection...

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This summer...We are making a book tour to visit the Children's section of several independent book stores in New England (NEIBA)...Email us at barkingplanet@aol.com if you would like us to visit...we will be bringing with us complimentary reader copies of the Planet of the Dogs series...

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Therapy Reading Dogs...the human canine connection

We support therapy reading dogs in RI, NY,FLA, NJ, WI, NJ, PA, and ME..Until the end of May, we will send complimentary books to libraries with Therapy Reading Dog programs...email us at barkingplanet@aol.com

Barking Planet Productions are members of IBPA and IPNE.

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"Man is a dog's idea of what God should be." Holbrook Jackson

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Castles, Kids and Dogs

Castles Inspire the Imagination...

For many centuries, castles and fortress cities played a pivotal role in the domination of one tribe or group of people over another. They have determined the outcome of warrior attempts at conquest in new territory. They have offered a safe haven to ordinary people as well as rulers and their soldiers.

Castles inspire the imagination and they play an important role in all the books of the Planet of the Dogs series. They are an integral part of the stories and they help young readers to gain understanding of the past.

Who lived in them? What was it like to live in a castle? Were people happy there? What about the ordinary people who lived outside the castle, but within the surrounding walls? And what of those who lived  outside, far beyond the protection of the castle and its walls? What was it like..?

In Planet Of The Dogs, the home base of the Stone City Warriors is surrounded by high thick walls and dominated by a castle. For three generations, the warriors of Stone City have had an impenetrable sanctuary, leaving only on journeys of conquest. It is one of these -- their plan to take possession of the village of Lake Falls and all the farms and homes of the people of Green Valley -- that brings the first dogs to planet earth.

Away from their castle, despite their many years of succesful conquest, the Stone City Warriors are vulnerable... and they have never seen dogs.

In Castle In The Mist, the castle occupied by the Black Hawk tribe plays an active role and actually becomes a protaganist throughout the story. The children of Bik, leader of the Stone City Warriors, are captured and taken to the land of the Forest People where they are held prisoners in the Castle In The Mist.The dogs must find a way to free the children

 

 

It is the Ice Castle that holds the prisoners in Snow Valley Heroes, A Christmas Tale. However, the prisoners in this book are not children, but reindeer -- two of Santa's reindeer. They are part of a dark plot of revenge by the King of the North who has found a way to stop Christmas. The dogs must find a way to free the reindeer and save Christmas.

 

 

In the Planet of the Dogs series, part of our intention is to inspire the imagination, to take kids on a journey to the past, where they can imagine the role of castles in the lives of people as well as the wonderful role that dogs have played.

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Visit our website, http://www.planetofthedogs.net, for sample chapters and more information on the Planet of the Dogs series.

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This photo was taken on our visit to Raasepori Castle in southwestern Finland. The castle was built in the 14th century by the king of Sweden. At that time, it was surrounded by water and accessible only by boat. We went inside, climbing rock staircases, and very impressed by the immense walls...it  certainly inspired my imagination.

 

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BOOK NEWS...Massachusetts Librarians-please visit the Independent Publishers of New England (IPNE) exhibit at the MLA Conference, May 4-8...look for our Planet of the Dogs series...

New England Independent Bookstores...Stella and I will be in the USA for a summer visit...we would like to visit your store...contact us at barkingplanet@aol.com and we will make arrangements...

National Dog Day is August 28...

The title of Barb Teschel's new book is:                       Frankie, the Walk'n Roll Therapy Dog Visits Libby's House...

Frankie's therapy dog trainer was Julie Hauk, the Wisconsin elementary school teacher who developed the Pages for Preston therapy reading dog program for her second and third grade students.         

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"No one appreciates the very special genius of your conversation as the dog does" -- Christopher Morley

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Dogs Can See In The Dark

The Wonderful Nose...

The wonderous ability of dogs to trace multiple scents, enabling them to "see" in the dark, plays a major role in all the books in the Planet Of The Dogs series.

A dog's perception of the world around them incudes acute hearing and eyesight with special features that enhance their ability to hunt. Their eyes, for instance, are exceptionally good at seeing movement.

However, it is their sense of smell that is truly extraordinary and provides them with an ongoing multi-dimensional picture of their world. We wanted children reading our books to get an understanding of this sense and the amazing things that dogs can do. 

As the adventures unfold in our books, children learn how the dogs sense of smell allows them to follow a trail, find and rescue a King lost in a snowstorm, and see danger in the darkness. 

As an example, in Castle In The Mist

, when night falls, and with fog rising in the forest, only the dogs have freedom of movement; only the dogs know where the warrior hunters are located; and only the howling dogs can give hope to the kidnapped children held prisoner in the castle.

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The illustration of Billy, above, is from Castle In The Mist. The photo, below, is of my wife, Stella Mustanoja-McCarty, and our family dog Dafi.

Dafi is the model and inspiration for both Buddy in the Planet Of The Dogs and Snow Valley Heroes, A Christmas Story, as well as Billy in Castle In The Mist. 

When he was younger, Dafi was trained in search and rescue. Like all shepherds, he is always aware of where his people are and taking care of them.

Walking with Dafi is a reminder of how interesting things can be in the natural world and an education in how dogs use their amazing sense of smell. 

A dog's sense of smell allows them to sense an odor at nearly 100 million times lower concentration than we humans. No wonder that life is so interesting for dogs.

                                               

************************************************************************************************************************or For sample chapters and more information on the Planet Of The Dogs book series, please visit our web site: http://www.planetofthedogs.net

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If you are a librarian in Massachusetts...

Please visit the IPNE (Independent Publishers of New England) book exhibit at the MLA conference, May 6-8, where a diverse selection of excellent books are on display including our illustrated fantasy-adventure first chapter books from the Planet Of The Dogs series. 

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Therapy Dogs Update...

Ruth Dyer teaches second grade Western Academy for International Studies, a magnet school in Danbury, CT.

Students who are reading with therapy dogs in her classroom are mostly struggling readers working on fluency...they are "reading the Just Right Books in order to progress and pracice the strategies." She tells us that Planet Of The Dogs and Castle In The Mist are enjoyed as a "read alound"..."I have have many students with dogs so we love the characters..."

Pages For Preston...

 Julie Hauck, the second and third grade teacher who developed the Pages For Preston Progam at the Longfellow Elementary School, in Shebygan, WI, is also a certifed therapy dog trainer.

Julie has now trained Frankie, the Walk 'n Roll Dog and  Frankie's mom, Barb Techel, has written a new Frankie book based on her therapy dog experiences. The book will be released later this year.

Julie's students are enthusiastic about Pages For Preston and often quite insightful. Here's a quote from Caroline, "The dogs calm us down when we pet them so that we can read better."

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"What's so good about uncritical, uncomprimising, unconditional love? Speaking for myself, if anyone, or anything, loves me, I'm only going to feel good about it if I'm loved for my qualities -- or anyway, a quality."

Daniel Pinkwater -- A Walk With Jacques

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Healers and Dogs that Heal

Since the dawn of history...

Healers have played an important, often vital, role for people everywhere. Their influence has varied with their ability to to heal people within a community or culture. Healers have often been a resource for knowledge and guidance.

Healers play an importand role in our series of books. Long, long ago, when dogs first came to  planet earth, it was the healers and the children that welcomed them and understood that the dogs had come to help people. Like the children, the healers were able to communicate with the dogs.

In our books, as in life, the healers have the ability to calm and heal the frightened, the old, and the sick..."Bella (the healer woman) told everyone she met to open their hearts to the dogs and good things would happen. People learned that the dogs were visiting the sick and the unhappy, and soon they began to hear of people getting better..."

Read sample chapters of the Planet Of The Dogs series by visiting our website: http://www.planetofthedogs.net

Therapy Dogs Today

In the current era, the healing abilities of dogs have produced a nationwide therapy dog movement wherein both children and adults benefit from the unconditional acceptance, loyalty and love of dogs.

Therapy Dogs United, based in Eirie,PA is a first class example of a comprehensive program; the headings on their website establish their philosophy..."A Loving Dog is Good for the Soul, and There is no greater Therapy than the Love of a Dog."

They describe their mission, their work, in this way..."we impact the quality of life for thousands of children, adults and seniors...Our therapy dogs provide the catalyst for positive change by motivating emotionally and physically challenged individuals...the abused, disabled, sick, lonely, injured, or depressed...our certified therapy dog teams are personally committed to bring joy and inspiration to every human life we touch..."

(Barking Planet supports TDU programs.)

Pages For Preston

Julie Hauck, an elementary school teacher at the Longellow School in Sheboygan, WI, developed a very successful therapy dog reading program -- Pages For Preston -- for her second and third grade students. It was Julie who provided us with an introduction to the wonders and practical success of therapy dog reading programs.

In this excerpt from her article in doglivingmagazine.com, she describes a classroom reading session with Preston..."When Tuesday morning arrives, we divide into two groups and make circles on the floor. Each group has a therapy dog and enough books for student and teacher. The students take turns reading a page of the book as they sit in the middle of the circle, next to Preston. Preston sits on his "magic carpet", a blue crate pad that earned its name when Emily, a 3rd grader, announced that "Preston is magic when he listens to me read." The reading circle continues for approximately 30 minutes, with each student receiving several turns to read to Preston."

All of the children have increased their reading skills and their enthusiasm for reading. Preston is especially fond of dog stories.

(Barking Planet supports Pages For Preston.)

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"You can say any fool thing to a dog, and the dog will give you this look that says, "My God, you're right ! I never would have thought of that." -- Dave Barry

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Horses, Dogs and Books Ahoy

The Shadows Of Prehistory

"Man first mastered the horse sometime in the shadows of prehistory...there   emerged a new breed of men with enlarged aspirations, the mounted horsemen. Their advent would alter forever not only the direction and velocity of the human drama, but also the very minds and manners of all the other players." Thus writes Frank Trippet in the opening chapter of The First Horsemen.

In Planet Of The Dogs, it is the impending invasion of the horsemen warriors from Stone City that threatens the farmers of Green Valley.

Omeg, the leader of the men of Lake Falls and Green Valley, called an emergency meeting. He believed that the time was coming soon when they would have to defend themselves. He told the men," Now we know that Stone City is a long and dangerous journey and requires traveling through the Dark Mountains and the  Dark Woods. For years we have felt protected because of these barriers. But we are no longer safe."

The Planet Of The Dogs Series takes place long, long ago, when invaders and outlaw tribes were a recurring threat to farms, villages and towns where ordinairy people lived. Dogs, coming down from their own peaceful planet, have abilities that no on else has seen before -- like seeing in the dark with their sense of smell.

Using  their courage, intelligence and their great love of humans, the dogs are able to help good people, like the farmers of Green Valley, to overcome  the invading warrior tribes and bring peace to the land.

Horses in our books are used by peaceful people as well as warriors. They are used by traders to carry goods, often over long distances. They are used by farmers to carry crops into town, and to pull wagons carrying families to visit friends.

The importance of horses in the evolving history of humans was enormous.

The importance of dogs in human history --  helping farmers in myriad ways; guarding homes and families; rescuing the lost; bringing comfort and healing to the old and the lonely;and bringing loyalty and love to all -- was, and still is, enormous. 

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To read sample chapters of The Planet Of The Dogs Series please visit our website: http://www.planetofthedogs.net

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The Obama Dog

A recent posting by Lynette at The Fun Times Guide to Dogs (http://dogs.thefuntimesguide.com) featured the Portugese Water Dog, the future dog of the Obama family "...A beautiful breed. Originally bred in Portugal to assist fishermen. They were used beginning in the 1500s to guard the fisherman's boat, to get fish and other things from the water, to prevent them from drowning.When the job of fishing became easier due to modern technology, the breed nearly died out..."  Read much more on Lynette's site

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Books Ahoy

The Planet Of The Dogs  Series is written for children, but reviewed by adults.

And it is adults -- librarians, teachers, book store managers, mothers, fathers, grandparents -- who decide which books the children will read.

After reading many reviews, we are now introducing readers to some of our reviewers. We have quoted some of them before, but we feel that their opinions will mean more to our blog readers if they know more about the human side of reviewers.

We begin with Books Ahoy.

Books Ahoy is written by Lisa Harvey, a life long book lover, and mother of 5 children (four girls and a boy) ranging in age from 7 to infant.All the children have inherited their mother's passion for books. They live in a small town in the west.

 

 

Books have been a major part of Lisa's life since kindergarten..."I have rarely been without a book in my hand, or at least within close grasping  distance...I know there is great power in words. Power to do many wonderful things; the power to inspire people to higher thoughts and vision;the power to make people laugh and cry and feel all of the emotions that a skillful author can convey; the power to change lives or even to change the world."

That's Lisa, in a quiet moment, reading.

To read her reviews of Planet Of The Dogs, Castle In The Mist, and         Snow Valley Heroes, A Christmas Tale, visit her blog  at: http://bookthoughtsbylisa@blogspot.com

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"What share we most --we two together?   

Smells and awareness of the weather. 

What is it makes us more than dust?

My trust in him; in me his trust."

from Man and Dog by Siegfried Sassoon

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Fantasy Dog Stories and Alternate Reality

The Beginning: Miss Merrie

The Planet of the Dogs series began with a rescued dog, a small Poodle who had come through a painful life and survived to become a courageous and loving companion.  She made a difference in our lives. 

In our books, she became Miss Merrie, Queen of the Dogs.

Dog lovers know that dogs can teach people -- if they will open their minds and hearts --about unconditional love and loyalty.

They know that dogs can help heal the lonely, the sick and the aged.

It was this awareness of the canine connection with humans -- motivated by this small dog with the big heart --that started the Planet of the Dogs books.

In many ways the stories took on a life of their own. They take place long, long ago, when early farmers and settlements of people were living on an abundant planet earth. Dangers lay in the darkness and from invasion by warrior tribes.

Everything takes place in a world grounded in a reality much like the historical past -- with one major exception...there are no dogs on planet earth.

Books Have a Life Of Their Own

Of course we knew that once we introduced dogs living in peace and happiness on a wonderful planet of their own, we crossed a line...but, until we read reviews and reader reactions, we somehow didn't think of our books as fantasy.

Karen Boss wrote in her review in Karen Adventures..."The fantasy involves dream sequences, travel through space and time between planets, dogs who can talk to children and healer- women through thoughts and barking, and seeing information through dreams."

Lynette wrote in her review in The Fun Times Guide to Dogs..."Think Wizard of Oz..where the good witch, cowardly lion, tin man, scarecrow, and even the wise old wizard are the dogs..."

Don Blankenship wrote in his review in Books For Kids..."The story borders between reality, dream world, fantasy, fiction, fact, reality and wonderful imagination...a first rate fantasy read, while at the same time addressing quite real problems...

 

It seems that the process of writing books for children and dog lovers can hold suprises for the author as well as the reader. 

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  Barb Teschel, author of Frankie the Walk'n Roll Dog, the winner of  a 2008 USA Book News Award, recntly won the Meriel Animal Human Bond Award from the Dog Writers Of America Association. Barbara visits schools and hospitals to bring the inspiring message of Frankie to children.

 

 

 

"Poodles always listen attentively when being scolded, looking innocent,  bewildered, and misunderstood." -- James Thurber, Lanterns and Lances

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Good Days For Dogs on Planet Earth

Dog Books, Dog Movies, Dogs and Elephants,

Therapy Reading Dogs and A Dog for the Obama Family

As this is being written, the choice for the White House dog for the new president's daughters, Malia and Sasha, will be either a Labradoodle or a Portuguese Water Hound. The family is looking for a dog that needs a home, a rescued dog.

Two big movie hits are Marley and Me and Hotel for Dogs...both films are reported as entertaining and fun with lots of  tail wagging emotion...

There is a very special video on the internet about an elephant and a dog that we highly recommend for all children, dog lovers, and human beings. Go to...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFz-FMj-9Ps

  Pages for Preston

The third grade students in the Longfellow elementary school in Sheboygin, WI, have continued this year in their therapy reading dog program, Pages For Preston. 

Teacher Julie Hauck, creator of the program, herself a certified therapy dog trainer, is owner of Preston and Jezebel, the dogs to whom the children read.

She recently told us that her students read the complete Planet of the Dogs series..."They read Planet Of the Dogs in October, Castle In The Mist in November and Snow Valley Heroes, A Christmas Tale in December...they love reading the books..I see an increase in skills, motivation and enthusiasm."

                    

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We are currently involved in therapy dog reading programs in CT, RI,NY,NJ,FL, WI and PA.

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         "You are God's kindliest gift of all -- a friend,

          Your shining loyalty unflecked by doubt,

          You ask but leave to follow to the end,

          (Couldn't you wait until I took you out?)"

          Verse for a certain Dog - Dorothy Parker

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