Long, long ago...
There were no dogs on planet earth.
This is an underlying premise of all our books.
Imagine a world, for a few moments, where there were vast open spaces for people to settle and grow things, where animals lived in great forests, and traders traveled far, by land and sea, to barter, to sell and to tell stories...villages, towns and cities continued to grow, more seeds were planted and harvests of corn or rice or wheat found there way to markets...
Imagine then that there came a time when the abundance and peace found on planet Earth was threatened by warrior tribes...fear and danger intruded...
The warrior tribes "took food, coins and beautiful objects from people and often hurt them. Their numbers began to grow and soon they were taking the homes, land and farms where peaceful people lived".
There were no dogs to guard farms and villages, to help herd the animals, to be loving companions to people of all ages...and to help bring peace to the land.
We have found that kids , parents, librarians, dog lovers and reviewers understand this premise and the fantasy of a Planet where dogs live in peace and happiness...
And, we have found that it makes sense to them that, dogs being dogs, they would of course want to come down to planet Earth to help people, to help bring peace without violence, and to teach people about loyalty, courage and love...
Encouraged by these reactions to the first three books in the Planet Of The Dogs series,, we are going forward with our next book...Darkness In Sun Valley.
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How to Get Your Kid's to Read...
Maria Rodale, Mother, Author, CEO/Chairperson of Rodale Inc, and blogger(see below) wrote an
excellent, invigorating and relevant article -- based on her personal experiences -- How To Get Your Kids to Read.
In our last Barking Planet blog we published excerpts from the first part of her article.
We continue now with an edited version of her final suggestions.
4. Read aloud. Lou {Maria's husband) has always read to Eve (their middle daughter) before bed--they've done Narnia and The Hobbit--and he has ultimate patience reading to Lucia, over and over.…
5. Make them come alive. We have been to Louisa May Alcott's house in Concord, Massachusetts, twice, and have swum in Walden Pond. Next summer we are visiting…Reading makes the world come alive in your head in a whole new way. Anytime that can be reinforced with real-life experience, it's a great thing.6. Have reading parties in bed. Speaking of great things--I love to read in bed. I get cranky when my kids want to stay up and all I want to do is go to bed and read. So I came up with the idea of having reading parties in bed. They love it...We don't do it every night, so it keeps it special, but we do it at least once a week, and I have never, ever, heard either of them say they didn't want to come to a reading party in my bed -- but sorry, only my girls are invited!For more from Maria Rodale, go to www.mariasfarmcountrykitchen.com.
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The Joy of Reading...If anyone has expressed better their thoughts on the joy of reading, please let us know…this is a quote from Nancy Pearl’s Book Lust Forever blog:
“Reading has always brought me pure joy. I read to encounter
new worlds and new ways of looking at our own world. I read to enlarge my
horizons, to gain knowledge of others and myself, and to experience beauty and
sadness. I read to find myself and lose myself. I read for company and
for escape. I read to meet other people and enter their lives—for me, a way of
vanquishing the “otherness” we all experience.”
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Wayne Walker reviewing for Stories for Children
Magazine and the Homeschool Buzz wrote: "Children will enjoy
the story about dogs who come from another planet to help
people on earth. But under the surface are the important
messages of friendship, love, loyalty, and how to overcome evil with good…Castle In The Mist will keep
you turning the pages to find out what happens next, and, as with Volume I,
leads to a satisfying conclusion.
To read more reviews by Wayne Walker visit: http://storiesforchildrenmagazine.org/default.aspx and http://homeschoolbuzz.com/
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Kids, Books and Dogs...
We support kids reading...
We support kids reading dog books to therapy dogs...
We support therapy reading dog programs in IN, NY, NJ, CT, RI, PA, NH, FL, WI, and TX.
If you have a therapy reading dog, or you are a teacher or librarian using a therapy dog reading program, let us know and we will send you one or more complimentary books from our Planet Of The Dogs series...email us at [email protected] and let the kids read dog stories to the dogs...
This is Callie, a Therapy Reading Dog from New York City. She and her owner, Nancy George-Michalson have been participating in the R.E.A.D.(Reading Education Assistance Dogs) literacy program. Children come to New York City Public Libraries and read stories to Callie.
Bessie, seen below with her owner, Ruth Dreiwer, is a registered therapy dog
participating in the Wisconsin Humane Society's " Read to Rover" programs. Ruth tells us that,"
Bessie visits oncology patients at Columbia St. Mary's in Mequon, WI, and enjoys listening to children read... Bessie is also a "Reading Buddy" at Lincoln Elementary School in Port Washington, WI."
United Therapy Dogs, a multifaceted therapy dog program based in Eirie, PA has an excellent statement regarding the value and outcomes that their programs bring about.
"Sometimes a therapy dog just sits or lies quietly while being petted - listening to story after story about a nursing home resident's former dog.
Sometimes a therapy dog will visit an
elementary school to help teach children about the humane care of animals, or
join in during story time to help relax the group. But, did you know that
a therapy dog can help a child to learn? A child who has difficulty
reading is the perfect candidate to curl up along side a therapy dog to enjoy a
good book. Studies show children find the non-judgemental ears of a
therapy dog the perfect choice to hone and improve their reading skills.
A therapy dog may also work with disabled or autistic children. (The photo above, and the one directly below, are from United Therapy Dogs)
In a hospital setting, a therapy dog might visit patients in pediatrics, oncology, or even hospice centers. Sometimes a hospital will invite a therapy dog to visit the emergency room because of the calming effect on patients, doctors, nurses and staff members working in the high-stress environment."
I asked Pat Van Zandt Christianson, Executive director of United Therapy Dogs for a comment on the concept of kids reading dog books to dogs...
." Regarding
added value - yes.
Handing a child a canine-themed book not only reinforces our
mission but helps with top of the mind awarness. We believe if they are reading
about dogs in their off-time, they are more likley to show kindness and
compassion toward our canine friends when we make a scheduled visit."
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Read sample chapters of all the books in the Planet Of The Dogs series on our website:www.planetofthedogs.net
Our books are available i
n the USA, at your local Independent bookstore...
Or, on the Internet via B&N, Amazon, Powell's and others...or on
the Internet in the UK through Amazon and Bangzo...
In Australia through Scribbly Gum Books and Fishpond.com...In India
through Flipkart and Rediff books.
Planet Of The Dogs hats, t-shirts, cups etc are in our Cafe Press Shop
Librarians, schools and bookstores -- order our books directly through Ingram (professional discount).
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Dog Book Blog,...
Is a relatively new site dedicated to dog books. Beth Coughlin, blogger and reviewer (photo below) asked the question, "Why a dog book blog?". This was her reply...
Visit often, spend some time getting the scoop on some great books on dog training, dog psychology, dog health, and just great stories about dogs. At times we will discuss fiction, non-fiction, reference books and just about any media that help broaden your knowledge of man’s (and woman’s) best friend."
Beth is reviewing both old chestnuts and new books that she believes in or finds to be good reading: http://dogbookblog.com
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Videos from Planet Earth....
This is quite touching...a video of how the Banfield Charitable Trust has initiated a project that allows hospice patients to keep their pets:Http://www.youtube.com/user/theBCTrust
Yelodoggie has a delightful video displaying the imagination and talent of Cayr Ariel Wulff: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26iJnLnjPiw&feature=related
"We have more news from the Planet of the Dogs..." a 50 second report by the author wwwhttp://.youtube.com/watch?v=toZQcS8FWgY :
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News From the Overleaf Cafe-Bookstore
Barbara Julian's overleaf Cafe-Bookstore held a successful fund raiser for Literacy Victoria...the photo on the left, taken by Barbara from behind a counter, gives some idea of the crowd (and the back of a poet reader)....the bottom photo, taken at the recent opening, has a somewhat better view of a poet reader...
Barbara, a retired librarian, is a passionate book lover, conservationist, and animal rights advocate.... she has an excellent website dedicated to Animal Literature: http://www.animalit.ca
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The Fun Times Guide to Dogs...
I have subscribed to the Fun Times Guide newsletter because the variety and practical relevance of their dog advice is so grounded -- and so diverse. I just watched a video on their site on
Loose Leash Walking. It's not an issue with our family dog....however I'll certainly apply what I learned with my sister in law's dog next time he stays with us._
Check it the site and you'll see what I mean.
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The Ethical Dog...
For those who think dog lovers sometimes go overboard in their appreciation of our canine friends, we suggest that they read The Ethical Dog,an article by Mark Beckoff and Jessica Peirce in the March 2010 issue of the Scientific American Mind (available online)...Here is an excerpt:
"Fair play, then, can be understood as an evolved adaptation that allows individuals to form and maintain social bonds. Canids, like humans, form intricate networks of social relationships and live by rules of conduct that maintain a stable society, which is necessary to ensure the survival of each individual. Basic rules of fairness guide social play, and similar rules are the foundation for fairness among adults. The moral intelligence, so evident in both wild canines and in domesticated dogs, probably closely resembles that of our early human ancestors. And it may have been just this sense of right and wrong that allowed human societies to flourish and spread across the world."
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