Dogerella

by Maribeth Boelts, Donald Wu (Illustrator)

Overview

DOGERELLA SPENDS HER days scratching the fleas and fluffing the tails of her ungrateful stepdog mother and mean stepdog sisters. At night, she dreams of a home where she is loved. In a nearby castle lives Bea, a sweet, slightly spoiled princess whose fondest wish is for a loyal pet to call her own. A dog’s dream and a princess’s wish come true in this funny fairy tale.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780385374743
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	10/30/2013
Series:	Step into Reading Book Series: A Step 3 Book
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	48
Lexile:	460L (what's this?)
File size:	33 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

MARIBETH BOELTS is the author of over thirty books for children, including the Step into Reading leveled readers Pupunzel, Dogerella, and Sleeping Bootsie. A former teacher, Maribeth loves meeting kids and encouraging them to read and write. She lives in Iowa along with her grown children, grandchildren, and several pets. You can visit her online at MaribethBoelts.com.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 2-3

In a market glutted with fairy-tale retellings, one might feel justified in saying, "Absolutely no more Cinderella variations!" However, this accessible early reader about a kindhearted mutt with sorrowful eyes, her wicked stepfamily, and a princess who wants a dog more than anything else in the world is sweet, thoughtfully written, and appealing in its readability. Boelts avoids obvious arch doggy-puns in favor of a story that reveals the universal longing for companionship and compassion over material wealth and extra-fluffy tails. Wu's color illustrations complement the text with gentle humor.-Farida S. Dowler, formerly at Mercer Island Library, WA

School Library Journal

In this version of the Cinderella story, the familiar structure is cleverly reworked to fit the mid-level early-reader format. An adorable pug puppy appears as Cinderella in Wu's illustrations, while the stepmother is a haughty, white poodle and the stepsisters are an unfriendly chow and an aloof Afghan. Rather than a prince searching for a bride, a pampered princess named Bea wants a puppy for her seventh birthday. Her parents decide to have a ball for all the dogs in the kingdom so that Bea can choose her favorite as her pet. A purple-haired Fairy Dogmother helps Dogerella, providing a sparkly collar spelling out the dog's name as well as a mini-van to get to the ball. The collar is left behind at the ball as the parallel element to the glass slipper and is of course a perfect fit for Dogerella in the conclusion. The combination of dozens of dogs, an earnest princess and a touch of magic add up to a charming whole. (Early reader. 5-7)

Kirkus Reviews