Hush, Puppy (Orca Echoes: Charlie's Rules #3)

Gr 1-3--Charlie loves writing down the many rules of life he stumbles across, but sometimes he has difficulty applying them to real situations. When his best friend Amy is mad at him, it might just take bending some of the rules to make things right. The book's plot revolves around a standard misunderstanding between friends, but the story really shines when the two assist with the animals at the vet office run by Charlie's mother. In these instances, Amy and Charlie assist some unusual pets in equally unusual ways, like helping a tarantula molt or wearing a human-sized pet cone to make an injured Chihuahua feel more confident. These chapters, based on true stories collected by the author, offer a unique spin on this genre and offer some unseen insight into this occupation. Illustrations are simple but plentiful, and certainly give clarity to some of the more complex scenes. Charlie is white, and Amy is Chinese. VERDICT An enjoyable tale of friendship and animal care; a solid addition to this series.--Peter Blenski