Cloud Puppy: The Pup Days of Summer

Gr 2-4–In the third entry of this colorful, comical friendship-focused series, Cloud Puppy continues to puzzle out the predicaments of friendship while engaging in classic summertime activities. The main story here is framed by an amusement park excursion for the enthusiastic quartet of pals—a cloud/puppy, a teddy bear, a smart-talking reindeer-boy, and a big and friendly moss/rock monster—who are excited to explore a new attraction dedicated to their favorite fantasy character, Dragonetta. The bustling, bright amusement park, however, is full of roller coasters and rides that seem a little scary—a fact which Cloud Puppy is ­reluctant to admit to her friends. She doesn’t want them to judge her, but she also really doesn’t want to do something she’s not ready for. Shorter stories find Cloud Puppy and pals attending an underwater festival, where the most self-assured friend struggles with losing at carnival games, and snuggled around a backyard campfire arguing over whether the stories they share should be truly scary or just for fun. Exploring the development of social-emotional intelligence through thoughtful character dialogue, while moving through the cotton-candy visual delights of the cutesy universe, this series stays true to form while ­providing its protagonists with new ­challenges to face.