I Am Ingrid: The Adventures of the World’s Greatest Guide Dog

K-Gr 3–Ingrid, a black lab puppy who becomes a guide dog for the visually impaired, narrates the book. Readers may be puzzled as to why Ingrid repeatedly claims to be the “smartest and most important dog ever,” because although all guide dogs are undoubtedly special, there’s nothing particularly so about Ingrid compared to others. She is written without weakness. The book features a human character named Aria, whom readers learn in a note at the end is also the author. The note explains that she has low vision, which is why she needed Ingrid. However, the story gives no clear indication that the child has low vision. She dances, reads, and appears capable of doing everything that a fully sighted person can do, though it is noted that she sometimes gets headaches in bright sunlight. Without the note at the end, children will likely be confused as to why there is a need for a guide dog. Additionally, the note explains that the author starred in a Netflix miniseries. Pictures of her walking on a red carpet suggest that she only wrote the book for the purpose of promoting her career. The book seems to be little more than a poorly veiled attempt at branding.