Perla The Mighty Dog

PreS-Gr 2–In this charming, first-ever children’s book from acclaimed novelist Allende, a little dog inspires her owner to stand up to a bully. Perla is a rambunctious and small dog who was adopted by Nico and his family. She narrates this story with confidence and the type of cheekiness that will have kids giggling. The puppy introduces herself to readers and declares that she has two superpowers—the ability to make anyone fall in love with her because of her kindness and a super loud roar. One day, as she takes her family to the park, Perla meets a squirrel. During her quarrel with the critter, a big, scary dog starts chasing her. Everyone is afraid for the little dog, but the title character scares him off with her second superpower—a deafening roar. This inspires Nico to face his own bully at school with the same response. Rodríguez’s whimsical illustrations are fun and bright. The watercolor-and-ink images are cheerful and will entice kids to keep turning pages. The silly figures of a small wizard and mouse scampering around on each page makes for a cute seek-and-find that adds another layer of engagement for observant kids. The conflict is resolved pretty quickly, and the message that learning karate will help resolve bullying is a bit murky. Still, children will want to read more Perla adventures. Nico wears glasses. His mom and older sister have pale skin and his father has light brown skin.