They Call Me No Sam!

Gr 5 Up–Poor pug Sam has had a rough life. Gary and Elaine, two work-at-home scientists, adopt him for their son Justin after Sam ran away from a neglectful owner. Alas, things get off to a rocky start. Sam thinks the living room rug is for doing his business, a chair leg is for his chewing pleasure, and the trash can is a treasure chest of treats. He’s confused by his new owners’ frustration. He’s only trying to please and protect them from evil wizards (Justin’s new friend) and dangerous neighbors (the lady with the funny hat)! Why do they always “smell” so angry? Happily, after a series of funny mishaps and misfortunes, the story ends on a satisfying note. The narration from Sam’s point of view is clever and conveys hilarious situations, such as Sam seeing his reflection in a sliding glass door and barking loudly to scare away the “enemy creature.” But more sweetly, the voice of Sam calls attention to the well-documented link between humans and their four-legged friends. Sam loves the smell of trash and the “cookies” in the cat litter, but he also smells emotions like sadness, anger, and love. Written in kid-friendly language, readers will fall in love with Sam and his quirky ways. Lowery’s black-and-white illustrations are reminiscent of comic art and accompany the story nicely.