“When Nicole Brierre was assigned to write a children’s book while studying to become an elementary school teacher, she realized that she didn’t have to look any further for inspiration than her family’s trusty canine companion, Chanterelle. It became a true family affair when her brother and his girlfriend signed-on as illustrators of the book!
Brierre recounts the story of how the beloved pet came to join her family, while playfully imagining the puppy’s life before she was adopted. The dog at the heart of the story is an independent, stubborn puppy who believes she does not need help from any human or animal. As the puppy observes her good friends, the Beaver Family, she notices how they do everything together. Mama Beaver is always giving hugs and kisses, while Papa Beaver is warm and encouraging. One afternoon, the puppy notices a human family hiking. Just like the Beaver family, this family is affectionate and does everything together, and the puppy now wonders what her life would be like if she stopped being a puppy in the wilderness and becomes a pet instead.
Chanterelle Finds a Family is a warm and wonderful story for children with beautiful illustrations that will capture little imaginations. It touches upon many different themes: the drive for independence – while at the same time needing family, safety and security – the importance of friendship and identifying within a group, and the desire to experience adventures and new relationships, themes with which all kids can connect.”
I am always excited when I receive invitations to review children’s books because all three of my kids listen to me reading stories every night at bedtime and I love to introduce new books into our repertoire. Chanterelle Finds a Family is a lovely book which contains whimsically drawn illustrations and a story that held the interest of all three of my children. The story explains how Chanterelle was a puppy living alone until she found her very own family – who rescued her at a time she needed help.
I really liked that this story is not short. It has paragraphs worth of words on each page. It is well-written so that the story flows and remains interesting, even for the adult reading out loud! We would be interested to hear more about Chanterelle’s life with her new family!
If you are interested in this book, it is available on Amazon!