JJ The American Street Dog

Childhood just isn’t complete without the plaintive wails of a child begging for a pet. And that pet? Usually a dog. You may have seen books about the responsibility of getting a pet, but JJ The American Street Dog and How He Came to Live In Our House goes beyond that and teaches valuable lessons about all the amazing things that can come from adopting a rescue dog.

In JJ The American Street Dog, children ages five to nine will identify with Maya who has wanted a dog for as long as she can remember. She dreamt of the little doggies with floppy ears and short legs. And of course her parents tell her over and over that having a dog is a big responsibility, but Maya doesn’t care. When her uncle finds a homeless puppy, Maya begs to keep him. But her mom isn’t sure about a dog from the street. But little Maya knows that this dog is just as good as any other dog… maybe even more special.

Maya’s family goes through all the right steps before claiming JJ as theirs. They put up signs and go to the vet. There’s even a moment where a potential owner comes by to possibly claim JJ. Kids might be on the edge of their seats as Maya cries in fear of losing JJ, but it all turns out wonderfully. They decide to name him after the uncle who found him and let JJ join the family. In the end, Maya and her family learn that adopting a rescue pet is a win-win. JJ gets a loving home, and Maya gets the dog she’s always wanted. Even the cat seems to be cool with it in the end.

This book aims to educate children and adults about animal rescue. The author, Diane Rose-Solomon, is a Certified Humane Education Specialist and has been involved with rescue for 18 years, ever since she adopted a homeless dog. Just as she was about to buy a dog from a breeder, the real JJ was found by a friend, and the rest as they say, is history. It’s an important lesson for everyone. Adopting a rescue helps animal overpopulation, provides homes to needy dogs, and can help stop abusive puppy mills where animals needlessly suffer because of purebred standards.

JJ The American Street Dog is an entertaining, beautifully illustrated story that teaches important lessons about animal homelessness, basic animal care, pet adoption and the unconditional love people get from their family pet. It even addresses spaying and neutering in an age-appropriate way by having the vet point out that this is a great way to make sure the animal can’t have more puppies that may end up abandoned if they didn’t find a good home.

It’s important kids and families go beyond the stereotype of a dirty street dog and realize the good they can do for the world by giving abandoned dogs a forever home. The timing of a book about pet adoption is perfect as Los Angeles recently voted to ban the sale of commercially bred pets in pet stores. Other major cities plan to follow suit.

Younger children will adore the pictures of the dog and the happy story of finding a happy home. Older kids will listen to the ups and downs of the story. The topics of the next four books in the JJ series are: Basic training; introducing a baby to a home that has a dog; the importance of service and therapy dogs; and prejudice against certain breeds.

For more information, visit www.SOP3Publishing.com