It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday, and with less than a week to go until Valentine’s Day, I have the perfect puppy love story to share with you.
Not only is it a wonderful story, it was written by my good friend, talented author Nancy Furstinger, and a good book by a good friend is always extra special!
I hope you like it 🙂
Title: The Duchess And Guy: A Rescue To Royalty Puppy Love Story
Written By: Nancy Furstinger
Illustrated By: Julia Bereciartu
HMH Books For Young Readers, January 8 2019, fact-based fiction
Suitable For Ages: 4-7
Themes/Topics: being yourself, animal adoption/rescue, pets, true story
Opening: “Once upon a time, a happy-go-lucky beagle named Guy found himself without a family or a place to call home.
He blinked his puppy dog eyes and begged for someone to take him home.
But he didn’t have much luck . . .”
Brief Synopsis: A beagle puppy named Guy waits in a shelter, hoping and hoping for a forever home. When Meghan adopts him, he has no idea that home is going to be Buckingham Palace. Can a shelter dog of uncertain beginnings find a way to fit in among royalty?
Links To Resources: back matter includes “Guy’s True Rescue-to-Royalty Tale” including photographs, and a section on “Adopting A Dog Like Guy”
And we are lucky enough to get to hear directly from talented author, Nancy Furstinger, about how she got the idea to write this book as well as some crafts and activities you can do to go along with the book!
For the extensions that parents, teachers, and librarians can use with the book:
Thank you, Nancy!!!
Why I Like This Book: If you’ve spent any time around this blog, you know I love dogs – rescue dogs in particular since I have two and they’re the best dogs in the world! So I was predisposed to like this book 🙂 I love that it presents a true story to kids so they learn about something that really happened in a fun and entertaining way. I also love that it models shelter adoption as a great way to get a wonderful pet. If a real duchess can get her dog from a shelter, you can too! But I really love how the book shows that everyone can sometimes feel that they have a little trouble fitting in and finding their place, especially in a new situation. That is a concept that I think all of us can relate to, and one that really speaks to kids. This is my favorite page:
text copyright Nancy Furstinger 2019, illustration copyright Julia Bereciartu 2019
And in case you can’t read the wise words:
“…Meghan gave him an encouraging scratch behind his ear.
‘I wasn’t sure I’d ever fit in here either,’ Meghan told her pup. ‘But if you just be yourself, you’ll be part of the family in no time.’”
And the back of the book states that “The publisher has made a donation to the Montgomery County Animal Shelter to help other shelter dogs like Guy.” Isn’t that wonderful?
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 🙂
For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.
PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific links (and any other info you feel like filling out 🙂 ) to the form below so we can all come see what fabulous picture books you’ve chosen to share this week!
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 🙂
Susanna Leonard Hill 
I love this book, Susanna…for all the reasons you named…and also because it kind of plays into the love many people have for the royals. I think parents will enjoy reading it as much as the kids will enhoy hearing it.
Thanks, Vivian, and I love how the royals are BIG dog lovers…in fact, Guy now has a canine sibling…still awaiting photos…. The kids @ all the book events I’ve been doing were intrigued by this true “tail”!
I think you’re right, Vivian… although my favorite part is the puppy rescue 🙂
What a fun way to show kids that everyone has trouble fitting in sometimes. Great review of a fun and important story. It’s nice when an animal finds their forever home. Love hearing how it came to be.
That’s for sure, Maria, all dogs need a purpose, and so glad that Guy eventually found his and is fitting in @ “Barkingham” Palace!
Can you even imagine trying to fit in at Buckingham Palace, Maria???!!! Better Meghan and Guy than me! 🙂
This is a beautiful story. I didn’t know Meghan had a dog and I did watch the wedding. Lovely animal rescue story that will delight kids for sure.
Thanks, Diane, and she’s a big dog lover…along with Prince Harry they adopted a canine sibling for Guy and I can’t wait for the photos!
I didn’t know Meghan had a dog until Nancy’s book either, Diane! Isn’t it great how clever writers can find a kid-friendly angle to practically any story?
I’m pretty sure this will be my favorite book ever as soon as Mom finds it and reads it to me. Guy is pretty lucky to be the pup of a princess. Too bad he didn’t get to be queen of the world like me! Hang in there, Guy…
Love and licks,
Cupcake
Awwww, Cupcake, I’m sure you’ll love it–my two dogs–Bosco and Rosy–wagged their tails when I read it to them! Plus several of my book launches featured adoptable dogs from the SPCA where I volunteer–two Cocker spaniels already were adopted…now they’re kings and queens of their castles!
No one can top you, Cupcake! 🙂 ❤
I love that you weren’t a Royals watcher but when they mentioned a dog your ears perked up!
Ha, Sarah, I didn’t even know what a royal watcher was:-) But give me a good dog story, and I’m on it!
I know, isn’t that perfect, Sarah? It is so Nancy! 🙂
I was a royal watcher back when Lady Diana became Princess Diana. When she died, my interest waned until by chance I saw Kate Middleton in person when she was making an appearance in Luxembourg. Now with a dog added to the mix, I’m interested again.
Ah, yes, Laura, Princess Di was in a category all by herself! And Kate has a dog, Lupo, who makes an appearance in my book:-)
I have never been a royal watcher, Laura, but I’m definitely interested in the royal dogs 🙂
Oh, geez, I’m crying. Our pup is a rescue from the SPCA. She was considered a “challenging” puppy due to her size, exuberant nonstop barking at other dogs (because she wanted to meet them), and GI problems. She’s now almost 3 years old and, while not a model of decorum, the sweetest dog I’ve ever known. Cheers to the SPCA! And Cheers to fitting in and finding your forever home!
Awwww, Jilanne, so glad you adopted her! I always take the “least adoptable” shelter animals, which is how I ended up with 2 huge dogs, 3 house rabbits, plus a chin! Give your pooch a big kiss from me; woofs/wags/slurps from Bosco and Rosy:-)
Hurray for you, adopting a challenge, Jilanne! My brother and sister-in-law did that too. Their dog is a pit bull mix who had a rough beginning and is mistrustful and inclined to bite first and ask questions later. My dogs are rescues too, but the only challenge with them is fitting all of us on the couch together 🙂
I’m a sucker for a heartwarming dog tale, and this one sounds extra enticing with the Royal element thrown in. Thanks for sharing, Susanna!
Me, too, Gabi—dog books (and movies) rock! And the fact that Guy was an unwanted pound pooch made it all the more enticing.
I hope you get to read it, Gabi!
Awwww – I can’t resist a story about a rescue! Definitely going to put this book on my to-read list!
Neither can I, Sue! Hope you enjoy reading all about how Guy chases his dreams (and his tail)!
I know, right, Sue? I can’t resist a rescue story or a dog story, so I was all in 🙂
I didn’t even realize this book really WAS about Meghan, but as I looked at the cover, I was thinking, wow, that looks like Meghan. And her wedding dress. And her hair. And- it is Meghan! Well done. Can’t wait to read this. The encouragement to adopt rescue dogs is great.
Oh, yes, the artist (who lives in Madrid) did a fantastic job–I adore her illustrations and all of the outfits the royals were are authentic! And thanks, Angie, I hope my book leads to more rescue dog adoptions:-)
The encouragement is great, isn’t it Angie? What is it they say? “Don’t shop, adopt” or something? And I love that the publisher contributes to the shelter!
Yesh: Adopt, Don’t Shop=my motto! I also contributed part of my advance to help other dogs like GUY:-)
That book is well done. Handles a tough topic really well for kids!
OOPS wrong comment for this blog! I can’t wait to read this one. Love those illustrations and as someone who has a rescue, much respect to Meghan and all who adopt them.
Have another cup of coffee, Keila. Things will straighten out, LOL.
LOL, now I’m intrigued about which book tackles a tough topic! But hope you enjoy reading all about Guy, Keila, and rescue dogs (plus other species) are my favorite breed:-)
Hahaha Keila! I was thinking, well, yes, adopting a pet can be a tough topic – it’s hard to go into a shelter and see all those hopeful faces and know you can only rescue one… but your follow-up comment made me wonder which book that was supposed to be a comment for! Now I’ll have to look at the list and guess! 🙂
HA! Had a second cup Jilanne! My initial comment was about the PB Mister and Lady Day: Billie Holiday and the Dog Who Loved Her. I was in London last week and truly hoped to have a Meghan sighting, but no luck. Once on a previous trip, I saw Prince Charles out and about!
I wondered when a story about Meghan’s rescue dog story would become a picture book. Such a heartwarming and appealing for children with bright, lively illustrations. Will have to check it out. Congratulations, Nancy!
Many thanks, Patricia, I’m so glad that my agent suggested the topic and that my publisher paired me with illustrator Julia–I love her artwork!
I think someone did one for Simon and Schuster in November… but it isn’t NEARLY as good as Nancy’s! 🙂
Thanks, Susanna:-) It’s from the team who did that Marlon Bundo parody (which I love and have my own copy), but there’s not much plot to the Guy story (Guy pees on the opposite side of the fire hydrant, steals Prince Charles’ sandwich, etc.) and nothing to spoof (the previous book spoofed that Pence book about bunny Marlon Bundo).
I remember there being a lot of hoopla around Maghan and Harry. I’m not a big royal watcher either so I don’t know much, though I was admittedly taken with their love story.
As the happy mama to a rescue myself, I’m also predisposed to like the topic of this book, and the sample shared shows the beautiful writing and art work. Well done!
Many thanks, Angela, and rescued dogs rock! I had to quickly catch up on the Meghan/Harry love story (and became a SUITS fan in the process), but they take a backseat to GUY’s “tail.” Plus I got a half page in the back to emphasize Adopt, Don’t Shop!
It’s great how many people in this list of comments have adopted pets, Angela! I have 2 rescue dogs and they are just the best, aren’t they?