SLEEPYTOWN BEAGLES: PENNY'S 4th OF JULY BY TIMOTHY GLASS

Sleepytown Beagles: Penny’s 4th of July by Timothy Glass is the second offering in this wonderfully written series for the little ones. Again, we have Ben, our little boy member of the Perry family and his three close friends, Penny, Gunner (the oldest and wisest) and Panda the youngest; the three beagles that are member of the Perry family.

It is bed time and Ben and his three buddies are preparing for bed, receive their nightly quota of “sleepy dust” and prepare for their trip to Sleepytown. The lights are turned off, it is dark, and Panda makes the suggestion that they all go outside to play which is pretty typical of beagle pups and little boys. They move closer to the window and find that the room, and indeed that all things look much, much different in the world when the light go out. Yes, Mrs. Perry has already check under the bed and verified that there are no Boogie Men (or for that matter, Boogie Beagles) under the bed. But as little boys and puppy beagles are wont, imaginations start to kick in. Hey, there are scary things out there in the night, and thing begin to build the minds of the two young ones.

Penny steps in at this time with one of her wise stories about an experience she had when she was a pup, an experience that was fearful and illustrated what could happen if your fears cause you to do silly things.

This is a story which teaches children the valuable of facing their fears and that they, their fears, should not cause you to do silly things that will end up getting you in more trouble than if you listen to your mom, dad, or in this case, wise beagles. The experience of being young, lost and alone during a 4th of July fireworks demonstration certainly made a lasting impression on Penny and she passes this wisdom along to Panda and Ben.

As with the other books in this series, it is well written and wonderfully illustrated. Children gain an instant connection with these stories; all of which teach valuable life lessons. The author, via his beagles, has some very insightful thoughts and is able to pass these along in a gently, laid-back and mellow way. Kids and dogs go together and what better way to instill lessons than using them as examples. Hey, these beagles can talk and communicate there wisdom well. For dog lovers and dog owners, i.e. those who really care, will not find this ability to communicate a very big leap from reality.

This little book would and will make a wonderful addition to any child’s library or any school library. It is well written, well illustrated and certainly kid friendly. It and the other books in this series are a shear delight and I do recommend them highly.