Baxter Goes to Imagination Land

Adventures with Baxter The Dog #1

by Jennifer Hart, Jenn Duggan

Jennifer Hart's debut children's book. The first in a series of mostly made-up adventures inspired by a mostly real dog named Baxter. Follow your imagination past the sneaker trees and cupcake bees to a place only you can see.

40 full-color illustrations done with ink and watercolor guide beginner readers as they explore Baxter's land of imagination filled with colorful characters, funny surprises and an adventure that will inspire kids to get creative.

42 pages, Hardcover

Published February 16, 2018

About the author

I am a storyteller born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. As an author and illustrator, I encourage readers to pursue all things kind, adventurous, and creative in the world. When I'm not telling fictional tales, I compose literal ones in the form of branding through my company, Hart House Creative.

My designs have been featured in National Geographic, on billboards, online, and in magazines across the United States. Books in my debut Baxter The Dog Series have been featured by Fox 5, Channel 13, Channel 8: The Pet Project, and Las Vegas Baby Magazine.

I am a member of the Nevada Artist’s Roster for 2019-2022. I founded a charity book drive, in 2018, called Book for a Book. And I am participating in the 2021 12x12 program

Reviews

[Kara Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful children's book with absolutely incredible illustrations! Magical journey of imagination told from the voice of Baxter, a small dog. I read this with low-income ESL elementary school children I work with as part of a year-long reading program. The kids were able to practice their reading skills and it was great to show the powers of dreams and imagination. For these children, not always being in the best home situation and being struggling learners, it was great to show the powers of dreams and imagination - especially being able to imagine a different world to escape from or strive towards! The author was able to keep the attention of the "not always attentive" first through fourth graders and the illustration kept the kids on the pages longer to really soak everything in. Whether I read this with a struggling 1st grade reader or my more advanced 4th grade reading buddies, it was a success with various reading levels and ages. The kids absolutely loved Baxter! They especially loved the real-life picture of Baxter on the back of the book, which showed them that Baxter was a real-life dog and for many of the kids, it made everything about his adventures real. They had so many follow up questions about Baxter that I only hope we get to see more stories from Baxter's perspective released soon! And as the adult who read it over and over, I only looked more forward to being able to read it with the next child and share the story of Baxter's adventures with other eager minds! Highly recommend!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so cool! I read this to my 4 year old and his grandpa and they reacted the same giggly way to each turn of the page. Jenn uniquely brought us through Baxter's imagination with her descriptions and absolutely wonderful and comical illustrations. My son and I are fans of wonderlands of any shape and form and this book delivers. Thanks Jenn!!

[Raegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

-Disclaimer: I won this book for free through goodreads giveaways in exchange for an honest review.-

What a delightful little book!

This book follows the story of Baxter the dog who discovers
many unusual things such as sneaker trees, cheese & cracker
flower guys, and a polka dot elephant driving a cucumber car
(as the book puts it) as well as other imaginative things are
uncovered.

The illustrations are not those of the typical children's book
where all the pictures are colored in. This book has splashes of
color here and there making it engaging and refreshing. And,
the book also rhymes! If your child loves dogs and reading
this is a great book for both of you to enjoy!

[Liza Cordero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short & Sweet

I love this author’s lyrical prose. I think kids will have a blast reading this book. It’s very colorful, creative, and out of the box. It will inspire them to dream.

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've already read another book in this series and found Baxter to be a wonderful dog. And yes, these books can be read in whatever order is preferred, since they don't build on each other.

Baxter finds himself in a strange place, on day. He's upside down and right side up in a forest of planted sneakers. And that's just the beginning of this quirky and giggle worthy adventure.

My favorite aspect of this book is the imagination. It allows everything to fly in all directions, and in some loose ways, reminds me a little of Dr. Seuss. It's not only okay to be ridiculous, it's actually desirable in these pages. But yet, it has a nice tale of friendship, too. The rhymes allow the cute story to unfold and leave tons of smiles lingering after 'The End' is reached.

The illustrations are whimsical and allow the imagination to unfold in all of its glorious ways. The colorful landscapes swoop with curls and lines, letting young listeners delve into Baxter's world. It's a treat simply to flip through these and enjoy every page.

I received a complimentary copy and loved this fun journey.

[Dena · Rating 3 out of 5]

My five year old niece loved it and made me read it twice in a row. She and I both liked the illustrations that were lighter and brighter like the cheese and cracker field. On the other hand, my three year old niece saw the cover and said it was too scary and she wouldn't even give it a try. I have to say when I first saw the cover, I agreed with the three year old and actually flipped it open to see if it was a kids book. The content was fun, but brightening up the pictures would go a long, long way.

[Temple Kinyon · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a spectacular display of story and scene! Hart captures a world where children see what can be if they only use their imagination. Her illustrations are lively. I can see how any child would enjoy Baxter and his special world. Thank you, Jenn, for your special story. Baxter is my kind of pup!

[Chris Baum · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an exceptionally well-written book with amazing artwork. The author was the illustrator too! It reminded me of Dr. Seuss and it did have a rhyme scheme also. Very imaginative and a great bedtime story for children!

[Max Fischer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for young children

The creator of Baxter writes and illustrates a creative book that young children should enjoy. Whether read to or on their own, little ones will have some fun following Baxter the dog's exploits.

[Raphael Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great imaginative story and design!

Very great book filled with imaginative ideas and adventures..!! I very much enjoyed this book...! Thank you for great reading...!!