I Am Bella, Star of the Show

A Dog's Day #4

by Catherine Stier, Francesca Rosa (Illustrations)

Spend a day in the life of a star! Bella the Jack Russell terrier was born for the stage―she never misses her mark, and her bark is always on cue. But her dog brother, Chewy the German shepherd, always gets the big roles. Will Bella ever get her time in the spotlight? Told from the dog’s perspective, this story also includes back matter about the breed and role of the working dog.

96 pages, Hardcover

Published October 1, 2020

Reviews

[Jenny Goebel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a darling book! I grew up watching Lassie and Benji, and my own children were huge fans of the Disney "Buddies" film franchise. I was always amazed by how believable the dog actors were in their roles. I could only imagine the amount of practice that went into perfecting each trick. I AM BELLA, STAR OF THE SHOW by Catherine Stier gives a delightful, behind-the-scenes look at the interactions between a fictionalized dog actor named Bella and her handlers. Illustrations by Francesa Rosa add a great deal to the story. Bella is a spunky Jack Russell Terrier and the story is told from her point of view. As she rises to stardom, she overcomes feelings of jealously and insecurity, and learns to persevere when a performance doesn’t go as planned. However, the tone of the story remains upbeat, and never feels heavy handed as it dishes out important lessons. This one is sure to put stars in many a young reader's eyes.

I received an eARC from the publisher.

[Maryann Macdonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew next to nothing about the world of performing dogs before encountering this sweet book by Catherine Stier. As the title indicates, the story is told from the point-of-view of Bella, a Jack Russell terrier, who at the outset is a little impatient for her star to rise. She learns to put aside jealousy, develop patience and build on her own strengths on her journey to success....good lessons for all of us. But the morals are not heavy-handed, and develop organically through the natural sequence of events that form the plot. Young readers can learn a lot here, and not just about dog-training.

I received and e-arc from the publisher.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute series! Our 2nd-4th grade readers will love that these books are about guide dogs, working dogs, search & rescue dogs, and more!

[Bookworms.161212 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really cosy and wonderful   chapter book about an animal. A story
about a beautiful dog named Bella. 
Nova just loved this audiobook, and how Bella really wanted to be the one and onley Star of the Show.
She did everything that she could to be seen by everyone.
Nova liked this pageturner, and she gives this book and the dog Bella
4 out of 5 🐶