The New Puppy

by Kristen Bell, Benjamin Hart, Daniel Wiseman (Illustrations)

#1 New York Times bestselling authors Kristen Bell (Frozen) and Benjamin Hart are bringing their beloved characters from The World Needs More Purple People to Step into Reading! Get ready to adopt a dog in this Step 2 leveled reader!


Penny's friend Mateo is adopting a dog! Mateo is determined to be a good dog owner. Luckily, he can use his purple skills! He asks questions about the puppy's food, works hard to take care of the puppy, and uses his voice to make sure the puppy feels safe. Best of all, Mateo, Penny, and the new puppy get to be themselves and have fun together!

Kristen Bell and Benjamin Hart are bringing their inclusive purple world to Step into Reading with a joyous message of embracing the things that bring us together as humans, while celebrating what makes you uniquely YOU!

Step 2 readers use basic vocabulary and short sentences to tell simple stories. They are perfect for children who recognize familiar words and can sound out new words with help.

Genres: Childrens

32 pages, Paperback

First published September 21, 2021

About the author

Kristen Bell is a mostly grown adult who spends much of her time pretending to be other people. She finds this pursuit oddly rewarding, mostly because of the free food. She is also an actress and producer who has starred in such films as Frozen, Bad Moms, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall, as well as the television series The Good Place and Veronica Mars. She has been a guest editor for Parents magazine and has been featured in parenting articles on platforms like Motherly, Real Simple, Babble, and more. She also produces and stars in the web series Momsplaining for EllenTube.

Reviews

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This easy reader book introduces Mateo, who has just adopted a new puppy. Vibrant illustrations and fun, relatable text demonstrate the fun and responsibility of caring for a dog. Best of all, the book models responsible caretaking when Mateo speaks up on behalf of his puppy--at times she is shy and needs a break from being petted. The other kids also show thoughtfulness and restraint when they accept this and also ask before petting the pup.

As other reviews have noted, Bell's use of the word "purple" to describe helpful and kind attitudes may be confusing, especially for beginning readers. Not every reader is going to be familiar with the author's other "Purple Person" titles that explain the concept. The concept is defined on the inside back jacket cover, but its placement here doesn't make a lot of sense. It should have appeared at the book's beginning.

[寿理 宮本 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is cute and a good book for younger readers, BUT.

If someone (like me) comes across this book who hasn't heard of the "My Purple World" series or a "purple person," they will be confused about what any of it means until the very last inside cover, which explains that a "purple person" is someone who actively tries to make the world better through helping and striving to understand.

(I think this definition could be tweaked a bit, including my paraphrased version, but I'm not super invested in editing, nor do I want to put words in anyone else's mouth.)

Recommend, but only in a set, or with the explanation at the beginning instead of the end.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

The World Needs More Purple People? Not true for this Goodreader.

I wonder, can't a book about a puppy just be about a normal puppy?

If I were a beginning reader, I'd have a lot of trouble with this sentence on Page 5:

Penny and Matero are
kind to animals.
That makes them
feel purple.

Equally baffling to me, on Page 29,
Regarding both the puppy and Mateo:

They both feel purple when they are themselves.

WHO IS THE INTENDED AUDIENCE FOR THIS BOOK?

I'm guessing, people who like to dream a lot. And people who like puppies. On that basis, FIVE STAR rating is in order.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be a purple person, ask questions, laugh, speak up, work hard, and just be you! In this beginning reader follow-up to the picture book, The World Needs More Purple People, Mateo learns what it means to adopt and take care of a pet like a purple person. Best for ages 4-6.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an easy reader that fits in perfectly with the other purple books. The purple books always talk about the importance of asking questions of yourself and of others. Questions big and question small. In this book they notice that even puppies and other animals have questions. Such as when will you feed me? Can I chase the squirrel? The human has to help the animal with their questions and their answers. It’s all very lovely and very fun.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an eAudio courtesy of Volumes in exchange for my honest review.