Inspired by musical dreams, Billy heads for Nashville. Promising at the outset that this is just the first of a series of adventures starring her beloved “god-dog,” Parton goes on to hit all the conventional thematic notes. In this picture book from singer Parton and co-author Perl, a small French bulldog goes to Nashville, joins a band, fends off bullies, and meets one of the queens of country music.

Party attendees are diverse in skin tone and include Lucy’s brown-skinned friend Arjun and his two dads. Tan deftly steers the plot-and other kids’ responses-into an affirming rather than othering experience. Lucy’s birthday-planning conversations lightly touch on fears of classmates yucking her yum (red bean and green tea ice cream). Tan Shiau Wei’s black-and-white illustrations complement the laugh-out-loud chaos with cinematic cartoon scenes.

All signs point to cat-astrophe unless Ember and friends can save the day-and find Lucy the right gift. Worse, Ogre-a neighborhood cat with a sourpuss attitude-seems intent on sabotaging everything. Before he can scheme up a solution with the other Chin family pets, a box of kittens appears in the yard. Ember’s lust for power comes at a bad time, though-his human Lucy Chin’s eighth birthday is three days away, and he needs to find her the perfect present. A Chihuahua babysits kittens in exchange for a promised army of minions.ĭirectly following the events of Poodle of Doom (2022), this third series entry sees future Dark Lord Ember on “a night of DESTINY.” He strikes a deal with a mysterious orange cat, agreeing to not only watch her kittens, but train them in the ways of evil.

I will take a nap by mo willems