Do you have a pet? Is it a dog? How does your dog see the world? One of my friends has a golden lab and he is afraid of everything! The only things he hurts are the wild bunnies in her yard. It is so funny to see a rather large dog who is so scared. He also loves just about every person. We joke that if someone broke into her house, he would go over to them and lick them or try to get them to play. Even well-trained dogs have their own personalities and ways of seeing the world. Today we are sharing a beautiful picture book about a dog who definitely lives her life her own way. The book is How to Be Best in Class by Lorena M. Proia. There is a giveaway after my review!
About the Book:
How to Be Best in Class Written and Illustrated by Lorena M. ProiaAges: 4-8 | 32 Pages | Publisher: Self Published D.B.A. PnM Publishing (2026) | ISBN: 979-8-9885730-1-2
Publisher’s Book Summary: Obedience class is hard. Especially if you don’t do things like the other dogs do. Phebe’s flair for drama isn’t appreciated by her classmates, and when Rae says, “Come!” she stays. When she says “Stay!” she comes.
Seeing the world a little differently than everyone else makes it easy to be misunderstood. Rae wants Phebe to fall into line, but Phebe can’t help but be herself.
Will Phebe ever learn to be a perfect pup?
LINK
Join the Kickstarter Army: https://www.lorenaproiabooks.com/kickstarter
Lorena M. Proia is the author and illustrator of the award-winning How to Make a Sandwich. She splits her time between being a city mouse just outside of Boston and a country mouse in the Berkshire Mountains. When she’s not drawing or designing, she’s hiking or playing Dog Agility with her two Australian Shepherds.
You can find out more about her, Phebe, and her books at www.lorenaproiabooks.com.
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Seeing the world a little differently than everyone else makes it easy to be misunderstood. Rae wants Phebe to fall into line, but Phebe can’t help but be herself.
Will Phebe ever learn to be a perfect pup?
LINK
Join the Kickstarter Army: https://www.lorenaproiabooks.com/kickstarter
About the Author:
Lorena M. Proia is the author and illustrator of the award-winning How to Make a Sandwich. She splits her time between being a city mouse just outside of Boston and a country mouse in the Berkshire Mountains. When she’s not drawing or designing, she’s hiking or playing Dog Agility with her two Australian Shepherds.
You can find out more about her, Phebe, and her books at www.lorenaproiabooks.com.
.png "How to Be Best in Class Virtual Book Tour Header")
From Me:
Rae takes her dog, Phebe, to obedience class. Unfortunately, Phebe is a bit overdramatic and not a rule follower. She sees the world a little differently from the other dogs. And her classmates don't really enjoy or differences. Phebe seems to do the opposite with each command. When it finally comes to playing fetch, Phebe goes above and beyond. She sees the other dogs struggling to do it correctly, so she goes and fetches all of the balls for them. That is when Rae realizes how special Phebe's outlook on life truly is and accepts her just as she is.
There are so many things to love in this book. Phebe sees the world as she wants to. Her days revolve around what she does with Rae. It is obvious there is love between them. Rae takes Phebe to obedience class in hopes to have her behave better or more like the other dogs, but Phebe has her own ideas of how to behave. She does the opposite of orders and then the instructor and Rae seem disappointed, and the other dogs are annoyed. When Phebe tries to help the other dogs with fetch by doing it for them Rae gets a glimpse of how Phebe truly is and is reminded just how wonderful Phebe can be. It is then that Rae just accepts Phebe as she is and doesn't try to change her. It is always wonderful when we accept someone for who he/she truly is and I love that it is the message in this book.
Kids are going to enjoy the story. Phebe misbehaving or at least not following the orders will have them laughing. Phebe is a bit overdramatic at times. They will also enjoy the story and see the real Phebe and how wonderful she truly is when she does all the fetching. It is a book any animal lover will enjoy. It is great for independent reading or a story time. If read with an adult, I would love a discussion about how to accept people for who they are. It helps us remember we all see the world differently and approach our tasks uniquely.
Giveaway:
Back this book on Kickstarter to help reach its funding goal AND enter our giveaway for the chance to win an extra-special bundle featuring a signed copy of the first book in this delightful series, How to Make a Sandwich, a matching set of Phebe-n-Me T-shirts (one child size and one adult size), and a gorgeous collection of 12 blank note cards with Phebe-n-Me designs. Good luck!
