A Dog Named Tulip (Book) Review

Twins Maryn and Anna Joseph pen a sweet little tale of a thoughtful Mother’s Day gift.

A Dog Named Tulip is a recent entry into the trendy practice of publishing books written by children. It’s a story originally written by the authors at the age of nine, and illustrated by a young friend, presented as a short hardcover volume for kids, by kids.

The book tells a story of a young girl named Jessica who is on the search for a Mother’s Day gift to present to her mom. She never forgets to honor her mother with a gift, and this year she has decided to present her with a bouquet of flowers she has picked herself. As she makes her way to the meadow, she stumbles upon an even better gift – a puppy. Jessica decides that the sweet little puppy would make a perfect gift to present to her dear Mom, and so she brings the puppy home and hides it away for the next day. At their special family dinner, Jessica sneaks the puppy along to the restaurant and surprises her mother with the perfect present.

I like the idea of kids writing for kids – after all, who better to hit on what kids like to hear than other kids? That being said, you can definitely tell that it is kids who have put this book together. The illustrations are cute and colorful, and probably look a lot like the dozens of drawings currently hang on your home’s refrigerator. The story itself is a sweet little tale of a girl finding something her mom would love. Truth being told, though, most mothers would be somewhat horrified to be presented with a puppy with no previous discussion (especially at a restaurant), but I’m sure many a child has fantasized about adding a brand new pet in just such a way.

A Dog Named Tulip is a cute little book about a daughter’s quest for the perfect Mother’s Day gift to present to her mom. It’s a book written and illustrated by children, and that definitely shines through in both the illustration style and how the story plays out. That being said, a story of finding a puppy and triumphantly presenting it to your mom definitely appeals to young children (even if their parents are just hoping they won’t get any ideas).