Poppy the Pirate Dog and the Missing Treasure

Title: Poppy the Pirate Dog and the Missing Treasure

Author: Liz Kessler

Illustrator: Mike Phillips

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Year: 2015

ISBN: 978-0-7636-7497-7

Summary: Poppy, the pirate dog, and her crew were planning a very special pirate show for Mom’s birthday. Poppy’s job was to guard the treasure. But when she took the treasure to a special hiding place, Poppy tripped, spilling the treasure everywhere, and hurt her eye. The kids took Poppy to the vet for a cool pirate eye-patch, but Poppy ended up with a silly cone instead. When it came time to celebrate Mom’s birthday, Dad couldn’t find the gift he bought for her. Luckily, Poppy remembered seeing something sparkly wrapped up around a big rock in the yard. She led the kids to the treasure and finding the neighbor’s pet turtle as well. Poppy was a hero and the show went on with the turtle as the treasure keeper instead.

Literary Merit: This Easy Reader is formatted like an Early Chapter Book. It’s shorter length makes it a good transition title into Early Chapter Books. It has many characters, both animal and human, and a story line which weaves more than one theme throughout the plot.

Kid Appeal: Pirates, lost treasures, pet heroes, and birthdays! Beginning Independent Readers (usually 8-10 years old) will enjoy the complexity of this story.

Disclaimer: This book was nominated for the 2015 CYBILS Award in the Easy Reader category. This review is shared as part of the Round One Judging. It is solely my own opinion and not influenced by any other parties.