Jayne’s Puggleton Park Reading List
Puggleton Park #1 by Deanna Kizis
Meet Penelope the pug in the first book of this delightful series set in Regency-era London!
Penelope is a pleasant little pug who has quite the quandary: All she can remember is that she lost her Lady in the park while chasing the most dreadful squirrel. Now she dreams of one day finding a new Lady and a permanent place to stay. So when she finds herself taken in by the kind Lady Diggleton, she can’t believe her luck!
But Penelope soon discovers that Lady Diggleton is searching for her previous owner and worries she will have to leave the Lady she’s come to love. To make matters worse, that dreadful squirrel keeps poking its nose in wherever Penelope happens to be. However shall she keep herself from chasing it again and ruining all hopes of tea parties, elegant balls, and a forever home?
Perfect for readers of the Diary of a Pug series and future fans of Bridgerton and Jane Austen, the adorably illustrated pages of Puggleton Park are sure to charm chapter book readers.
Review
Do you want to read a book tailor made for elementary grade Bridgerton fans who have pets? Look no further than Puggleton Park and Penelope the Pug who loses one Lady but gains another all due to a Dreadful Squirrel with a sweet tooth. It’s froth but it’s lovely froth.
Cuddly pug Penelope is at a picnic in the Park with her Lady when a Dreadful Squirrel steals a raspberry tart. Of course Penelope must give chase but in doing so, she gets not a little bit lost but a lot of bit lost. Weeks pass while Penelope lives in the park and stands outside houses hosting balls, all in the hope of sniffing her Lady. Penelope doesn’t find her original Lady but is scooped up by Lady Diggleton, a recent widow with (apparently) only one housemaid who must clean the entire house (except for the kitchen) and whose pug bathing techniques are not Penelope’s favorite though Penelope must admit that the end result is good.
Kind Lady Diggleton attempts to find Penelope’s Lady but after a disastrous afternoon tea party, several things are put into motion that will determine what will happen to Penelope.
The line drawings are darling, Penelope is a dear, and Lady Diggleton is an excellent friend of animals. This is definitely a book with kinda historical-ish tones but which isn’t afraid to play with the reality of the time and I’m not referring to the many lovely characters who are obviously people of color. No, it’s the full bathroom with running taps and the gramophone pictured on one of the pages that amused me.
Fear not, pet friends. Lady Diggleton and Penelope find their HEA (after attending a pet ball at which Penelope and Lady Diggleton waltz) and Penelope’s former owner is fine with how things turn out. B
AmazonBNKoboAREGoogle Play Store
Penelope and the Curse of the Canis Diamond #2 by Deanna Kizis
Follow Penelope the pug in the second book of this delightful series set in Regency-era London!
Penelope the pug is completely content in her new forever home with Lady Diggleton. So when her beloved owner receives an invitation to meet the Queen at Windsor Castle—and an instruction to bring the pug along—Penelope couldn’t be more pleased for her Lady’s good fortune.
However, once the two arrive at the castle, their fortune starts to seem less than fortunate. The Queen commands Penelope to befriend her own pup, a snooty dog named Duchess whose manners are most offensive, and who wants nothing to do with the poor pug.
But when the Queen’s prized Canis diamond ring goes missing and Duchess stands accused, Penelope—who knows the dog is innocent—must find a way to defend her. If the pug is certain that her fellow canine didn’t commit the crime, though, can she clear Duchess’s name by determining who did?
Review
The second book in the series about Penelope the Pug and her adventures takes us to Windsor Castle for Lady Diggleton and her bestie Lady Picklebottom to be awarded by the Queen for their work in rehoming abandoned dogs. While there Penelope will have to solve a mystery and – maybe – will make a friend.
Yeah so here is some more frothy fun for elementary grade children to read in a quasi Regency world that has typewriters, relaxed manners and very few servants. Penelope learns about snooty royal dogs as well as friendship. When things look dire for Duchess, it’s up to Penelope to put her thinking cap on and save the day.
The illustrations are still charming, the love that Penelope and her Lady have is still wonderful, and yay for the Queen bringing the good work that is being done for homeless dogs to the notice of … I’m not quite sure but I would think the local newspaper will cover it.
I guessed who stole the Queen’s diamond ring and from how this story ended, it would appear that there will be further adventures for Penelope and her Lady. B
AmazonBNKoboAREGoogle Play Store
