A charming story about a toy poodle with a big dream. ‘The Fancy Schmancy Lifeguard - A Tale of Bravery’ by Gida Boram is a brightly illustrated story about a Buddy the Toy Poodle that yearns to be a Lifeguard, but no one takes him seriously. Then, before he has a chance to prove himself, he moves with his family to London, and it would seem his dreams are dashed, until one fateful day at a carnival. This is a lovely childrens book, with lots of sweet and funny illustrations with a strong message about not judging a book by its cover and to never give up on your ambitions. I liked the inclusion of Bella as narrator, I thought that it was a clever way of letting us into their world while making it clear that the people in the story don’t understand. Young readers may be familiar with the stories of Newfoundlands and other such large breeds being used as rescue dogs. However, Buddy’s ambitions may not be as strange a suggestion as you might think and there’s a fun fact at the end of the story that might even surprise parent readers.
Buddy really, REALLY wants to be a lifeguard. There’s only one problem … He’s just a teeny weeny, fluffy puffy toy poodle! Meet Buddy, an adorable pocket-sized puppy who will stop at nothing to become a lifeguard. He practices hard every day … swimming, diving, rescuing … but no matter how hard he tries, nobody thinks he can do the job. His heart is full of hope, but when the family move from beachside Sydney all the way to chilly London, this determined little dog’s efforts to chase his dreams don’t go to plan at all!
Can he find a way to prove his bravery and show everyone there’s more to him than meets the eye? Buddy will steal your heart, and his spirit-lifting journey will inspire every reader to follow their dreams.
