A sweet story of finding where you belong, with a cute Pug main character. In Janina Kelly’s vibrant picture book we meet Paula the Pug who lived a luxurious life in a castle until her human had to send her to live in the mountains. In her new chalet home her human is grumpy and she is laughed at by her neighbours. A chance encounter of a family of marmots helps to welcome her to her new home. The Pug Who Didn't Belong is a really sweet story about belonging, opening up conversations about spreading kindness, friendship and how hard it is moving to a strange place. The rhyming text flows naturally, and makes this a gentle sounding story that young readers will enjoy and could work nicely as a bedtime story. I liked the introduction of the marmots and the move to the mountains may also spark curiosity in young readers about the different wildlife in the mountains that may be unfamiliar to them. The illustrations by Tommy Hardman bring this rhyming story to life with bold colours and cute characters. In all this is a lovely picture book about making a home that encourages empathy and spreading kindness.
Paula the pug lived the life of a princess... Until she found herself in a quaint mountain village, without her human and the comforts she had come to expect. A heartwarming story about new beginnings and the power of friendship. In a delightfully fun rhyming text with warm, painterly illustrations, young readers meet Paula the pug, a spoiled pup who lived lavishly in a castle with her beloved human until unfortunate circumstances required her to move up to the mountains to live with a grumpy old man. A pug is unusual in this place, and Paula is laughed at by her new neighbours. Lonely and feeling outcast, this pug is determined to turn things around. She makes the unlikeliest of friends with a family of marmots who adore Paula just the way she is. When they decide to share their goodheartedness back at the chalet, it brings brightness and a smile to an old grump, and they learn that home is not a place... it's a feeling.
