"I wagged my tail, whined, rolled
|on my back, and barked happily
until he smiled, and then I licked
his hand.
We became instant friends."
If your family met Perla in Ms. Allende's first book about him last year (Perla the Mighty Dog), you are sure to be happy to meet up with him again in this new adventure. Perla is a frisky pup and his best friend is Nico Rico. In case you don't remember, Perla has two recognizable superpowers: he can make anyone love him, and he can roar like a lion? Will they come in handy this time?
When the Pirate moves in next door, the family has differing opinions about him. Nico and Perla are a touch afraid of him. Putting on a brave face, they check him out. Turns out he is quite a friendly guy. He invites Perla and Rico to listen in while his band, Pirates, practices.
As happens, one day Mom and Perla are late picking Nico up from school. After a long wait, Nico starts out on his own. Not a good idea, it seems. Perla is unconcerned as he knows how to follow Nico's scent. In their panic to find Nico, none of the adults pay attention to his barking. Perla heads for home to get Nico's sister Liz to help. It is a long way. All the while Perla is imagining how scared and lost Nico must feel.
Once home, he ROARS for Liz, who cannot hear him because of her headphones. Luckily, the Pirate shows up at just the right time. With his help, Liz is alerted and the three are off to do their best to help with the search. Liz and the Pirate know that Perla will find Nico if they just follow him. They are absolutely right!
Perla's first-person voice is welcome, the laughs are appreciated, and good feelings are at the forefront of this story. Bright watercolor-and-ink artwork is detailed and most enjoyable.
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