Guinness the Good Girl

It's no secret that kids love Dalmatians, but Guinness the Good Girl(TM) might just be the most lovable Dalmatian of all, because she loves both kids and adults right back. In the G3 Book Series(TM), Guinness and her best friend Dottie meet all kinds of interesting people in often hilarious situations.

This first installment of the series is Guinness's origin story, where she comes to Dottie as a sometimes-troublesome puppy and grows into the adorable Guinness the Good Girl! This is a fun book that kids love, but it also includes themes of working hard to attain one's goals and touches on the responsibilities of being a dog owner. It also explains why Dalmatians are known as fire dogs. It concludes with a short section of Dalmatian facts, including how they once worked as fire dogs and coach dogs, as well as some interesting facts about their spots.

Booklife Review

Takeaway: Adorable adventures between a smart young girl and her Dalmatian.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A-
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

In this heart-warming children's book, Dottie, on the cusp of her eighth birthday, is finally getting "her biggest wish" the puppy she's always wanted. But first she has to make straight As on her report card and save up "50 big ones" to pay for a dog license. Dottie knows right away that she wants a Dalmatian puppy, and at the pet shop, Daphne's Dal House, she makes fast friends with a pup named "Nothin' but Trouble," though she has the good sense to rename the pup Guinness The Good Girl. As the pair bonds, Dottie trains Guinness to become a well-behaved dog that knows a few tricks (such as the biscuit roll), while Guinness teaches Dottie a thing or two as well, like the quickest way to get into a piggy bank and how to shuffle a crowd.

Set in Tune Town, a burg boasting colorful characters like Stan the Muscle Man and the President of Earl & Roth Enterprises, Guinness the Good Girl will keep young readers-and especially dog lovers-engaged, even as author Gillmann, making his debut, works in valuable lessons about the responsibilities that comes along with pet ownership, naturally, but also the importance of education, saving money, and earning the things we want in life. Guinness creates a little chaos at home but eventually performs heroics around town, proving to be "the good girl" Dottie knew she would from the start.

Penny Weber's illustrations capture the essence of a playful Dalmatian, capturing Dottie and her spots in a host of cute, comical, and exciting poses, each spirited and precise, although some of the human faces are less convincing. With educational facts about Dalmatians such as their heart shaped noses and how they are born without their spots, young readers will grow to love Guinness and look forward to future books in this projected series.