Captain Pug

by Laura James, Églantine Ceulemans (Illustrator)

Overview

Pug is going on a seafaring adventure. He's had jam tarts for breakfast. He's wearing a smart sailor suit. There's just one problem. Pug is afraid of the water!

Captain Pug is the first book in a glorious new illustrated series about roly-poly Pug and his human, Lady Miranda. It was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2017 and is perfect for fans of Claude and Squishy McFluff.

A great book with lovely pictures and typography for five- to seven-year-olds who are starting to read for themselves and like dogs with multiple chins - The Times on COWBOY PUG

Gorgeous funny young fiction - Bookseller on CAPTAIN PUG

Highly entertaining, wittily illustrated and fun to read alone - Julia Eccleshare, LoveReading4Kids on CAPTAIN PUG

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781408866375
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	05/05/2016
Series:	Adventures of Pug Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	128
Lexile:	NC760L (what's this?)
File size:	9 MB
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Laura James's love of storytelling began at an early age and led her to undertake a degree in Film Studies and an MA in Writing for Young People at Bath Spa University. Laura lives near Bath with her two dachshunds, Brian and Florence.

Églantine Ceulemans was born in Belgium, where she spent her childhood devouring comics, before moving to France to study illustration. As well as drawing, she loves riding her blue bicycle, cooking (which she is not very good at) and cleaning windows (which she is very good at). Églantine lives in Lyon, France.
Laura James's love of storytelling began at an early age and led her to undertake a degree in Film Studies and an MA in Writing for Young People at Bath Spa University. Laura's debut novel Captain Pug was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize in 2017. Laura lives near Bath with her two dachshunds, Brian and Florence.
Églantine Ceulemans was born in Belgium where she spent her childhood devouring comics before moving to France to study illustration. As well as drawing, she loves riding her blue bicycle, cooking (which she is not very good at) and cleaning windows (which she is very good at). Églantine lives in Lyon, France.

Editorial Reviews

02/27/2017
A dog with a fear of the water reluctantly embarks on an aquatic misadventure. Pug lives in a posh townhouse with his child guardian, the equally pampered Lady Miranda, where they gorge themselves on jam tarts and are attended to by footmen. A trip to the lake results in a series of unexpected diversions for Pug (whom Lady Miranda has dressed in a sea captain’s outfit), as he gets separated from his young mistress, helps a team of rowers win a race, and sets sail with another girl. Newcomer James creates a quirky, mixed-up setting (the tale is set in the present day, yet Lady Miranda’s footmen wear powdered wigs and cart her around in a sedan chair), and Ceulemans’s airy pen-and-ink drawings, accented with peach and bright blue, draw out the story’s physical comedy, particularly during a climactic helicopter rescue at the local swimming pool. Ages 6–9. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Newcomer James creates a quirky, mixed-up setting . . . and Ceulemans's airy pen-and-ink drawings, accented with peach and bright blue, draw out the story's physical comedy.” —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

★ 10/01/2016
Gr 1–3—Meet Pug. He lives with his best friend, Lady Miranda; her housekeeper; and two running footmen. Today, the two friends have been invited to go pedal boating. Lady Miranda dubs her canine pal Captain Pug. Being terrified of water, the dog isn't so thrilled. Soon Pug gets separated from Lady Miranda before he can become a real captain. He ends up on the adventure of his life, which involves picnic baskets, a bus, a rowing team, and even a girl in a dinghy. Meanwhile, Lady Miranda and her footmen are desperate to find Pug and look high and low to find him. Pug is a fun, engaging character, while Lady Miranda is caring and will remind young readers of Fancy Nancy and Eloise. The plot is simple but humorous. The text and illustrations are well balanced and will encourage children transitioning to chapter books. The illustrations are detailed and complement the text, adding depth and humor to the story. VERDICT Fans of dogs and animal adventures will have a hard time putting this one down.—Kira Moody, Whitmore Public Library, Salt Lake City

School Library Journal

2016-11-16
Pug and Lady Miranda have a seafaring adventure…in a manner of speaking.Lady Miranda, who lives at No. 10, The Crescent, has a birthday party to attend at the boating lake according to Wendy, the housekeeper. Lady Miranda decides that Pug will attend in a captain's uniform; though Pug would rather stay home and eat jam tarts, he wants to please Lady Miranda. Running Footman Will and Running Footman Liam, dressed in their old-fashioned costumes, carry Lady Miranda and Capt. Pug to the lake in a sedan chair. Due to an enticing picnic basket that harbors the possibility of more jam tarts, Capt. Pug finds himself separated from Lady Miranda. He formulates a brilliant plan to reunite with her: become such a famous sea captain that she'll hear about him and find him. But first he must overcome his fear of water! James' ostentatiously English debut and series starter offers likable characters in sweet, devoted, and clueless Pug and his privileged young white mistress (no parents in evidence here); their silly, simple adventure is sure to please young Anglophiles (and pugophiles). French illustrator Ceulemans' plentiful, Eloise-esque, two-color illustrations are expressive and endearing. Just the ticket for children transitioning to chapters. (Fiction. 5-9)

Kirkus Reviews