Perla The Mighty Dog

by Isabel Allende, Sandy Rodríguez (Illustrator)

Overview

In the first children's book written by critically acclaimed, New York Times-bestselling superstar Isabel Allende, Perla, the mighty dog, teaches her human brother, Nico Rico, how to use his superpowers to stand up to a bully.

Perla is a mighty dog who has two superpowers—making people love her, and roaring like a lion. When she finds out her human brother, Nico Rico, is being bullied at school, she knows she has to step in! But what will Perla do?

In a charming and poignant story about the bond between child and pet, Isabel Allende makes her children's literary debut.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593623596
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	05/28/2024
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD650L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Isabel Allende, a novelist, feminist, and philanthropist, is one of the most widely read authors in the world, having sold more than 77 million copies of her twenty-six books across forty-two languages. In addition to her work as a writer, Isabel devotes much of her time to human rights causes. She has received fifteen honorary doctorates, was inducted into the California Hall of Fame, and received the PEN Center Lifetime Achievement Award and the Anisfield-Wolf Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2014, President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, and in 2018 she received the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters from the National Book Foundation. She lives in California with her husband and dogs, one of whom is named Perla. You can visit Isabel Allende at IsabelAllende.com or follow her on Instagram @AllendeIsabel, on Facebook at Facebook.com/IsabelAllende, and on X @IsabelAllende.

Sandy Rodríguez is a self-taught artist and illustrator. She grew up in Mexico surrounded by lots of family. (She has more than 30 cousins!) Inspired by everyday moments, Sandy loves creating playful characters with quirky personalities. Her favorite medium is watercolor and ink, but she also experiments with colored paper and gouache. Sandy lives in London with her husband and two fantastic daughters. You can visit Sandy Rodríguez at SandyRodriguez.co.uk or follow her on Instagram @SandyRodriguezG and on X @Sandrelenrod.

Hometown:

San Rafael, California

Date of Birth:

August 2, 1942

Place of Birth:

Lima, Peru

Website:

http://www.isabelallende.com

Editorial Reviews

03/11/2024

Confident and voluble, pooch protagonist Perla—wearing a pink pearl necklace with a star pendant—narrates Chilean American author Allende’s picture book debut, demonstrating that fierceness and love can be two sides of the same coin. Perla has “two superpowers. Number one: I can make anybody love me. Number two: I can roar like a lion.” Before launching into the main drama, Perla supplies ample backstory, describing young human Nico Rico’s persuading his family to take Perla in (“He threatened to stop breathing and die on the spot if they didn’t”), Nico’s family (their home “once belonged to a wizard”), and more. Meandering text eventually reveals Nico’s anguish about being bullied at school, and describes a day at the park when the family encounters a large, unleashed canine. Using superpower number two, Perla chases the marauder off, a move that inspires Nico to confront the school bully with the same joyous ferocity. Sprightly, animated watercolor and ink drawings by Rodriguez (Lola and the Troll) adhere to the text, maintaining the story’s high energy level and finding ways to include the touches of domestic magic gestured to throughout this sprightly tale about an unlikely animalian hero. Human characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 4–8. (May)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Perla The Mighty Dog:

An Amazon Best Book of the Month! A TODAY Show Read with Jenna Jr pick!

"Confident and voluble, pooch protagonist Perla . . . [demonstrates] that fierceness and love can be two sides of the same coin. Sprightly, animated watercolor and ink drawings by Rodriguez (Lola and the Troll) . . . include the touches of domestic magic gestured to throughout this sprightly tale." —Publishers Weekly

"Allende has crafted a winsome portrait of a miniature, magical dog whose droll commentary makes for a fab read-aloud . . . Rodríguez’s vivid watercolor-and-ink artwork . . .  [pulls] readers along in the fun from page to page . . . Paws up for this personable pooch." —Kirkus Reviews

"Allende's story emphasizes not only the importance of standing up to bullies but also that being small doesn't mean you have to feel small. Rodriguez's expressive and playful watercolor-and-ink illustrations give Perla fittingly large personality." —Booklist


"[Perla] narrates this story with . . . the type of cheekiness that will have kids giggling. The silly figures of a small wizard and mouse scampering around . . . makes for a cute seek-and-find that adds another layer of engagement for observant kids. [C]hildren will want to read more Perla adventures." —School Library Journal

From the Publisher

06/21/2024

PreS-Gr 2—In this charming, first-ever children's book from acclaimed novelist Allende, a little dog inspires her owner to stand up to a bully. Perla is a rambunctious and small dog who was adopted by Nico and his family. She narrates this story with confidence and the type of cheekiness that will have kids giggling. The puppy introduces herself to readers and declares that she has two superpowers—the ability to make anyone fall in love with her because of her kindness and a super loud roar. One day, as she takes her family to the park, Perla meets a squirrel. During her quarrel with the critter, a big, scary dog starts chasing her. Everyone is afraid for the little dog, but the title character scares him off with her second superpower—a deafening roar. This inspires Nico to face his own bully at school with the same response. Rodríguez's whimsical illustrations are fun and bright. The watercolor-and-ink images are cheerful and will entice kids to keep turning pages. The silly figures of a small wizard and mouse scampering around on each page makes for a cute seek-and-find that adds another layer of engagement for observant kids. The conflict is resolved pretty quickly, and the message that learning karate will help resolve bullying is a bit murky. Still, children will want to read more Perla adventures. Nico wears glasses. His mom and older sister have pale skin and his father has light brown skin. VERDICT A fun purchase where puppy stories are popular, especially as a read-aloud pick.—Shelley M. Diaz

School Library Journal

2024-03-23
In renowned Chilean American author Allende’s picture-book debut, a benevolent dog teaches a young boy a new trick.

Perla, a small, scraggly shelter dog wearing a pearl necklace, possesses two so-called superpowers: the ability to “make anybody love me” and, even more impressive, given the dog’s tiny stature, an enormous roar. The Rico family arrives at the animal shelter intending to adopt a formidable guard dog, but Perla manages to impress them with that immense roar and an assist from bespectacled young Nico Rico, whose insistence seals the deal. Perla proves vital to the Rico family—the canine even helps the family’s lazy house cat, Lucy, banish mice. If only Perla could help Nico with his bullying woes at school! After Perla confronts a ferocious, dragonlike dog at the park one day, Nico asks the mighty mutt to “teach him the lion roar.” Perla obliges—with hilarious results. Allende has crafted a winsome portrait of a miniature, magical dog whose droll commentary makes for a fab read-aloud, often elevating the central theme—finding the courage to stand up to one’s bullies—above tepid familiarity. Rodríguez’s vivid watercolor-and-ink artwork focuses on dynamic body movements and close-ups amid lush backdrops, pulling readers along in the fun from page to page. Nico and his dad have light tan skin, and his mom and teen sister read white.

Paws up for this personable pooch. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews