I gave this book three stars - it is a fun rhyming book that has some bright and colourful illustrations. In the story the little girl asks why she should bother with kindergarten when she and her dog can do all those daily events themselves! That works out fine until they try to read a book... A nice little story that helps children understand the importance of school and learning.

This was an excellent morning read for my son and I. We loved the illustrations and the story being told from both dog and child perspective. This book speaks to the power of a child's idea over parent suggestion and insistence.

Excellent. Good read. Good characters and story flow. Fun to read with kids and discuss. Recommend reading.

This was a cute book to help prepare children for kindergarten. It was better than I originally thought it would be and I will definitely purchase it for my pre-k library.

Stella Isabelle Harden is trying to decide if she wants to go to Kindergarten or not. At first she thinks no because her puppy told her so. As she rethinks her day at school she imagines all that she will do. Everything is going great until it is story time. Stella decides then she has to go so she can read her puppy Buster stories. Buster also gives the best wet kisses.

This book would be great for any child fixing to start school. It is written in rhyme. The pictures are spectacular. It is a short read but really will help a child who is afraid of starting school.

I received this book from the author or publisher on netgalley.com to read and review.

Kindergarten can never be as good or educational as the lessons you can get from your dog. They can teach you to run and play and avoid naps. But they are not so good at reading stories. This is something you learn in kindergarten. So off Stella Isabell Harden goes. This story is fun and the rhymes march to a nice cadence. Perfect to add to any library collection.

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Stella Isabella Harden
contemplating kindergarten
declared she didn't have to go,
because her puppy told her so.

I really liked everything about this book. As you can see from the opening, this book is written in rhyme, but in a fun, humourous way that will entertain children. The illustrations are wonderful. The emotions they show, love, happiness, enjoyment, using full page colourful illustrations will delight young and old readers.

It is time to go start kindergarten, but Stella Isabella Harden has made up her mind to skip it because her puppy, Buster, told her to do it. She tries to convince her parents that Buster can teach her everything she would learn in kindergarten. They plan their day with outdoor playtime together and head off to the park. They play on the swings, try to have a picnic snack, build a tent for naptime and then read a story. Every activity ends up with a big slobbery kiss from Buster. Even though things do not go as planned, Isabella is happy until ...... When storytime comes, Buster waits patiently, but Isabella can't read. Buster tells her with a look and a touch that she needs to go to school and learn to read so she can read him stories.

This is a wonderful book for a read aloud to a young child preparing for kindergarten. It gives them some information about what activities their day might consist of. It is a happy, fun story that will leave the reader and the listener smiling. A wonderful book for a family library.

Stella Isabella Harden
contemplating kindergarten
declared she didn't have to go,
because her puppy told her so.

Let me begin by saying I loved everything about this book. The illustrations just knock it out of the park. They ooze happiness and love and are so inviting to a young reader to encourage him to read on. The message, written in rhyme, is humorous, inspiring and just great fun.

The school bell is about to toll and Stella Isabella Harden has made up her mind to skip kindergarten because her puppy, Buster, told her to do it.

"He speaks in wags and kisses. I can hear them plain as day."

She has to find a way to convince her parents that that's the right thing for her to do. She decides to reimagine kindergarten and zooms off with her puppy to make it happen. They have outdoor playtime together and end up on the park swings. Their picnic snack doesn't go as planned but who cares.... BIG slobbery kiss smacks from Buster make everything alright. Next comes naptime followed by story time. There's a small problem when Stella Isabella Harden opens the book and tries to read... she falters and realizes that she is unable to read the words aloud to her best buddy Buster which makes him sad. Oh my! Can wise Buster convince Stella that maybe, just maybe, Kindergarten must become a reality so she can read her favourite books to her beloved canine... him?

This perfect read-aloud and heartwarming tale is a joy to share with a little one that may be going off to kindergarten for the first time. This book is a winner from beginning to end and I highly, highly recommend it. The happiness contained between the covers will spill out on you and you will find yourself smiling... guaranteed.

"Stella Isabella Harden contemplating kindergarten declared she didn't have to go...because her puppy told her so." Stella Isabella is determined that her puppy told her that she doesn't have to attend kindergarten, so she begins to imagine what kindergarten would be like with her pup teaching her. So adventures are had, playing, games, reading, naps and many many doggy kisses Isabella makes a decision...

So the decision I cannot share because you will need to read it to find out, but what I can tell you is that I highly recommend this book. The words rhyme which help children to learn the words more easily, the illustrations are stunning (I applaud you Macky Pamintuan), and the author has written two lovable characters who face the fear of many little people as they begin their kindergarten year.

"When pressed on how she knew his wishes, she said, he speaks in wags and kisses. I can hear him plain as day. but mum and dad had more to say." This line in the book sums up one of the very important parts of the book, the beautiful friendship between Stella Isabella and her pup. For a child this comfort may be from a toy, or a bit of blanket or even their parent, that security blanket that you fear to leave behind.

So if you get a chance, Stella Isabella will take you on a kindergarten journey with lots of hugs and kisses and a bit of doggy wisdom.

Stella has decided that she can skip kindergarten and just hang out with her dog, and that she will do everything that she would do at school, but do it with her dog. And it all looks as though she would have gotten away with it to, if wasn't for the pesky fact that she can't read, and she wants to read to her dog.

So, in the end, after having snack time, and nap time, and playtime, she realizes that she will have to go to kindergarten after all so that she can lear to read, and she can do story time with her dog.

Aww, this is such a cute book. Go out and buy it for all your reluctant kindergarteners.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

This wasn't formatted very well for my Kindle, so the illustrations were rough and disordered. That being said, the story is cute, but not anything we haven't seen before. I'm hoping that my neutral feelings for this story are because it was lost in the translation to the Kindle version. :(