Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
What an adorable story! I really like the illustrations. This is a great picture book for any kid who likes animals. And I like that the setting is a retirement home.

We have a program called Paws To Read at our library. I think this book would be a great addition to our collection. We have the other titles in the series and this book explains how dogs get to be therapy dogs. I will recommend this to all of my dog loving readers .

It’s Star’s birthday when her mother asks Madeline if Star is ready for his test. Star has been practicing. Practicing meeting people, sitting still as a bike goes by, meeting other dogs, too. Madeline knows that he’s going to make the best therapy dog ever.

The next day Madeline, her mother and Star go to the Retirement Village for his test. She reminds Star that it’s his job to make people smile. Mr. Finch is there with a clipboard to make sure that Star will be a good therapy dog.

She and her mom together walk Star around the room, stopping when Mr. Finch says, “Stop please” and walking again when he says, “proceed.” Madeline reinforces him with “Good job, Star.” When Mr. Finch crouches down in front of him, and pets Star, he is calm. When a nurse walks by with a wheelchair, he is calm. The last test is for them to drop the leash and walk away, and for Star to stay… but instead he walks to a woman in a wheelchair, and gives her his paw.

On his second test, he visits with the residents, after more studying with Madeline all that week. Star visits with the residents, and everyone is happy, except for Mr. Humphrey, who sits in a wheelchair with his back to everyone.

For his third test, Madeline practices with Star for things she hopes will make Mr. Humphrey smile. When it’s time to go, she packs some books in her backpack, hoping she can break through to Mr. Humphrey. Once there, another test – cookies left on the floor, which Star leaves alone. But Madeline won’t be happy until she can make Mr. Humphrey smile, too.

Loved this story, an ode to books and dogs, and reaching out to others who need a friend to help them smile again.


Pub Date: 01 Sep 2020

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Publisher Spotlight / Peachtree Publishing Company

#MadelineFinnandtheTherapyDog #NetGalley

A fantastic book to help children understand a therapy dog's job. This story also provided opportunities to explore empathy and how to respond when someone is hesitant and resistant to receive support and help.

This is the third installment of Lisa Papp’s Madeline Finn series, and this one is my favorite so far. Madeline Finn is a true dog lover, from Bonnie, the therapy dog at the public library who helped her learn to read, to this story of Star, Bonnie’s puppy who Madeline adopted. Star has trained to be a therapy dog and this book is about the three tests he must pass at a retirement center.

I love Madeline Finn and her dogs. This book has an especially sweet message about being patient with people, accepting them for who they are, and being there waiting for when they are ready to interact. A must-have for elementary school libraries and a perfect gift when looking for picture books for kids. I will be very disappointed if this one is not on our state reading award list!

Madeline is training Star the dog to become a therapy dog and they go into a retirement home to complete the three tests they need for Star to be certified. The illustrations are beautiful and the story is very sweet about Star and Madeline warming the heart of a lonely old man.

Meet Madeline, an eager and inspirational girl,who is eager to help her dog Star pass his assessments to be a therapy animal. Filled with patience, love, and a story seldom heard in children's books, discover if Star will join this group of service animals. Illustrations are light and airy, which makes reading and discussing aging in an approachable way for kids. You may need to bring your box of tissues too! Madeline is a great role model for modern kids!

This is an adorable picture book just like the Madeline Finn books before this one. I love this series.

This is a book that feels soft. Wonderful and soothing, this is an excellent addition to the Madeline Finn series.

What do therapy dogs do? How do you train them? With charming text and illustrations, we follow Madeline and her dog Star through the process. Made me want to trade places with Madeline and do good work with a beloved pet. A delightful book #3 in the series featuring this dynamic duo.

5 of 5 Stars

Pub Date 01 Sep 2020

Thanks to the author, Publisher Spotlight, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

#MadelineFinnandtheTherapyDog #NetGalley

Madeline finn and the therapy dog is a loving story. I liked how it showed a condensed version of how to become a therapy dog and also showed the importance of therapy dogs.

I loved Madeline Finn and the Library Dog (as goofy as the ending may have been), but this book make me tear up. Realistic re: the therapy dog testing process, and a sweet story for all. Lovely art as well.

I absolutely love the illustrations in these books! Madeline Finn and the dogs are so adorable. I come away from reading wanting a dog of my own to hug.

In this book, Star (the dog) is old enough to become a therapy dog. So Madeline Finn and her mother take Star to Walker Oaks, a retirement community, to take the requisite tests. Star does well... but Madeline Finn notices an old man who seems to need a bit of love. Will she and Star be able to break through his defences?

This is a lovely story with strong writing and gorgeous illustrations. I noticed one missing quotation mark, but as this is an ARC, hopefully that will be sorted out in the final version. Other than that, I really enjoyed this one. Readers who fell in love with Madeline Finn in her previous books will probably find plenty to love here as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read and review.

This is a sweet story about a little girl who is training her dog, Star, to be a therapy dog. We get to see how Star behaves and what he does for residents of a nursing home. I would love to bring this into a classroom when we talk about dogs with jobs.

I love Madeline Finn and the library dog. This one is no different. Star is training to become a therapy dog at a nursing. First, she must pass 3 tests. Madeline has been practicing with her every day. This is a sweet book that shows perseverance.