Peluche at the Louvre

Peluche, a loveable, soft, brown Schnoodle, whose father was a tough, all-business police dog Schnauzer and whose mother was a beautiful, delicate, curly French Poodle, lives in Paris, the City of Lights, where he enjoys all the exciting tourist attractions. He gazes with delight at the illuminated Eiffel Tower at night, seeing millions of stars instead of twinkling lights. He visits the family-friendly Luxembourg Gardens with its inviting pond and tiny sailboats for the children, its manicured gardens tended to perfection by hard-working gardeners. He loves visiting the majesty of the historic Louvre Museum welcoming its visitors through the enormous glass pyramid into room after room of magnificent art. He identifies with his tough police dog father as he tries to solve crimes and help anyone in need, but unfortunately, he finds himself unintentionally creating total chaos and mayhem in the process. Though he is dedicated to whatever the cause, determined to be successful in righting every wrong and solving any problem he encounters, he manages to anger the museum guards, the hard-working gardeners and anyone who happens to get in his way of accomplishing his mission. Inevitably, he wins everyone over as he brings each crisis to a happy ending by using his canine charm and inborn, keen sense of smell.Peluche at the Louvre is the first in a series of stories set in Paris, which will endear this well-meaning, beret-wearing Schnoodle to his readers. Written in rhythmic rhyme, it is a fun story to read aloud especially to young children who enjoy dogs, listening to rhyme and humorous adventures. Children who are culturally curious as well as parents who value art and education will find Peluche at the Louvre an entertaining read as it introduces children to famous places. The author’s humor and energy keep the pace strong and enjoyable. Readers will also appreciate the varied emotional responses of the characters, the overwhelming fear of the mother whose child is missing, the complete frustration of the museum guards, the empathy and determination of the hero-dog.The author weaves cultural credibility into the story by scattering recognizable works of fine art throughout. Peluche at the Louvre includes a mixture of humor, adventure and education which increase cross-market appeal, that is, libraries, schools and museum stores. Adding a comic rescue adventure with a dog hero gives a fresh appeal to a well-established category of museum/art picture books.