Charlie and the New Baby (Charlie the Ranch Dog)

From School Library Journal K-Gr 2—Charlie the Ranch Dog is concerned. His family has brought a calf inside the house. He knows that "Mama and the kids" will give the calf lots of tender loving care, but when he feels they have forgotten to attend to his needs, he ends his day dreaming about "a time when a dog could lie on his own bed. A time when a dog could get a bath and a belly rub from time to time. A time before this silly ol' calf ever showed up." Charlie's quiet tolerance is rewarded by morning, though. He receives a thank-you lick on the head from the reinvigorated calf. Charlie's enviousness is easy to understand when looking at deGroat's realistic illustrations. His longing for attention is reflected in his facial features and body language. The watercolor-over-digital-art paintings make readers feel at home. Drummond includes a child-friendly recipe for Egg-in-a-Hole at the back of the book.—Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, AB, Canada It sure is nice to be King of the Ranch. Just ask Charlie! His days are filled with belly rubs, bacon, and Mama's special tender loving care. But then his daily routine is interrupted when a new baby shows up! All of a sudden, everyone's attention is on her, and not on Charlie. They tuck her in, feed her dinner, and give her their tender loving care. What is a ranch dog to do? In this heartwarming tale by Ree Drummond—The Pioneer Woman herself—Charlie discovers that even with a new baby at home, there's enough love to go around and that being a big brother is an even bigger job than being King of the Ranch. (Well . . . almost as big!) Ree Drummond is the author of seven #1 New York Times bestselling cookbooks in the Pioneer Woman Cooks series, the New York Times bestsellers Frontier Follies and The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels , and many bestselling children’s books. Her award-winning website, The Pioneer Woman, was founded in 2006, and her top-rated cooking show, The Pioneer Woman, premiered on Food Network in 2011. In the years that followed, Ree launched The Pioneer Woman Magazine , a well-loved line of kitchen and home products at Walmart, and a restaurant, bakery, store, and other businesses in her hometown of Pawhuska, Oklahoma. She lives on a working ranch with her husband, Ladd, and has five adult kids who come home for family meals whenever they can! Diane deGroat is the illustrator of more than 120 children's books and the author-illustrator of bestselling books about Gilbert, including Ants in Your Pants, Worms in Your Plants! (Gilbert Goes Green) ; April Fool! Watch Out at School! ; Mother, You're the Best! (But Sister, You're a Pest!) ; Last One in Is a Rotten Egg! ; and the New York Times bestseller Roses Are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink . Diane lives in Amherst, Massachusetts. Read more