Marie DimitrovaBesprekingen

This book was lovely. Norman is a horse who wonders where their owner Ellie goes every night. So, they sneak out of the barn and into the house to discover the secrets of Ellie and have a grand adventure. I am more surprised no one heard the horse in the house than by any other part of the story.

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. First off, it was too long and too wordy. Lulu is a dog (probably a pug) and when she sees her owners dancing, she wants to dance too. However, the dance instructor thinks this is not possible. So Lulu sneaks off to a dog dancing academy to make her dreams come true. Overall, the story is cute, but not one I would sit down to read frequently.

It was a good read.

DANG good book! Feel the joy of dancing with your pet in a cute children's story for everyone. Per the author's note, this is based on a true story of the author's pug trying to dance with her and her husband... she takes it MANY steps further, of course. 1-2-3...cha cha cha... The cover of this book makes it SO displayable. Yes, it has a hint of Angelina Ballerina and Ladybug Girl, but the book itself doesn't. I see a "When you dream something, do what you can to achieve it" vibe in this book, and I know I smiled throughout reading it. NOTE: Don't feed you dog pizza, please.

This book was interesting at least. The illustrations were pretty and charming. A dog dreams of dancing, but not everyone including her owners thinks she can dance. With some practice, Lulu learns enough to enter the dance competition. The story, however, seemed a little dense for a picture book, trying to make multiple points about practicing and encouragement. I will say that the dog "acting human" felt a little sudden in the story. It didn't seem to fit with the world set up at the very beginning of the story. In all, I think this story is only recommended for children who are really into dogs and can be skipped for the rest.

This was a delightful book. The story brings the dancing dog Lulu to life. Many lessons are learned from this little pug. I'm sure that our young students will enjoy all of the bright pages that seem to leap off the page. A good story for all dog lovers. I can't wait until we return from the holidays to add it to our story time list.

Thank you, Greenleaf, for our free copy to add to our library.
Augustine School Library

Oh my gosh this was adorable! The watercolor style illustrations were beautiful and playful. The story was fun, and really shows that if you work hard enough and stay focused, you can achieve anything you put your mind to. Lulu was such a fun character, and I can totally understand her love for pizza! A great book and wonderful story overall.

I do not like this book. I'm glad my 5yrold daughter who loves dance and loves dogs is happy to look at the pictures herself because I will never read it again.

The picture-book sins committed by this book are legion. Here are a few:

The book anthropomorphizes animals inconsistently. Sometimes it's a normal dog who can think and likes pizza. Sometimes there's an underground citizen empire. Human's don't seem surprised by dogs appearing in clothes but at the same time think dogs are just dogs. This is, what they call in sff, bad worldbuilding.

The book has a loose grasp on its own meaning. Is it bad to eat food when you good be exercising? And if so, does that end after you win a prize? What sort of messaging is this?

But it seems to feel that kid-lit needs morals so it keeps throwing them in. The dance teacher is presenting like a racist and then changes her tune with the downtrodden race (ie, dogs) end up being good at what she values. I think this was supposed to be heartwarming, but in fact it's a rather horrifying example of poison of tokenism.

In short, bad book. Do not recommend. But I guess I would let a preliterate kid look at the pictures.

The is a very cute picture book, especially for anyone who likes dancing, pugs, New York City, and pizza. Lulu the pug lives with Belle and Doug, a couple who really enjoy dancing. Lulu wants to learn too and gets her chance when she meets Stu, a friendly pug who is part of the Underground Dog Dance Academy. Does Lulu learn to waltz? Who wins the dancing competition at the end of the story? Read it and find out! Many thanks to the publisher, Greenleaf, for the beautiful hardcover edition.

Lulu is lovely! My granddaughter thoroughly enjoyed this story. The illustrations are fabulous as well. My granddaughter lived that it arrived with a sticker and a bookmark too!

A cute book with engaging art and a great message about focusing on your goals in order to achieve them.

Lulu, the titular character, wants to learn to dance after seeing her human family doing so. She meets another pug who offers to teach her, but Lulu keeps getting distracted by pizza. After an embarrassing first exhibition, she buckles down, practices hard, and shows everyone what she can do.

I particularly liked the photo of the real Lulu and the true story behind the book -- unfortunately, it was hidden in the About the Author section! There was also a fun page of "How to Draw" Lulu, which ought to excite the more artistically minded.

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for my review. This is a cute children's book. If a child likes to dance this a good book for them to read. It instills that you need to practice to do well at something and if you don't work hard that your goal is more than likely not going to be obtained. It also has a few other activities in it besides just reading the book. There is a see how many bones are in this book and how to draw LuLu at the end.

This is a adorable children's story that shows children that if they practice they can accomplish their dreams. This book got lots of giggles while reading it. My kids loved that there was a hidden bone fine in the book. Though they disagreed and said that the number of bones was higher then the number count at the end of the book. My son loves pugs and was super excited about the let's draw lulu illustrations at the end of the book. I would recommend this book. So adorable!

We received this book for free with review. My kids loved that there were stickers and a book mark included with the book.

Lulu the pug lives in New York City with her family, Belle and Doug. The three of them do everything together, so Lulu goes with Belle and Doug when they go to their dance lessons; she watches them gracefully waltz and turn and sashay.

Lulu wants to dance, too. She practices at night when Belle and Doug are sleeping; one day, she even tries the waltz during their dance lesson. With a mean laugh, Ms. Harriet, their dance instructor, says that dogs cannot dance.

After the lesson, Lulu is so sad she cannot even eat the pizza from their favorite pizza restaurant.

Then she sees a dog waltzing; the dancing dog, Stu, invites Lulu to come to the Underground Dog Dance Academy. He will teach Lulu to dance.

So Lulu sneaks out late at night and goes to the Dance Academy where Stu teaches her proper dance posture, how to spin, and how to sashay.

But when Lulu and Stu go to the dance recital where Belle and Doug are to dance, Lulu has not practiced enough and she does not dance well. She is disappointed in herself. But Stu says he will help her, if she promises to practice. Soon Lulu is dancing beautifully and they enter the biggest show of the year, the Grand Ballroom Showcase.

Has Lulu practiced enough? Can Stu and Lulu compete successfully in the Showcase? What will happen when Lulu tries dancing again? Can dogs dance?

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Young readers, ages four through seven, are the targeted audience for this delightful picture book, and they are sure to fall in love with Lulu. As the precious pug tries to accomplish something important to her, she doesn’t succeed at first, but she works hard and continues to try until she gets it right and is successful. Stu is encouraging and helpful; Belle and Doug love Lulu unconditionally.

Filled with captivating illustrations and laced with humor, this charming story is perfect for parents and young readers to share and to read over and over again. Young readers are sure to relate to Lulu and cheer for her as she tries to waltz.

To keep young readers involved with the story, there is a “dog bone hunt” in which the children look for dog bones hidden in the pictures [there are eleven, and a couple are very well hidden]. Also, following the story, there are instructions for young readers who would like to draw Lulu. And, because Lulu is a real dog, young readers can visit with her on the author’s website.

Most importantly, the story teaches young readers a lesson [without being preachy] . . . continue to practice, keep trying, don’t give up . . . and your efforts will often lead to success.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher

Lulu the pug lives every dog's dream in New York City with her two adoring people, Bella and Doug. They take walks, visit museums, see shows and eat at Lulu's favorite restaurant, Joey's pizza. When Lulu watches Bella and Doug dance, she wants to waltz like them too, but pugs aren't built to dance. Lulu finds her own doggie dance teacher, but she has to keep practicing. Instead, Lulu keeps getting sidetracked by pizza. Lulu has to put in the work in order to show everyone that dogs can dance too.

Lulu the Unstoppable Dancing Dog is a fun and inspiring story about sticking with it and reaching for your goals. Lulu is a fun and lovable character. Even though she is a dog, she faces the same trials in learning a new skill as everyone else. Lulu's determination and passion for learning how to dance shines through. However, Lulu's story turns out to be extremely relatable as she forgoes practice in favor of pizza. With amazing illustrations, Lulu seems to dance off the page. Lulu's message of skill building, determination and practicing to succeed will ring true with readers ages 4-9.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

A darling book about a horse who wonder what the little girl, Ellie, does and where she goes after she tends to him at night. He wanders to her house, manages to get inside and has a grand time (while she is sleeping)!

“Night, Night, Norman”written by Marie Dimitrova is a charming book that will make a wonderful gift for small children.

This story shows what happens when a horse sleeps. He wonders where the little the girl who takes care of him goes at night. So, he decides to search for her. It was both funny and charming to follow as Norman explores each room in the house for Ellie.

I found this book fun and beautifully illustrated. And an additional feature that makes this book engaging for kids is that at the end it gives directions on how to draw Norman. Bonus!

A silly book about a horses' adventures during the nighttime after the humans are asleep. A sweet story of a little girl's love for her horse. There is also a page at the back of the book that shows readers how to draw Norman for themselves, which I think is such a sweet touch.

Norman the horse is cared for by Ellie. During the day he is fed, brushed and given treats. However, at night Ellie goes into the house next door to the barn. Norman wonders what Ellie does in the house. One night he explores Ellie's house and finds some wonderful things, such as apple pie, couches and a piano.

Night, Night Norman in a fun bedtime story perfect for curious learners. Norman's antics will have children laughing as well as wondering what their own pets or other animals are up to at night. The whimsical, colorful illustrations add to the enchantment of the story. Night, Night Norman is perfect to read aloud to children aged 2-5.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

Night Night, Norman is adorable! Beautiful illustrations and a story that will make readers of any age giggle, this is the perfect bedtime read. I can't recommend it enough, and I'll definitely be telling all my mom friends about it!

Every night Ellie visits Norman who lives in the corner stall of the Green Apple Barn, right next to her house. Every night she feeds him oats and hay, she brushes his mane and gives him a big, juicy apple. Then she hugs him goodnight.

Norman wonders where Ellie goes when she leaves for the night and doesn’t come back until the next morning. So one night he loosens the latch on his stall door and goes in search of his friend.

Young children will find this book laugh-out-loud funny and are sure to giggle at Norman’s antics in this charming picture book. Charming pictures portray the love between Ellie and Norman and the story of what pets do while children sleep is both silly and sweet. It’s a perfect book for parents to share with their young children. What else might they imagine a horse doing at night?

A bonus for children: instructions on drawing Norman follow the story. And, since Norman was a real horse, children can see pictures of the horse on the author’s website.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.