Long ago, I reviewed the first book in this series, Puddle Pug, even though I've never been a fan of pugs, and found that it was such a sweet story that I fell in love. So I was very excited to see another book in the series, even though it's been five years!

Percy the Pug and Petunia the Pig are best friends... until Petunia wins a prize. Now everyone is eager to congratulate her, play with her, and she's got so many fans she doesn't need Percy any more. Percy decides to do something on his own - be a superhero! He gets a cape and becomes Thunder Pug, coming to the rescue of animals everywhere, big and small! But it's just not the same without Petunia. Maybe they both still need each other?

Pastel spot illustrations show a cute pug and slightly smaller, plump pink pig. Percy and Petunia have humorously expressive faces that express sadness, determination, and worry. Careful readers will see that Petunia isn't necessarily happy with her fans, while Percy has mixed feelings about his superhero work. On the surface, this is a funny story about friendship with two cute animals and lots of silly adventures. But underneath it has a gentle lesson about how to react when you feel overshadowed or lacking in talent and ability. Although Percy still misses his friend, he turns his feelings outward and starts helping others, which makes him feel better even if he's not always good at it.

Verdict: A sweet book with humor and a gentle lesson that fans of cute animals will grab off the shelf. It will also make a great storytime read, especially for preschool and kindergarten listeners.

ISBN: 9781454923589; Published January 2019 by Sterling; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

I bought this unseen after enjoying Puddle Pug so much, and I was no disappointed. This books follows Puddle Pug nicely but also works well on its own.

Now best friends, Percy and Petunia do everything together until popularity sweeps Petunia away and Percy feels alone and decides to find something special for him to do.

As with the first book, the illustrations are adorable and the pages are colourful. The text is of a slightly different rhyme scheme than Puddle Pug but flows nicely and is easy to read and would make an excellent read-aloud or story time book. ( )

With a cute pug and a sweet pig, this is a tale which promises laughs, understand and tons of friendship.

Percy the pug is best friends with Petunia the pig, and they do everything together. One day, Petunia takes off and returns with a blue ribbon! Percy wants to congratulate her, but nothing works out. Soon, he sad and wants to find something wonderful on his own. When he runs across a comic book with a superhero, Thunder Pug is born! He's off to save...well, whatever he can. But something isn't right.

As a fan of pugs and cute, little pigs, this was a hit with my family from the very first page. Percy is an adorable, energetic ball of playfulness and adventure, which draws in and makes listeners want to have him as a friend of their own. Pig makes the perfect side-kick. The friendship between the two is golden and inspiring as every moment they spend together radiates happiness. The author is sure, however, to include that they do enjoy time by themselves two. When this perfect friendship is marred, it's hard not to feel sorry for Percy. Little listeners will easily relate to this feeling, and be excited when he discovers his new calling as Thunder Pug.

The illustrations and text go hand-in-hand. The wording is simple enough for younger listeners to easily understand, and keeps the pace high. The illustrations glide right along, adding the needed emotion and little details to make the tale come to life. The illustrations are not overly bright and hold a gentle tone. It's nicely put together for a great read-aloud. The message is clear and inspiring, keeping friendship at the center point, and the adventure never runs to extreme, making it great for the age group. ( )