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No Sam! #2
No Sam! and the Meow of Deception: A Funny Illustrated Chapter Book About a Heroic Pug for Children
The follow-up to the instant New York Times bestseller and Indie Next pick by author Drew Daywalt (The Day the Crayons Quit) and illustrator Mike Lowery continues the hilarious adventures of Sam the pug as he protects his family from suburban evil.
Sam the pug, the Peterson family’s self-proclaimed “Human Being” and “chief security officer,” faces his biggest challenge his sidekick Meow can talk (thanks to Sam’s “language lessons”), but now a mysterious mad bomber is after him. As Sam works to protect Meow, he must also uncover the truth about Justin’s new friend Dean—who might just be a vampire—and save the neighborhood from a host of villains, including goblins, robots, and a chainsaw-wielding maniac (or so Sam thinks).
Packed with over-the-top humor, wacky illustrations, and Sam’s own drawings and lists, this is a must-read for kids 7-10, reluctant readers, and anyone who loves a good dose of chaos and canine charm!
Sam the pug, the Peterson family’s self-proclaimed “Human Being” and “chief security officer,” faces his biggest challenge his sidekick Meow can talk (thanks to Sam’s “language lessons”), but now a mysterious mad bomber is after him. As Sam works to protect Meow, he must also uncover the truth about Justin’s new friend Dean—who might just be a vampire—and save the neighborhood from a host of villains, including goblins, robots, and a chainsaw-wielding maniac (or so Sam thinks).
Packed with over-the-top humor, wacky illustrations, and Sam’s own drawings and lists, this is a must-read for kids 7-10, reluctant readers, and anyone who loves a good dose of chaos and canine charm!
176 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 28, 2025
About the author
Drew Daywalt
53 books599 followersEver since his childhood in one of Ohio’s most haunted houses, writer director Drew Daywalt has been writing escapist fantasy and building worlds of his own. With a degree in Creative Writing, and a concentration in Children’s Literature from Emerson College in Boston, Daywalt set off to Hollywood where he spent years writing for Disney and Universal on such beloved shows as Timon & Pumba, Buzz Lightyear, and Woody Woodpecker, and where his animated series The Wacky World of Tex Avery garnered an Emmy nomination.
His first trip into live action landed him studio screenwriting and feature film directing work with such Hollywood luminaries as Quentin Tarrantino, Lawrence Bender, Tony Scott, Brett Ratner and Jerry Bruckheimer.
With an eye toward picture book writing, Daywalt’s first book THE DAY THE CRAYONS QUIT, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers, debuted on the New York Times Best Seller’s List in June 2013, and has since become a Number One Best Seller.
His first trip into live action landed him studio screenwriting and feature film directing work with such Hollywood luminaries as Quentin Tarrantino, Lawrence Bender, Tony Scott, Brett Ratner and Jerry Bruckheimer.
With an eye toward picture book writing, Daywalt’s first book THE DAY THE CRAYONS QUIT, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers, debuted on the New York Times Best Seller’s List in June 2013, and has since become a Number One Best Seller.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 17 reviews
May 31, 2026
Recommended to me by a Goodreads Friend -- she has great taste!
little pug human being tasked with taking care of a family of human beings naked-monkey-things.
Justin (the youngest) is Sam's favorite (and the one he needs to protect the most).
The cat is using his super intelligence for good...theoretically...and while Sam is convinced that Meow is a loyal family member, I'm not so sure.
At any rate, danger lurks behind every corner, and it is up to one very smart "human being" to keep the Petersons safe! (Even from VAMPIRES!).
This was a really cute follow up to the first book.
As always, "No Sam" was hilarious. I loved the addition of Mister Donkey (the slobber-crusted, dirt-infested, rag-tag toy that belongs to Sam) - my own dogs have similarly abused toys that I have considered tossing when they aren't looking but ultimately, I couldn't bear their sad faces!
Also, this round we have Sam learning how to use his latest super power:
Overall, I'm crossing my fingers for another one - I have a feeling that No Sam has more tricks up his sleeve (tucked under his collar?).
Dear Diary,No Sam (Sam for short) is a
It's been a while, so I'll catch you up..."
Justin (the youngest) is Sam's favorite (and the one he needs to protect the most).
Recently, Gary and Elaine (Justin's parents)'s big experiment worked and their cat is now super intelligent. They need to keep the success a secret as they prepare for the big meeting.
"I keep these helpless creatures safe from all the monsters that lurk about..."
The cat is using his super intelligence for good...theoretically...and while Sam is convinced that Meow is a loyal family member, I'm not so sure.
At any rate, danger lurks behind every corner, and it is up to one very smart "human being" to keep the Petersons safe! (Even from VAMPIRES!).
This was a really cute follow up to the first book.
As always, "No Sam" was hilarious. I loved the addition of Mister Donkey (the slobber-crusted, dirt-infested, rag-tag toy that belongs to Sam) - my own dogs have similarly abused toys that I have considered tossing when they aren't looking but ultimately, I couldn't bear their sad faces!
Also, this round we have Sam learning how to use his latest super power:
I thought it was hilarious every time Sam "hypnotized" his humans.
"I decided to give it a try on Gary first...If I stared at him long enough, with just the right intensity, then I could bend him to my will.
The plot this round was rather cute as well - I think it worked well to add in Dean (the "vampire") and the return of Grisha and Drago was fun to watch as well.
"No. No I won't stop looking at you like that. And don't change the subject. The spring roll, Gary. Give it to me. Givvvvvvve meeee the sprinnnnnnnng rollllll, Garrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyy.
And that was it. Gary caved."
Overall, I'm crossing my fingers for another one - I have a feeling that No Sam has more tricks up his sleeve (tucked under his collar?).
October 11, 2025
“No Sam!” is what the Peterson family dog imagines his name to be, as mom Elaine, dad Gary and son Justin are always crying “No, Sam!” at one of the dog’s many mistaken attempts at helping.
Told in first person, No Sam!, a pug, describes himself as the home’s “chief security officer” in charge of protecting the Petersons, “the family of naked-monkey-things I live with.” And he has a big job: “I keep these helpless creatures safe from all the monsters that lurk about, which gives me a purpose in life.”
Not that there aren’t real dangers to the Nobel Prize-winning scientist Gary Peterson and his fellow scientist and wife Elaine. In a previous book, they were victims of spies. Ironically, No Sam! manages to foil an actual threat to his family in this sequel by zealously chasing numerous imagined ones. To tell any more would be to spoil this laugh-out-loud-funny chapter book for fans of Amelia Bedelia. (If anything this book written by Drew Daywalt of The Day the Crayons Quit fame will be appealing beyond the Amelia Bedelia demographic, appealing to tweens and adults, as well.
Even though this book is sequel, Daywalt ensured that newbies like me never felt lost.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, HarperCollins Children’s Books and StoryTide in exchange for an honest review.
Told in first person, No Sam!, a pug, describes himself as the home’s “chief security officer” in charge of protecting the Petersons, “the family of naked-monkey-things I live with.” And he has a big job: “I keep these helpless creatures safe from all the monsters that lurk about, which gives me a purpose in life.”
Not that there aren’t real dangers to the Nobel Prize-winning scientist Gary Peterson and his fellow scientist and wife Elaine. In a previous book, they were victims of spies. Ironically, No Sam! manages to foil an actual threat to his family in this sequel by zealously chasing numerous imagined ones. To tell any more would be to spoil this laugh-out-loud-funny chapter book for fans of Amelia Bedelia. (If anything this book written by Drew Daywalt of The Day the Crayons Quit fame will be appealing beyond the Amelia Bedelia demographic, appealing to tweens and adults, as well.
Even though this book is sequel, Daywalt ensured that newbies like me never felt lost.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, HarperCollins Children’s Books and StoryTide in exchange for an honest review.
November 18, 2025
Once again delightfully silly
Read
April 30, 2026Steeped in dramatic irony, No Sam! and the Meow of Deception is the fast-paced sequel to They Call Me No Sam! A solid early chapter book for readers who love Dav Pilkey, Nick Bruel, or John Patrick Green but are ready to tackle slightly longer stories, the book's humor rests entirely on the running joke of Sam's misguided confidence and spectacular misreadings of the world around him. But beneath the absurdity lies a genuine charm courtesy of Sam's naive optimism and boundless loyalty to his loved ones. The series carries a timeless, if occasionally dated, sensibility, some of which provides nostalgic appeal and some of which is unnecessary stereotyping like the characterization of the shady foreign antagonists Drago and Grisha.
Thanks to Storytide and NetGalley for the advance reading copy.
Thanks to Storytide and NetGalley for the advance reading copy.
August 22, 2025
No Sam! had my 9 and 12 year old laughing out loud, literally. We read this aloud and it was so silly and ridiculous, we all loved it! Do you like goofy characters? What about genius talking cats? Dogs that think they are human beings? Or maybe just fun illustrated books? It's a no brainer, you need to read it.
Some of our favorite parts were No Sam! and his favorite ficus tree, his mention of a poop rug, and his valiant attempts to get rid of the vampire. I know, it sounds amazing, and it was!
Thank you to netgalley for an ARC to enjoy. We are officially obsessed. Tell me this will be a movie, I would 100% watch it!
Some of our favorite parts were No Sam! and his favorite ficus tree, his mention of a poop rug, and his valiant attempts to get rid of the vampire. I know, it sounds amazing, and it was!
Thank you to netgalley for an ARC to enjoy. We are officially obsessed. Tell me this will be a movie, I would 100% watch it!
November 10, 2025
Lots of laughs!
October 20, 2025
Absolutely hilarious! The audiobook is even funnier than the print book, because of the performance and the noises. No Sam! is such a funny character and I love the way he misunderstood so much of what was happening. This is exactly the kind of humor we like in my house.
January 12, 2026
Love reading this series with my 7 year old son.
December 22, 2025
The sequel to They Call Me No Sam! Mr. Whiskers is now a genius... but there are repercussions. And Sam continues to be the Amelia Bedelia of dogs. My daughter likes these, but I'm not crazy about them because Sam rarely learns anything.
August 26, 2025
Cute book would want to read the first one in this series.
October 6, 2025
Thank you Netgalley, Harper audio Children's, and Storytide for the ALC copy in exchange for my honest review.
I was unaware that this was a sequel to 2024's "They Call Me No Sam!" by author Drew Daywal. Though, as I am always looking for fun stories for my kids, I signed up for the ARC/ALC.
We made a trip to our local library and picked up book one and spent the weekend reading these stories aloud with our third grader, who had an absolute blast!
Book 2, No Sam! and the Meow of Deception is narrated by Ron Butler who does an amazing job of keeping the kids attention with voices, noises, and all kinds of fun. The writing of these stories keeps the parents interested with little jokes that fly just over the children's heads. Reminds me of the kind of humor from Rugrats and such.
I particularly laughed at all of the issues with Doug and the use of classic techniques to vanquish their fiend.
Truly a great story and looking forward to the continued adventures.
I was unaware that this was a sequel to 2024's "They Call Me No Sam!" by author Drew Daywal. Though, as I am always looking for fun stories for my kids, I signed up for the ARC/ALC.
We made a trip to our local library and picked up book one and spent the weekend reading these stories aloud with our third grader, who had an absolute blast!
Book 2, No Sam! and the Meow of Deception is narrated by Ron Butler who does an amazing job of keeping the kids attention with voices, noises, and all kinds of fun. The writing of these stories keeps the parents interested with little jokes that fly just over the children's heads. Reminds me of the kind of humor from Rugrats and such.
I particularly laughed at all of the issues with Doug and the use of classic techniques to vanquish their fiend.
Truly a great story and looking forward to the continued adventures.
October 8, 2025
I received an electronic ARC from HarperCollins Children's Books through NetGalley
Sam is back with the whole gang to continue protecting his family. Readers will appreciate the difference between how Sam sees his role and what is really happening in the story. Daywalt offers humor balanced with action to pull readers in. As expected, everything wraps up and we get hints of more adventures to come.
Sam is back with the whole gang to continue protecting his family. Readers will appreciate the difference between how Sam sees his role and what is really happening in the story. Daywalt offers humor balanced with action to pull readers in. As expected, everything wraps up and we get hints of more adventures to come.
October 14, 2025
Perfect for fans of "illustrated chapter books" like Diary of a Wimpy Kid!
Great story and fun characters- with some awesome illustrations and comic panels throughout.
Great story and fun characters- with some awesome illustrations and comic panels throughout.
November 5, 2025
Actually 4.5! Love me some NO SAM! So funny! :) Drew Daywalt is one of my favorite authors!
November 28, 2025
Hilarious!
Displaying 1 - 16 of 17 reviews