Love Is My Favorite Thing

Plumdog

by Emma Chichester Clark

Starring an enthusiastic pooch whose joy, optimism and love know no bounds, this lively picture book is based on Emma Chichester Clark’s own dog, and joyfully celebrates unconditional love. Plum has lots of favorite things—catching sticks, her bear, her bed—but really, LOVE is her absolute favorite thing. She loves her family and all the things they do together. Sometimes, however, Plum’s exuberance causes trouble, and she just can’t help being naughty. But fortunately, love is such a great thing that even when she makes mistakes, Plum’s family still adores her.

Genres: Picture Books, Dogs, Love, Animals, Childrens, Humor, Family

33 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Education:
Chelsea School of Art, B.A. (with honors), 1978;
Royal College of Art, M.A. (with honors), 1983.

Additional information about her life can be found at:
http://biography.jrank.org/pages/1059...

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars A lovely fun book about a little dog who looks very like our own. This little dog sometimes does things she's not supposed to but the humans around her forgive her because they love her. I enjoyed this little dogs antics but I would rather the emphasis was on training their dog and understanding that dogs can do things we don't like rather than shouting or saying bad dog. The people are kind in general and this book would make a good starting point for children to learn that dogs can't be expected to understand everything and do exactly what we want.

[The Library Lady · Rating 2 out of 5]

The doggie lovers will love this uncritically. On the other hand, I'm a cat person, and like others, I wonder why this dog isn't on a leash and/or being giving some kind of training.
Plum, like Eloise, is cute as long as you don't have to deal with her.

[Baffi · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who has no children or any contact with them, I have no idea what value this may hold as a kids book. I'm reading it as an adult and review it as such.

To say Plum should go on a leash to avoid her issues is like telling Calvin to lock up Hobbes or send him back to the jungle or wherever he came from. Don't even get me started on Snoopy! Seriously, look how that dog treats his master. Outrageous!
The pup behind the illustrated Plum might be real (and so are Hobbes & Snoopy, right?), but this is still 'just' a story, a lovely and beautifully illustrated one that isn't to be taken literally down to the last letter. And if you think dogs should always go on a leash in certain situations (which they should), tell your kids that and let illustrators have some poetic licence.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is my puppy to a T.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute little story about loving your pets even when you have to correct their actions (can pretty much related to children too). Great illustrations - the little black dog could be our “niece” KK!

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the overall message is important and applicable to kids, probably easier for 4-7 year olds to understand than maybe 3 year olds. However, it just kind of drags on. Like we don’t really need to know everything this dog loves and doesn’t love as much before getting to the point. The illustrations were amazing though. Overall, would recommend.

[Marguarite Markley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my favorite

I was expecting more from this author. The focus seemed to be on illustrations rather than a solid story. I wouldn't read it again. It was very repetitive. It almost seemed like a reader in a picture book format. It would have made a good easy reader for beginning readers.

[Christen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great way to explain how grown ups can love you and still be irritated in the moment. Encourages trying to do the right thing. Reading with first grade for unit on love.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book would be suitable to read with children up to year 4. There are colourful illustrations to accompany the story and colour is used to represent Plum’s feelings; when she was in her bed worried that no one loved her, dark colours were used, and brighter colours when she was happy. Children may be able to empathise with Plum, as sometimes they might do something naughty and be told off by their parents, but they know they’re still loved and everyone will be happy again soon, just as Plum and her parents were after Plum was naughty.

[Nicole Nowinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really cute read with kids!

[Barrita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hermoso ♥️

Cualquier parecido con la realidad es mera coincidencia 🤭

[Lauren Kramer-Theuerkauf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Is My Favorite Thing by Emma Chichester Clark is a charming children's book starring the adorable dog, Plum. "Plummie" as she is called by her parents, introduces the reader to all of the things that she loves: wind, treats, sticks, etc. But her favorite thing of all is love.

On a trip to the park one day, everything goes terribly wrong. Plum soon finds herself torn between causing mischief and wanting to be a good girl. Will Plummie's crazy antics cost her the love of her family and friends?

I absolutely loved this book! The illustrations are simplistic, yet whimsical. I fell in love with Plum from page one. Her expressions are priceless and truly capture the essence of dogs everywhere (especially mine!). I also love Clark's use of soft colors.

Clark's talent as a writer truly shines in this multi-themed story. The most obvious theme is that of an unconditional love between parent and child (or dog in this case). No matter what a child does, a parent's love will always be there to guide and protect them. The second more subtle theme is learning the value of obeying one's parents. Plum knew that she was not supposed to get into mischief, but ignored her parent's rules. Had she done as she was told, she would not have had to worry or wonder if her parents still loved her.

This book is a fantastic read for dog lovers of all ages. The story allows reader's to take a peek into the mind of Plum, which may help us to better understand why dogs do the things that they do. I can definitely see some of my dogs in Plum!

[Nancy Kotkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The strong message of unconditional love for the dog can easily be extended to young children, who (like Plum) don't always behave as expected. This book serves as an important reminder for children that their behavior has consequences, but doesn't determine whether or not their family members love them.

I'm an ardent dog lover and have owned multiple dogs for many years. I wonder why this dog isn't on a leash. Clearly Plum isn't trained well enough to be off-leash in public. The time-outs are not achieving results, indicating that this dog needs some additional behavior modification and training. Disappointingly, the last page of the book already shows Plum breaking her promise to do as she's told and to behave better.

[Zib · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a preschool teacher and recently picked this up for my class. I think it’s an endearing book that helps children understand that despite making mistakes, they will be loved through and through! I think it’s a great way to help minimize anxiety about making mistakes for young children, as this is how we learn.
My only qualm is the ending of the book—the lesson appears to be “you have to try and do as you’re told, behave!” even though it’s ok if you mess up.
I don’t like the disciplinary approach here, as I think it underscores the value of the lesson of the book. I would have rather it be framed as: “doing x y or z may be hard to resist, but here is ~why~ we can’t do that rather than just “don’t do that! Bad!”.
It’s a cute book though. Worth a read for the kiddos. :)

[Stacy Renee (LazyDayLit) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plum loves many things; her bed, her bear, playing catch... but her favorite thing of all is LOVE! She loves her neighbors and her family that loves her even when she forgets to be a good girl and makes big mistakes.

This is a cute story about a dog that loves love itself more than anything else. I really liked the way the author translated the overly excited 'voice' of the dog. The watercolor-type illustrations are very cute. I especially loved the flying feathers page! My daughter especially loved tracking Plum from picture to picture and laughed at her naughty 'exploits'.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter loves this book! The pictures were fun and the end message of unconditional love and forgiveness are great. However, I wish the author didn’t use the phrase “bad girl” to describe Plum after she misbehaves. As parents, we’re taught to label a behavior as bad not the child, but here’s a fun book doing exactly the opposite. Now, I know they’re talking to a dog, not a child, but it’s a dog to whom my kids are really relate.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is so stinking adorable!
My husband and I like to narrate the life of our pup Luna (who looks kind of like Plum!) I knew I had to read this picture book because one of Luna's phrases is, "____ is my favorite thing!!!" (____ is interchangeable with practically everything, just like Plum!)

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't wait to read this book to my 2 year old. She's really into talking about the sometimes questionable choices my dog makes, and it'll be a great teachable moment for talking about the sometimes questionable choices she makes, too!

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is frightening how much I identify with this book, given that I am 33 and not 3, but I am always making silly mistakes and getting anxious that this will cause people to stop loving me. Despite its adorable sweetness this book makes me tear up a little bit.

[Heather Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

megan winter reading 2016, children's book, picture book, dogs, ownership, responsibility, love, family, kindergarten, first grade

[Shallowreader VaVeros · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a gorgeous story about a puppy who adores being loved. However she gets anxious when she has misbehaved that her owners/parents won't love her... but of course they do. So cute and awwwwww!

[matthijs]

Als ik werk terwijl het rustig is, ga ik dit soort boekjes lezen. Het is leuk en lief.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aaaand... the review I just posted 3 minutes ago has already disappeared. {sigh}

[Ella Boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: In Love Is My Favorite Thing, Plum, the protagonist, tells us all about the things she loves. One day, Plum makes a lot of bad decisions, and it results in her being sent to her bed. She's worried that her family will never love her again. In the end, her family tells her they will always love her even if she makes mistakes. This book is a great reminder that it is ok to make mistakes.
Response: I would definitely use this book in my classroom. This book reminds students that everyone makes mistakes and that doesn't make their teacher or those that care about them at home love them any less. This book also has many wonderful images that spark creativity.
How to use it: This would be a great book to read at circle time to spark conversation. This book has a great lesson that students can understand and relate back to their lives.

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plum has lots of favorite things.

She loves to do many things like catching sticks, playing with her bear, etc.

Sometimes she catches something that she shouldn't.

Sometimes she treats a pillow like she would her bear.

Good thing her family loves her anyway.

That's why love is her favorite thing!🥰

I had two reasons for picking up this picture book: 1) Plum looks like my granddog Batman. He is a nut, but we love him so. 2) Emma Chichester Clark has such an engaging illustration style. Next up, All You Need is Love -- the second Plum book.

[Thelma Fountain · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful children's book! The story is about a doggie who is happy and loved by his family. He misbehaves and is scolded then starts to wonder if they still love him. They do of course when he realizes this he states that Love is his favorite thing. The message of this book is important children make mistakes and mess up sometimes but love is forever and they can always be sure of their families love. This is a great book. Highly recommend.

[Leticia · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are VERY behind on our reading goals for the year and I might scale back the goal number because both of the kids aren't very into reading with mama right now. But last night we read a few books including this one, which Violet LOVED so much she made me read it twice. She was very concerned for Plum when she got sent to the basement. I think that's why she wanted to read it twice - she wanted to double check that Plum made it out the basement.

[Michele Pfrogner · Rating 3 out of 5]

For once, just once, I would like to read a kid's dog book without seeing the animal going to the bathroom in an illustration, or having the word "poo" or "pee" in the text. Sure, I know this is all "realistic," but it's tiresome. I bought this book for use at a school where I am an aide. (I taught music/English for 35 years before I retired.) Nope. Not using it, and will probably not keep it. The book's message has potential, but it is not worth sharing with a classroom of first graders.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plum, or Plummie as she is often affectionately referred to, is a loveable dog who absolutely loves everything, including LOVE! When Plum has trouble with self-control, and makes mistakes, she wonders if her family will still love her. And of course they do.

This is a perfect book to assure young children that when they misbehave and make mistakes that their parents will still love them.

Recommended for storytime.

[Ang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: Plum has lots of favorite things - catching sticks, her bear, her bed - but really, LOVE is her absolute favorite thing. She loves her family and all the things they do together. Sometimes, however, Plum's exuberance causes trouble, and she just can't help being naughty. But fortunately, love is such a great thing that even when she makes mistakes, Plum's family still adores her. -- inside left jacket flap