Captain Pug: The Dog Who Sailed the Seas

The Adventures of Pug #1

by Laura James, Églantine Ceulemans (Illustrator)

Pug is going on a seafaring adventure. He's had jam tarts for breakfast. He's wearing a smart sailor suit. There's just one problem. Pug is afraid of the water!

Captain Pug is the first book in a glorious new illustrated series for fans of Claude and Squishy McFluff

Genres: Childrens, Animals, Adventure, Humor, Middle Grade, Juvenile, Dogs

128 pages, Paperback

First published March 21, 2017

About the author

Laura James worked on projects including Veronica Guerin and Slumdog Millionaire before signing herself up for Bath Spa’s MA in Writing for Young People. The adventures of Pug are based on the antics of her very own adventurous dogs, Brian and Florence. Laura lives in the West Country.

Reviews

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't get what the appeal of Pugs are but they seem to be slowly taking over the world and both my kids love them.

This book contains some lovely illustrations, a lot of care has been taken drawing Captain Pug and you can't help but laugh at a few of the scenes. The story flows nicely, a good little adventure with a bit of mild danger. Seeing as my youngest is a big fan of pugs she absolutely loved the book, she did have one concern though, Captain Pug did seem to be eating a lot of cakes, she said he was naughty and should be eating dog food.

Entertaining read and I expect we'll be getting the second adventure when it comes out.

[Rachael Fryman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute story about a girl and her dog! Pug loves eating and Lady Miranda. When she wants him to be a Captain for the day, he gives it his all even when he's afraid. Cute story, cute pictures. I imagine the reading experience would have been better with the physical book than the epub version I read. I think my elementary students would LOVE this book.


I received this title as an e-galley from NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA Children's.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is great children's book my nephew loved this book he loves dogs.well illustrated book, kids will love this book.won this on goodreads great win.

[Jackie Law · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captain Pug: The Dog Who Sailed the Seas, by Laura James (illustrated by Églantine Ceulemans) is the first in a series of humorous action adventure stories for children. Pug the dog is loyal friend and companion to Lady Miranda, a young girl who lives with her friendly attendants at No. 10, The Crescent. In this story she is invited to a birthday party at a boating lake. Excited by the prospect of a seafaring adventure she declares that she will make Pug a captain. Pug is unsure of his suitability for this role but determines to try his best.

Once at the lake things do not go to plan. Pug is distracted by a picnic basket while Miranda sends her footmen to fetch her a stranded pedalo. Before anyone realises what is happening Pug is being taken away!

With Miranda in hot pursuit the little dog makes some new friends. They take him to a river where he seeks opportunities to learn how to be a captain. Quite unexpectedly he discovers that he can be a useful coxswain, at least until he is distracted by ice cream. From here he travels by canal, sinking along the way, before ending up in the sea.

All ends well after a dramatic rescue. Pug is pleased to be safely home, but Miranda is already thinking of their next adventure.

The story is packed full of fun and frolics, the font and illustrations adding much detail and enjoyment.

A delightful story with its intrepid young girl and her ever hungry companion. The agency and horizons enjoyed by Lady Miranda are sure to ignite any modern young child’s wistful imagination.

[Nyx Solman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just read this to my three year old. She sat through it in one sitting and loved it. One could argue she is a master at putting off bed time and new she was playing to my weakness, but let me tell you. She LISTENED! if that's not evidence enough that this book is brilliant, i'm not sure what is. I now need everything this author writes

[Nancy Kotkin · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first title in a children's chapter book series about the adventures of a girl and her pug dog. A couple of things about this book confused me. The first is the lack of parents. I realize the parents aren't central to the story, but there is no mention of Lady Miranda even having any parents, or a guardian. There is a housekeeper and two "footmen" but none of these characters claim parental responsibility for the child.

My other area of confusion is the time period in which the story takes place. The footmen dress as if they live in 18th century United States (though this book is British) and the inside of Lady Miranda's house is also from a former time period (i.e. the bed and especially the kitchen). Outside, there is the phone box and the rickshaw in which Miranda is carted around by her footmen. But then there's a helicopter, an ocean liner, and all the people at the lake are dressed in modern bathing suits and clothing.

Story-wise, I don't see much evidence that Pug is "afraid of the water" or that he wants to reunite with Miranda. As a dog lover, I don't care for all the jam tarts, ice cream, scones, and other people treats that Pug is given, since he is overweight and none of that is any good for dogs (even if they are normal weight).

[Lisa Welch · Rating 4 out of 5]

My students are really enjoying this easy chapter book to start the school year off.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an entertaining and comedic book about a pug who tries his best to be brave for his owner. The illustrations are charming and I know my students at my elementary are going to love this pug! I'm buying the entire series. Funny and charming.

[Bruce Gargoyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a print copy of this title from the publisher for review.

Ten Second Synopsis:
A pug struggles to live up to his owner's dream that he become a seafaring dog. Can Pug overcome his fear of water to take on the mantle (and sweet little outfit) of Captain Pug?

I am always a little skeptical of advertising material that insinuates that a reader will love this new book if they are a fan of an already published author or work, particularly when all the stories have in common is the fact that a dog is the main character. The media release that came with this book indicated that it would be lapped up by fans of Aaron Blabey’s morally bankrupt picture book hero, Pig the Pug, presumably due to the pugginess of Captain Pug. The eldest mini-fleshing in the dwelling, at five years old, is a massive fan of the aforementioned Pig, but I wasn’t sure he was going to enjoy this one simply because it had a pug on the cover. Allow me to be the first to admit my ill-placed skepticism however, because after watching the read-aloud of this book (which took only two sittings) the mini-fleshling was already asking how long he would have to wait before the second book (Cowboy Pug) comes out. *January 2017, for those who are interested!*

So after a slightly apprehensive start, I freely confess to being won over by the fun, charming, humorous adventures of this cute little pug (who of course looks even cuter in a sailor hat). One of the best things about the book is that it is illustrated throughout, with pictures placed strategically around the text. This was an enormous boon to the mini-fleshling, as he is not quite ready for pictureless read-alouds but can handle listening to longer bits of text when there are pictures to help him keep up with the story. The book also makes clever use of fonts and text enlargements to aid the newly confident reader.

The first few chapters moved a bit more slowly than I would have liked, setting up Lady Miranda (Pug’s owner), her life of luxury, and her dreams for Pug to achieve glory as a charmingly attired sea captain. The second half of the book moved a lot quicker as Lady Miranda and Pug inadvertently become separated and Pug must face the trials of overcoming his fear of water in ever more precarious (and amusing) situations.

I would heartily recommend Pug’s first outing as an engaging read-aloud or read-together for those taking their first steps into longer books or for more confident readers who love a bit of silliness and a whole lot of beguiling illustration.

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just adore pugs, and love it when they are featured in children's books. So you can imagine that when I saw this one being mentioned on Twitter, I just had to pre-order it immediately.

And for magical (but very delightful) reasons this one got delivered 2 days ago, even though it is apparently supposed to not come out until May. Oh well, I am delighted that I can read this book sooner, I was really counting down the weeks until it would come out.

And boy, boy, I just loved this book so much. It is funny, it is cute, it features friendship, it features a slightly brave dog, it also has a great and sweet owner who will do anything to get her pug back (even carrying something heavy).

The day started off right for both the owner (Miranda) and for the pug, but sadly things happened (or actually greed happened) and thus begins the adventure of our sweet little pug, and his owner who will move countries to find her sweet little pet again.
The adventure was a delight, our little pug was looking for ways to become a captain (he thought if he could become that he would be able to find his owner again). So he boards ships (all kinds), just to become captain or at least famous enough. :D
With that he tries to conquer his fear of water (yes, he wants to become a captain but is absolutely terrified of water).

I was just squeeing and squealing with each page. The story became more and more fun, and I was just cheering for both the pug and the owner to find each other again. To be able to be safe and happy again.

The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous and they fitted the story so perfectly well. I also loved that this is yet another book that features a couple of colours and lets them come back over and over in the illustrations (blue/white/orange). I just can't wait to see what the next book's colours will be. (Will they be the same? Will the be different?)

I would highly recommend this book to everyone. If you like pugs, if you like adventures, or if you are just looking for a sweet, adorable book to enjoy, then try this one out!
I can't wait for the next book to come out!

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com

[Ewan · Rating 3 out of 5]

What was the story about?
Captain Pug is a dog. Pug is afraid of the water. Pug got brave and swam and he did save Lady Miranda.

Who were the characters?
Wendy, Pug, Lady Miranda, Running footman.

What did you like about the book?
Ice cream, Pug liked Jam tarts, Pug is afraid of the water.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in a series about a pug. My daughter recently got a jug (half pug, half jack russell) so this book intrigued me and definitely interested my grandson. It was about the humorous adventures of a cute little pug. He is owned by Lady Miranda who has been invited to a party where there will be paddle boats. She dresses pug in a captain's suit and he becomes Captain Pug. Once they arrive at the park, they get separated and the fun begins. Captain Pug decides that he must become a famous Captain in order for Lady Miranda to find him. Lady Miranda doesn't let anything stop her from finding her beloved dog, even carrying one of her footmen in the sedan when he gets a blister. Of course they are reunited after several exciting "missions" for Captain Pug. Throughout the story, Pug was fearful of the water which makes perfect sense. For anyone who has had a pug, you know they are very poor swimmers.

One thing I really liked about this book were the illustrations. There were several with one on almost every page. With this being an early chapter book, this is helpful for those readers. They can use the pictures as clues as well as to break up the text. If it is a read aloud, it certainly enhances the story. The only issue I had with the text was that it was hard to read when the background was completely covered by colour.

I recommend Captain Pug to late primary, early junior readers who are venturing into independent reading of short chapter books. I also think it would make a charming readaloud for young children. If you are an animal lover, adventure lover or just like a humorous story, pick up this book. A winner for school, classroom and family libraries. I am looking forward to Pug's next adventure. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.

[Beth Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read aloud to the you get three kids in one sitting.

Strengths: pictures on every page, engaging and witty dialogue and writing style, good length for early readers and as a read aloud.

Weaknesses: the plot followed a spoiled girl and her pug, neither of which learns a lesson or grows in their character. Whatever, some books are just silly and fun. There was a lot of focus on eating treats and worrying about weight though. This seems really out of place for a kids book, and unhelpful in just about any book.

Final thoughts: I really like this style of early reader with lots of illustrations but it’s hard to find ones where the plot holds up. Will Pass on other books in this series.

[Patricia · Rating 2 out of 5]

A perfectly stupid story about a pug dog and his owner MIranda who is so privileged she has two footmen to deliver her to a boating party in a sedan chair. Sort of revolting and unbelievable in not a good way. Still there is something about that dog that gets under your skin.

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO much fun. This book is a brilliant read for young kids. And Pug is just adorable! Great work from Laura James, and wonderful illustrations from Églantine Ceulemans.

[Breanna Prokop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary:
This Pug lives the life of luxury. Pug loves to do almost everything with his owner Lady Miranda. He likes to stay at home most of the time and unlike most dogs, he isn’t the biggest fan of the water. One-night Lady Miranda and Pug attend a birthday party on the boating lake. Since it’s on the water, Lady Miranda dresses Pug in a captain’s uniform. On Pug’s adventure to search for more jam tarts, (his favorite snack) he gets separated from Lady Miranda. In order to get reunited with his owner, he becomes a famous sea captain and gets over his fear of the water. Maybe she will hear about it and they will be reunited once again.

5 questions:
1. If you could pick any animal you wanted to be, what would you pick and why?
2. In the book, Pug is terrified of the water and he has to overcome it to reunite with his owner. What is one thing that you are mostly afraid of and why?
3. If you were terrified like Pug to go in the water; Would you face your fears to reunite with your owner, or would you find a different solution? Why did you choose what you chose?
4. What are some of the different adventures Pug went on to get reunited with Lady Miranda?
5. How did Pug and Lady Miranda get separated in the first place?

Citation (APA): James, L., & Ceulemans, E. (2017). Captain Pug: the dog who sailed the seas. New York: Bloomsbury.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

First sentence: It was an ordinary morning at No. 10, The Crescent, and everyone was busy except Pug and his freckled companion, Lady Miranda, who were both still in bed, snoring.

Premise/plot: Pug is extremely food-motivated. Which leads to some trouble in this his first adventure--or misadventure. Lady Miranda (his owner) is invited to a birthday party. Of course Pug goes along. (As do her footmen in case there's any hard labor (or easy labor for that matter)). But when Pug is distracted by food in a picnic basket, well, his troubles begin...for he soon finds himself on a tourist bus far away from Lady Miranda...his only hope (according to Pug's logic) is to become a famous enough sea captain that Lady Miranda hears of him and comes to his rescue. (He's been dressed up as a captain). Will these two ever be reunited?

My thoughts: Pug has so many misadventures. I wasn't really worried about Pug until I realized I only had two or maybe three pages before THE END and these two were still far, far apart. The ending is so rushed. Readers do spend more time with Pug than Lady Miranda, which may be a good thing? But Pug is adorable as you could reasonably predict.

[Eve L-A Witherington · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like Pug dogs or animals at all, this is a fun read for any little one's. I have five young cousins all from newborn to five with which I read children's books with/to when they try to take over reading the book which I highly encourage them to do so.

Captain Pug is one that I feel is great for kids. Not only is it a fun story but as pug goes on a variety of forms of water transport, rowing boat, see's pedalos, goes on an ocean liner etc it teaches kids forms of transport and highlights through pugs antics they can be dangerous. The book is a standard tale overall when Pug goes missing and Lady Miranda needs to follow him and find him after he goes on the search of food, namely him favourite sweet treats of jam tarts! In a way it highlights the dangers of wandering off too which is a valuable lesson for young ones to know.

Children's fiction with a serious note throughout a fun, playful book is always going to be a winner with me, safety is a huge issue but with a fun twist children are more likely to take it seriously when they're so young.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Captain Pug is a cute new illustrated series staring an adorable pug dog and his owner Lady Miranda. In this first book, pug sets out to be a captain of the sea, finds that he doesn't like water, and gets into a wild adventure along the way. The dog is super cute and his inner thoughts are just what you'd think a little dog would think. The illustrator, a French woman, illustrates with simple drawings and pops of color. This is a familiar style if you've read something like Eloise.
My one criticism would be the total lack of diversity in this title. I'm not going out of my way to look for or expect diversity in everything I read, but this book just felt very traditional and old-fashioned in that way. Pug's owner, Lady Miranda, is a little girl who is carried around in a cart by 2 footmen and waited on by her collection of house helpers. She seems a little out of place and very privileged for the modern world. I don't think this will upset children reading the book since the pug is the main character, but it is a little strange in a new title.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great step in between most "reader" level books and beginning chapter books. This 123-page volume features chapters that are long enough for young readers to sit thorough, and that feature words / sentences these readers may even be able to read on their own. A great starting point to whet the appetite for chapter books and reading. The plot is short and simple enough to follow for young readers, but holds enough suspense to keep their attention for the duration of the book.

This volume also features illustrations that stole my heart and remind me a bit of Gemma Correll's work. The typography is also creatively arranged to indicate when a young reader's help may be fun to call upon.

Unsure about the ending... is Pug set up to be a prisoner? (The costume uncomfortably also connotes Concentration Camp... surely not the intention.)

[Danielle Booey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pug lives with his human companion Lady Miranda and spends his days in luxury inside of a townhouse eating jam tarts to his heart's content. This all changes when they go to spend an afternoon at the lake and Pug clad in a tiny Captain's outfit wanders into an open picnic bus and is whisked all over on a seafaring adventure to boats, lakes, canoe races, and finally a cruise ship.

It is a lovely story about companionship and making the best of your situation as you make your way back to someone. Plus the illustrations are delightful!

Oh my gosh this series is precious! I can't wait for the sequel. If you need a good early chapter book for first to second graders this is an excellent animal story about adventure and friendship with a great supporting cast.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lady Miranda has a birthday party to go to at a boating lake, and Pug is coming with in a special captain's outfit. Except, Pug doesn't like and is actually afraid of water. When he gets sad, he gets hungry, and he happens to find a picnic basket with food in it. Someone picks up the basket with Pug in it, leading to a day of different water adventures. Can he become a captain worthy of Lady Miranda. While it's over 100 pages, there are blue and orange illustrations on almost every page and big font and spacing. The story is full of silly physical comedy and ridiculous situations. For fans of Mercy Watson and Diary of a Pug. Lady Miranda and her lavish lifestyle with footmen will also appeal to fans of Fancy Nancy.

[Joanne Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was clearly brought from over the pond. It's obvious in the style, the writing, the subject matter, and the word choices. That is hardly a bad thing, but it won't do for a mentor text. The author breaks all the rules in the chapter book market and weaves a dizzyingly silly story about a pug and his unique anachronistic owner. I liked the thread of the main character's desire which pulled all the loosely-tied scenes together.The illustrations were completely adorable, but again, not the mentor-style I had hoped for. Recommend this series to young readers. I think it will delight them.

[Denise Kawaii · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book isn't for advanced readers, but it was PERFECT to be the first book my 5 year old read aloud to me. The pictures are cute and frequent enough to engage young readers, the wibbley wobbley text is fun to read, and the silliness of some of the situations Pug finds himself in cracked my kid up as he was reading.

Highly recommend this for transitioning young readers from short stories to longer works.

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captain Pug is such fun! Accompanied by young Lady Miranda, the perky pug with his self assured owner are reminiscent in the best possible way, of Eloise and her pug. These two free spirits who follow their own whims with total abandon to convention are delightful. Hopefully there will be sequels for this dynamic duo. The bold ink and color whimsical illustrations bring this hilarious tale extra zest.

[Christine Rains · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pug is spoiled living in a fancy house with Lady Miranda, but when they go on a seafaring adventure, he must face his fear of water.

A cute story with whimsical illustrations. Pug gets lost and finds himself in all sorts of situations motivated by food. Lady Miranda and her footmen try to find him and have issues themselves. Not much to the story, but there is a lot of silliness involved and it made my son smile.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.
A cute, funny story about a Pug who’s owner dresses him up as a Captain of a ship, takes him out for the day where he then ends up starting an adventure inside a picnic basket, and encouraged away by several strangers who don’t care that his owner is no where to be found...
This aside, it’s a fun book for children with wonderfully bright illustrations, and I did have a little giggle!

[Chelsea · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was fine. I probably would have given it 3 stars, but I read it to my 5 year old daughter, and she disliked the whole thing. She threatened to plug her ears if I kept reading. I convinced her to finish it, but it was not a pleasant experience for both of us. So docking a star for the kid likability aspect.

[Perfumegirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute little book, read it to see if my older granddaughter might like it, she likes Pugs ~ its listed as middle-grade, but I think a little too childish for middle grade, would be a good book for a chapter reader, maybe 7 or 8 yr old.

[orangerful · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute little early chapter book, great for kids who are just starting out with the longer reads. Pug is adorable and his main goal in life is finding strawberry tarts so I could identify with his struggle. :)