A Pup Called Trouble

by Bobbie Pyron

Fans of classic animal stories like Pax and A Dog’s Way Home will howl over the heartwarming adventures of a coyote pup lost in New York City.  This early middle grade novel is an excellent choice to share during homeschooling, in particular for children ages 7 to 9 who are reading independently. It’s a fun way to keep your child engaged and as a supplement for activity books for children. Brimming with curiosity, Trouble can’t wait to explore the world beyond Singing Creek. So one morning the coyote pup stows away in the back of a truck and ends up lost in the heart of New York City. While Trouble misses his siblings, he quickly makes friends in Central Park’s a prankster crow, a timid opossum, and a poetic poodle. Before long, he goes from howling for home to wondering if he could make a life in the city forever. But when word gets out that a coyote is running wild on city streets, Trouble must choose between the risks of being caught and the dangers of a long journey home. Inspired by true stories, this accessible read from the award-winning author of A Dog’s Way Home will resonate with anyone who’s ever felt torn between the longing for adventure and the call of home. An appendix with real accounts of wild animals trapped in the city adds to the fun!

Genres: Animals, Middle Grade, Adventure, Childrens, Dogs, Family, New York

224 pages, Paperback

Published April 9, 2019

Reviews

[Joseph Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has a sad ending and it almost made me cry. Although it was kinda happy too.

[Carol Jones-Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Animal Stories like Pax and A Dog's Way Home will howl over the heartwarming adventures of the
coyote pup lost in New York City. Brimming with curiosity, strong, Trouble can't wait to explore the world beyond Singing Creek. So one morning the Coyote pup stows away in the back of a truck and ends up lost in the heart of New York City. While Trouble misses is siblings, he quickly makes friends in Central Park's Ramble: a prankster crow, a timid opossum, and a poetic poodle. Before long, he goes from howling for home to wondering to if he could make a life in the city forever. When the word gets out that a coyote is running wild on city streets, Trouble must choose between the risks of being caught and the dangers of a long journey home. Inspired by true stories, this accessible listen from the award-winning author of A Dog's Way Home will resonate with anyone who's ever felt torn between the longing for adventure and the need for the love of our family.

During the four days I spent in Manhattan, I explored the city. I’d never seen buildings so tall. I was both amazed and distressed by the way they cut the endless sky into thin slivers. The sounds and smells of the city overwhelmed my senses, and yet, I was always curious about what was just around that next corner. As I explored the city, that young coyote was my shadow. I saw everything through its eyes: the stone canyons of skyscrapers, the people with their cell phones, the beauty of Central Park. By the time I got back on the plane to return to the mountains, I had the story that would become A PUP NAMED TROUBLE nestled in my heart.

I wrote two other children’s novels—THE DOGS OF WINTER and LUCKY STRIKE—over the next six years, but I never forgot about that coyote in New York City. In my other life, I’m a librarian. I love doing research. During those years, I read everything I could about urban coyotes. I learned that coyotes had made themselves quite at home in cities from Atlanta to Portland. I read with curiosity and deepening admiration the extent of their adaptability. When it came time to work on a new book, I knew exactly what I would write about.

In Bobbie Pyron's new book, A PUP CALLED TROUBLE (Harpercollins/Katherine Tegen Books, Feb. 2018), a young coyote with an abundance of curiosity finds himself whisked away from his home in the wilds of New Jersey and, like Dorothy in THE WIZARD OF OZ, plunked down in a world he could never imagine.

Her great, good hope is that readers of A PUP CALLED TROUBLE will come to appreciate that no matter where they live, whether in the mountains or the city, they have wild neighbors. And sharing their community with these critters is a privilege, not a threat or nuisance. Whether it’s a red-tailed hawk soaring above skyscrapers, an opossum ambling through the garden, or a coyote trotting along a street on a winter night, they can fill us with awe and wonder. Something we could all use a little more of. Excellent Book. Highly Recommend.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coyote pup is lost in New York City. A thoroughly engaging animal adventure story.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 4th and 5th grade library patrons will enjoy this quick to read animal story. Trouble, an overly curious coyote pup, is born wild and is happy exploring his forest world. Unfortunately, his insatiable curiosity leads him to humans and an accidental car ride that dumps him in the middle of New York City. Trouble teams up with unlikely residents of Central Park and begins to forget his wild born family as he settles in with Rosebud, an opossum, a crow named Mischief and an assortment of other city born is creatures. A few close calls lead the animals to a plan to get Trouble back to his family, but a determined animal control officer with a noose may get in the way. Author Bobbie Pyron weaves plenty of wildlife fact into this book to give it a realistic feel and readers will likely chuckle at some of the animals’ antics and the fairly predictable ending will be just what they want. Solid choice for my library. I especially appreciate the extra end notes that give factual information on the animals featured in the book. (Review of digital ARC from Edelweiss Above the Treeline)

[Carol Baldwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Pup Called Trouble (Kathy Tegan Books, 2018) by Bobbie Pyron is an engaging story that 3-5th grade students or older reluctant readers will enjoy. Based on true stories of coyotes who live in New York's Central Park, the book is told mostly through the point of view of the aptly named coyote, Trouble. Pyron, who makes her home in the Utah mountains, spent four days roaming around Manhattan imaging how the city would smell, sound, and look to a lost coyote pup. Those four days became the backbone for this story.




Although the child reader may not recognize herself in the story, Trouble’s desire to experience what his parents have forbidden is very child-like. Pyron sets up this identification at the beginning of the book when Trouble’s parents take him to see a tractor for the first time. Whereas his siblings fear the loud noise it makes, Trouble responds:

“It sounds huge,” Trouble exclaimed. “It sounds exciting! Can we go see?” (p. 16)

After he sees Makers (humans) for the first time, he bombards his mother,
[Trouble] raced in circles of excitement. "Can we see more tomorrow?" (p. 21-22)
"No, she snapped. "Nothing good comes from Makers."
Swift shivered with fright. Pounced moved closer to his father, and Star trembled.
Trouble's eyes glowed with dreamy curiosity. (p. 21-22)

Inevitably, the pup’s curiosity gets him into trouble. The reader sees and feels what happens when Trouble hides inside a truck. "...a loud, low growl rumbled to life beneath Trouble's feet. It grew louder and louder, shaking the floor and the walls and the ceiling of the shelter. Then, to Trouble's horror, the Beast lurched to life."(p.30).

He finds himself in a "stone forest [which] rose so high it cut the wide blue expanse to wedges and slivers of white (p. 33). His senses are accosted by strange scents, sounds, and sights--not the least of which is the Makers "looking intently at a small something [they] held in their hands." At one point he is surrounded by Makers of all sizes. "Trouble leaped to his feet, spun in circles looking for the cover of forest, trees, bushes, anything where he could hide. Nothing. Everything was hard. Solid. Unforgiving." (p. 33)

Although Trouble admits that he's lost in this strange world, his curiosity drives him further and further from the truck that brought him to the city. When a crow named Mischief spies Trouble and takes an interest in him, there are great opportunities for fun and games as the two ride a subway, scare New Yorkers, and cause general mayhem.

Mischief introduces him to other animals living in Central Park and Trouble falls in love with a poodle named Minette. As a result of these friendships, Trouble begins to lose his homesickness and begins to start liking his new life. His friends are alarmed and arrange for him to visit the "Place of the Once Wild." At the city zoo Trouble's eyes are opened to see what he risks losing.

Ultimately, it is the fact that his friends band together to save him from the consequences of his poor decision that helps Trouble return home. The "good friends help friends stay out of trouble" moral-of-the-story is subtly and sweetly woven into a book that boys and girls will both enjoy.

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

An advanced copy of this middle grade novel was provided to my #BookRelays group by the author. I really enjoyed this animal adventure story. The young coyote pup, Trouble (so named because of his habit of letting his unbridled enthusiasm and curiosity get him into trouble), learns some invaluable “lessons in friendship, bravery, love, forgiveness, belonging, and home.” The awesome storytelling and wonderful themes reminded me a bit of The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford.

As a young, rambunctious coyote pup, Trouble has a difficult time obeying his mother, and staying away from the Makers (humans). Curiosity leads him to climb into the back of a produce truck on a nearby farm, and soon Trouble finds himself in the heart of New York City. Now there’s disaster waiting around every corner, and all Trouble wants to do is figure out how to get back home! In order to survive and find his way back to his family, Trouble makes friends with an unlikely assortment of wild animals: a crow, an opossum, a fox, and an owl.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who knew I'd ever care about coyotes, usually considered aggressive, ever hungry, and sso neaky. But, author Bobbie Pyron has the power think "A Dog's Way Home," of making the reader root for her four legged main characters, as they unknowingly enter territories with humans, where their natural instincts become confused, endangering them. Trouble the young coyote has all of the tendencies of any impulsive youngster who acts before thinking. He's just too curious, and after multiple warning from his loving coyote family, nestled in a perfect cave in the woods, he ventures out and before long finds himself lost in New York City, persued by an animal control expert. Trouble's loving, and trusting personality draw a variety of unlikely animal friends to gravitate to him. This is a story about friendship and how it can touch even the most unlikely critters, and even humans to work together. Readers will be cheering for Trouble all the way, even though self control isn't his best asset. A fun animal adventure story that is just right for young animal lovers.

[Margie · Rating 4 out of 5]

We're not talking dogs here. Trouble is a wild coyote who has quite a bit of curiosity which of course lands him in "trouble". On one of his exploits from his family and the area he knows as home, he finds himself in New York City and eventually, to Central Park. His is befriended by several other wild creatures who live in the park and they look out for and protect each other. Among them are a crow, an opossum, an owl and a fox, along with a real dog. He is being hunted by an animal control officer and has been sighted a few times which puts him in great danger. His friends are able to come up with a plan to get him out of the park, the city and on his way home to his family. Based on real occurrences of wild animals living in cities, young readers will thoroughly enjoy the adventures of Trouble and his friends.

[Lora · Rating 4 out of 5]

My seven year old picked this out at the library for me to read out loud to him. He loves foxes, coyotes, and wolves, so this seemed like a good book for him. I thought it would be a more typical book for this genre, but it surprised me! It was a really enjoyable read, with the addition that the author had researched interesting true stories of wildlife in cities throughout the country and took those accounts and made a fictional story out of them. For example, to get away from the animal control trying to get him, the coyote named Trouble was led by a crow that befriended him to ride a subway train to a different area of New York City. This was based a true example of a coyote and crow riding a train in Seattle. The characters are good and the lesson is shared that no matter where you find yourself, home is really where your heart is. I recommend this for a family read.

[Lara Vehar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a second book I've read written by this author - it's shorter than Stay but I enjoyed it the same. This one is about a coyote puppy named Trouble. He likes to stray away from his pack and explore - and one day he gets close to humans. He decides to climb onto the truck and go with them to the NYC where he is then stuck trying to get back home. He gets too domesticated and pretty close to death because humans believe that he is dangerous and it's up to a little girl, a puddle, a fox, a possum, a crow and an owl to save him and get him back home. The book was surprisingly dark for a children's book and the ending was bittersweet. It's a great little book about friendship and it carries an important message that yes, wild life is a part of the cities we live in right now but we shouldn't touch those animals because they are still wild even though they may look domesticated.

[Suzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book and I love Trouble. I like the author's notes at the end about coyotes and opossums. It's a family story and a "can't wait to leave home" story, and a "welcome home, glad you're back, you belong here" story. I likes the author on Facebook and discovered another reader whose grown up book group read this, too. It could easily be read aloud, but my husband wasn't interested.
If you cry easily, read this book. It is full of animals who help each other and share affection. If you like New York City, read this book. You too can live there. I did. It didn't seem like fiction.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is going to be a huge hit with my animal loving students. Told from the perspective of a coyote who is curious and ends up out of her element in NYC, Trouble is desperate to get home to her family. Will her new city friends be able to help her get home or will her mischievous nature cause her to end up in the zoo or worse? A lovely story about family and love told through the eyes of misunderstood wildlife and their domestic friends.

[Lisa K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance copy of this book from the author for my online book group, #bookrelays. Trouble is an adventurous coyote pup whose curiosity gets him into loads of trouble. Students will love the fast-paced action and funny characters who befriend Trouble as finds himself in NYC. I'm happy to add this book to my classroom "survivor" series for literature circles! The author's notes and curriculum connections will be a sure hit with teachers, too.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Harper Children for this book. I absolutely believe 10 - 12 years old children will thoroughly enjoy this book. For those children aged 8/9 would also enjoy having this book read to them, especially if the narrator is good with affecting different voices for the various characters, human and otherwise, contained in the book. I plan on sharing this book with younger family members.

[Lyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really cute little story! This would be great for kids starting to read some chapter books on their own, or to read with your kid! It's simple, but not obnoxiously so that you'd hate reading it with your kids. It's a really sweet book with tons of important lessons that I really enjoyed reading.
Note: I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Coyote pup, Trouble, was born for, what else but, trouble. When this young pup gets too curious and gets separated from his family. He must learn to survive in the big city of New York. Trouble makes friends along the way, who all want to help him find his way back home.

Kid friendly read with talking animals.

[Melinda Bender · Rating 4 out of 5]

A coyote named Trouble is too curious for his own good. He decides to stow away in a truck for an adventure and finds himself in a different world, more dangerous then he could ever imagine. With the help of animal friends they devise a plan to get him back home. If you are an animal lover you will find this story exciting.

[Kenneth · Rating 2 out of 5]

And I say this in a cutesy voice now...

A Pup Called Trouble is written with the same cutesy gibberish dialect that these type of books are. I bought this audiobook on clearance at a book sale, hoping that it was something different.
It wasn’t. It is a good story for children. For adu;ts in this genre, you have heard this before.

[Ctmurrays · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read aloud to my 5 year old. Well written, liked the descriptions of common human items that are described instead of stated, since it is from the perspective of the animals (staring at squares in their hands). Fun for her to try to guess what was being described.

[Kaylee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much! It was a really good book and so interesting. I liked how the animals that he met in the city helped him do things that he couldn't do by himself. I cried multiple times, sometimes sad, and sometimes happy.

[Sara-Zoe Patterson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kids will like this just fine, but animal stories really are not my thing. This one supposes realism (vs fantasy), with an overly curious coyote who finds himself in Central Park. The writing isn't the worst.

[Shelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

An adorable story, and I really enjoyed the animal facts at the end. It does make me sad that Trouble had to leave all his friends behind when he left the city. I thought maybe Rosebud would go with him and learn to live in the wild.

[Audiobook Accomplice (Gillian) · Rating 3 out of 5]

>Sigh<… Turns out I can’t stand obnoxious children even if they have four legs and a tail…
My Full Review

[Jen Tobian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warm growing up story about a curious coyote that wanders from home and ends up in NYC Central Park. Highlights the love of both family and friends. Perfect for elementary and probably middle schoolers too.

[Scott Fillner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elementary students are going to love this story! Filled with beautiful descriptive language and heart. Look for this book in February 2018z.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Animal-loving students will definitely like this, and a good follow-up suggestion is the Poppy series by Avi.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightful story, very well written and fun!!!

[Michelle Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think there will be many young readers who are going to love this book!

[Ingrid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Animal lovers will love this book. It is a wonderful story of friendship and family.

[D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for younger kids.