Puppy Puzzle

Animal Ark Pets (UK Order) #1

by Ben M. Baglio

For Pet Day at school, James and Sarah each bring their new puppies. Quick as a flash, the two puppies run off together. Soon only one returns, and Mandy must help her friend find the missing pup.

Genres: Animals, Childrens, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Dogs

107 pages, Paperback

First published September 9, 1996

About the author

Ben M. Baglio created the brief for two series of children's books - Dolphin Diaries and Animal Ark. Dolphin Diaries features a girl and her family from Florida, who travel around the world as marine biologists and study dolphins. Animal Ark features two children who work together to help animals and solve animal-related mysteries. The books were written by commissioned writers in the UK under Baglio's instruction using the pseudonym Lucy Daniels. Each ghostwriter is named with a 'Special Thanks' on the copyright page.

Using his real name he also wrote the book series The Pet Finders Club, featuring a group of three children who search for peoples lost pets.

Reviews

[Annerie RooibosReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very very cute! The only thing that bugged me a lot is that the training methods described in this book are very very wrong... An animal behaviourist pet peeve of mine...

I grew up reading Animal Ark books on a daily basis and I absolutely adored them!

[Rena Sherwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 1996, the publishers of the successful Animal Ark series, Hodder Children's Books, decided to take things a step further and introduce an Animal Ark series aimed at slightly younger readers, aged eight to ten (or thereabouts.) This was the first in four spin-off Animal Ark series.

For the initial outing, Hodder turned to one of the Animal Ark ghostwriters, Helen Magee. She went all ambitious on us -- writing about the first time James and Mandy met, and how James got Blackie. These were vital questions that needed to be answered for fans of Animal Ark.

My favorite character in the Animal Ark Universe is Blackie, so any story where he is featured is a bonus to me. It was nice hearing about Blackie's family, but I don't think they're mentioned again in any series other than Animal Ark Pets.

Now, if you know nothing about Animal Ark, and this is the first Animal Ark Pets book you pick up, you're probably going to find this a cute but predictable story. I think people who've read a score or more of Animal Ark books will get more out of it than an Animal Ark virgin.

The illustrations are incredibly good pencil-like drawings by Paul Howard. The first drawing is ... of a tortoise. The first drawing of Blackie as a newborn Pup was worth the price of admission for me. We also get a drawing of Benji, James' cat that dies in the very first Animal Ark book Kittens in the Kitchen.

This was a review of the UK edition, under the fake author name of Lucy Daniels. In the States, this would be published by Scholastic under the fake author name Ben Baglio. I much prefer the UK editions, since this is a UK series, meant to have the spellings, punctuation, and volcabulary of the UK, not America.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Animal Ark books were my faaaaaaaavourites when I was young (maybe grades 2 - 5?) and after unearthing a stack of them while moving, I'm doing a reread almost 20 years later. I remember the Animal Ark Pets series feeling a little juvenile when I was 9-10 (in terms of tone, language, and storytelling), but they're a great starter chapter book for young kids who love animals.

Friendship, positive messages, a little bit of education on how to choose & rear a puppy, lots of illustrations of adorable pets, a brief but exciting climax and - most importantly for tiny me - characters who were as crazy about animals as I was.

[Rosa Cline · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good chapter book for 'advanced beginner' readers. Many of the words repeat themselves although is a 'true' chapter book. If your child loves animals then they will love this series of books and it will open the door to the next step in reading for the regular Animal Ark series. My 20 year old daughter LOVED these books when she was old enough to read on her own!

Mandy is a little girl who both parents are vets. And their vet clinic Animal Ark is part of their home so Mandy knows ALL the animals in the village where they live. In this book she becomes best friend with a little boy at school James and they share his newest puppy. Mandy helps him to know what to do with his newest pet. They have pet day at school and an adventure pursues when the day is over.

[Monisha · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is about a girl named Mandy Hope who is very experienced at working with animals because her parents are vets. She goes around helping all her friends pets and solving their problems.
One of her friends, James, adopts a black puppy called Blackie and they share him and take him to school on pets day. However, he gets mixed up with his brother, Sootie who was adopted by a girl in their school. It becomes a confusing and amusing story as they return the puppies to their proper homes.

[Macarena · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book is very funny and cool and it involves dogs my favorite kind of animal. this books about these two kids that are friends and they get puppies but both puppies look alike and they bring them to school and one of the puppies gets lost but which one ?!

[Twyla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mrs.Lawson had a dog named Molly she was about to have puppies.she had five puppies.Sarah and James could get a puppy.James got the smallest one and named him Blackie,and Sarah got the biggest one and named it Licorice.they got away on pet day and Sarah brought Blackie home with her.

[Gouri · Rating 3 out of 5]

i read this book when i was 8 i love puppies!

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was so nice and the dogs where very cute. i read this book when i was 8, like one of the other reviewers.

[Manaika Gabriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

soooooooooooooo boring

[Meagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

good book