Friday, September 10, 2021

The Triumphant Tails of Rescue Dogs: Punk's Plight by Dr. Hope A. Walter, EdD - Book Tour & Review + Giveaway


Join us for this tour from Aug 23 to Sep 10, 2021!

Book Details:

Book Title:  The Triumphant Tails of Rescue Dogs: Punk's Plight by Dr. Hope A. Walter, EdD
Category:  Children's Fiction (Ages 5-12),  38 pages
Genre: Children's Picture Book 
Publisher:  Mascot 
Release date:  Aug, 2021
Content Rating:  G.
Book Description:

This is not just another book about a dog! Meet Punk, an eight-year-old petite English Bulldog. Her life appears great right now, but it wasn't always that way. Join Punk as she recounts her story of neglect, her rescue and recovery, and her journey of learning to trust and heal again. Punk's Plight is meant to help educators, psychologists, social workers, counselors, and allies of children teach children about the difficult topic of neglect. Punk teaches that neglect may change you forever, but it does not have to stop you from living your best life.
Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ B&N 
Mascot Books

My Review
Punk's Plight is an absolutely adorable children's book about an English Bulldog named Pumpkin, or Punk for short. Punk has a good life, and is loved by her family. But Punk's life wasn't always so great. Punk's previous family stopped caring for her, neglecting her, and because of that, she suffered from some medical issues. Soon, though, Punk is rescued by a man named Xavier. Xavier cares for Punk, and eventually, Punk goes to her new home where she is lavished with love and affection, which is all she ever wanted. 
This is a delightful story that deals with a tough subject. It's a good way for parents to discuss caring for pets with their children. And while the story deals with neglect of a dog, it can also be used to discuss neglect of people too. In fact, Xavier starts his dog rescue because he was a foster child who bounced from home to home, feeling unwanted and unloved. 
The illustrations are sweet, and the pictures of real-life Punk at the end are so cute! Kids will definitely fall in love with Punk.
It's a very heartwarming tale (tail) that will make kids (and adults) want to cuddle their pets a little closer after they finish reading it. 
5 stars!


Guest Post
The Importance of Books about Tough Topics like Neglect
It’s hard to talk about abuse, neglect, and feelings of loneliness and abandonment.  We probably don’t discuss these things enough as adults, let alone to young children.  But the fact is, lots of children face difficult situations and have big feelings about hard things they have faced in life.  If they don’t have a good support system who will teach them?  How will they learn?  We know that abuse and neglect tend to be cyclical.  We must work together, as a society, to help break that cycle.

Punk’s Plight has many different levels to it.  First, it could just be a sweet book about a cute dog who managed to have a good life after having a rocky start.  That’s just the surface story though.  It is also a book to help that child out there that is being neglected and just doesn’t have the word for it.  It might help them find the courage to talk to a trusted adult, to seek support.  It is also a book for that friend who knows their family is different from their friends, but they can’t identify why their friend isn’t acting “normal.”  They can’t understand why their friend is dirty or scared or anxious.  It is a book for that friend to be an ally to someone in need.

 But it is also a book for adults.  For educators, child psychologists, and counselors, this is a tool to use with children who have experienced neglect.  Punk can be the voice to the feelings they have.  Punk can say what they are feeling but dare not say aloud.  Punk can be a safe outlet for them.  It can also be used to educate students who have not experienced trauma, but to teach them as a preventative tool.  And lastly, it can help heal some old wounds of survivors of abuse and neglect.  My hope is that it will be all these things to different people at different times.

It’s important to talk about hard things.  It’s important to give a voice to feelings we have, especially to the very young.  It’s also important to teach children so that we can help prevent neglect.  I hope I have done that in this book.  I hope it will help many, many people; but I’ll be happy if it helps just one.     


Meet the Author:
Hope A. Walter, Ed. D grew up in East Greenville, Pennsylvania. After graduating from Upper Perkiomen High School, Hope received her B.S. in Elementary Education at Kutztown University in 1996, her M.S. in Educational Psychology in 2002 from the University of Las Vegas in Nevada, and her Ed.D in Educational Leadership in 2018. Currently, Hope resides in McMinnville, Oregon with her husband of 25 years, her 3 boys, and her 2 dogs and 2 cats. She works as an adjunct professor at Linfield University and Oregon State University teaching mathematics education and educational psychology to future teachers.

Punk’s Plight was conceptualized after teaching future teachers about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Hope saw the connection between ACES and the journey of her own bulldog, Pumpkin, who was neglected, rescued, and spent the rest of her life learning how to trust and love again. Sadly, Pumpkin passed away peacefully in November 2020 after a long life with the Walter family. Hope wants Punk’s story to help children suffering from neglect by showing children they can recover, heal, and prosper despite experiencing neglect.

connect with the author: website ~facebook ~ instragram
Tour Schedule:

Aug 23 - Splashes of Joy  - book review / author interview / giveaway
Aug 23 - Cover Lover Book Review - book review / guest post / giveaway
Aug 23 - Rockin' Book Reviews - book review / guest post / giveaway
Aug 24 - A Mama's Corner of the World - book review / giveaway
Aug 25 - Lisa Everyday Reads  - book spotlight / author interview 
Aug 26 - Pause for Tales - book review / giveaway
Aug 27 - Kam’s Place - book review 
Aug 30 - Literary Flits - book spotlight / giveaway
Aug 31 - The Momma Spot - book review / giveaway
Aug 31 - Cheryl's Book Nook - book review / giveaway
Sep 1 - icefairy's Treasure Chest - book review / giveaway
Sep 1 - Pick a Good Book - book review / author interview / giveaway
Sep 2 - I'd Rather Be At The Beach - book review / giveaway
Sep 2 - Bound 4 Escape - book review / giveaway
Sep 3 - Gina Rae Mitchell - book review / author interview / giveaway
Sep 6 - Westveil Publishing - book review / giveaway
Sep 6 - Sefina Hawke's Books - book review 
Sep 7 - Locks, Hooks and Books - book review / giveaway
Sep 7 - Lisa's Reading - book review / giveaway
Sep 8 - The Adventures of a Traveler's Wife - book review / giveaway
Sep 8 - The Phantom Paragrapher - book review / giveaway
Sep 9 - Jazzy Book Reviews - book review / guest post / giveaway
Sep 9 - She Just Loves Books - book review / giveaway
Sep 10 - The Bespectacled Mother - book review / guest post / giveaway
Enter the Giveaway:



1 comment:

Please try not to spam posts with the same comments over and over again. Authors like seeing thoughtful comments about their books, not the same old, "I like the cover" or "sounds good" comments. While that is nice, putting some real thought and effort in is appreciated. Thank you.