Did I mention that The Adventures of the Poodle Posse won a silver Mom’s Choice Award and a top pick on Amazon’s Children’s Bookshelf ? Well, I’m proud and thrilled.. But there’s nothing like hearing from the real people, in real schools, libraries and reading programs around the region who’ve shared their opinions. If you’ve got something to say, just let me know. Contact me at chrysasmith@verizon.net.

‘Thank you so much for the wonderful “Poodle Posse’ puppet show and craft time! I almost put ‘paraphernalia’ in to carry on with the alliteration! Everyone had a great time and enjoyed the show and crafts. I know I enjoyed the puppet show and so did the Mom who helped. I just was sorry that Mary Lee was not here to participate---poodles or spaghetti: a hard choice!’

---Leslie Clarke, Assistant Library Director, Ocean City, NJ

‘It was such a pleasure to meet you today!  Thanks so much for your presentations.  The kids really enjoyed learning about you, your pets, your books, and the publishing and writing process. We hope to hear about your next book in 2012!‘   -Deb Lenert, St. Andrew’s, Drexel Hill, PA

 

‘It was so nice of you to come back for an 'encore' appearance. I thought it went well. The puppet show is adorable, and a great way to hook them into the story. Thank you for involving the older kids.’   -Chris Sexton, Cops “N Kids Reading Room, Bethlehem, PA

‘I’m glad you enjoyed your visit. We thoroughly enjoyed your presentation. The kids were abuzz today in library talking about it! Thanks for a great morning!‘    Judy Hedtke, Librarian, Notre Dame de Lourdes, Swarthmore, PA

‘Most of us who have dogs make them a part of the family. There is a fine line between the way we treat our canine members and the way we treat each other. As a matter of fact, I have noted throughout the years that those families, who do treat their pets as members of the family; kind, loving, understanding and interactive, seem to be much better adjusted that those who don’t.

The third in a series about a lovable trio of poodles and their human ‘mom’ brings home this point quite well. The author, Chrysa Smith has given each of the three dog’s distinct personalities and the kindness and love between all is quite on the mark.......

The author has put together a rather remarkable little book with this one. Not only do we have a delightful story, but Smith has added several pages of activities for children which include a nicely done maze, a dog quiz, excellent recipes for home-made dog treats (all healthy), a riddle game, doggie costume suggestions and a writing work outline to allow the child to write their own creepy tale.

The text is quite well done and is easy for the children to follow and is silly enough in just the right places to bring on plenty of giggles. The book has been very well illustrated by Pa Achilles with plenty of black and white drawings. While the story is of course, fantasy (you enter the world of these three dogs), it is filled with little truths about dogs and their personalities. Any child who has a pet dog or has ever had a pet dog will be able to instantly relate to this work.

Now those that read my reviews will know that I am a dog person. Our own ‘posse’ is not made up of Poodles, but rather Boston Terriers. I was able to relate to the antics of the dogs in the story quite well, especially when it came to the different personality traits of each of the dogs.

Chrysa Smith is a fine story teller and an excellent writer. I do hope that there will be more additions to the series coming down the road. The first two books featuring these lovable animals are.........

I did have a friend of mine, a second grade teacher, read this to her class. The kids in the class, jaded little literary critics all, gave this work two thumbs up!

-Don Blankenship, The Ozarks

An Amazon ‘Top 100 Reviewer’

‘....This fun, rambunctious Halloween adventure with Daisy and her mischievous brothers, will thrill the young reader. Of course almost every youngster I know enjoys a good dog story, but add a bit of humor and stir in a bit of horror and you have the recipe for great adventure. I’d never read anything in this series before and was pleasantly surprised at how much fun the tale was. It was well written and is sure to hold the interest of the young reader. I loved dainty Daisy and her two brothers who enjoyed annoying the little princess. IN the back of the book are several activities that the young trick-or-treater will certainly enjoy. Best of all there are two dog-approved recipes for Pumpkin Treats and Jake’s Favorite Peanut Butter Bones. This is a series that is certainly going to be a bow-WOW hit with the young dog lover!

                                     

-Deb Fowler (aka Dragonfly),Vermont

An  Amazon ‘Top 100 Reviewer’

‘Who says humans should monopolize putting on goofy costumes and getting free candy? The Adventures of the Poodle Posse: Creepy Tails! is a combination story and activity book from Chrysa Smith....Enhanced with simple yet charming artwork from Pat Achilles, ‘The Adventures of the Poodle Posse’ is an excellent pick for any young reader.’

-The Fiction Shelf

Small Press Bookwatch

The Midwest Book Review

‘Chrysa Smith is a recipient of the prestigious Mom's Choice Award. The Mom's Choice Awards honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes  Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times Best-Selling Author; LeAnn Thieman, Motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For the Soul books; and Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach and founder of the Mom's Choice Awards.’

-The Mom’s Choice Awards

‘This fun and sometimes very silly book will engage young readers with pet-friendly stories that are a delight to read. Audiences will enjoy the light-hearted humor as they learn about caring and sharing. Readers will also have fun at the end of the book where they are encouraged to talk about the stories, characters and what makes them laugh the most. For a wonderful book that will encourage young readers to develop a love for pets and their silly antics, The Adventures of the Poodle Posse is a great read.’

-Reviewer’s Bookwatch, August, 2009--The Book Review

‘Thank you for coming to our school. We liked the puppet show! Thank you for giving books to our library and for showing us the picture of your dogs!’ Love, The Fountain Hill First Graders

‘Thank you very much for traveling to Pottstown to present your creative writing workshop. I heard many positive comments from all three workshops! Hopefully the students will retain the inspiration to write and you will hear from them.’ Many Thanks,  Sue Dudek, St. Aloysius, Pottstown, PA

‘Chrysa Smith has a way with words and poodles. She has created three lovable dog personalities with top dog Woody, poodle princess Daisy and adventurous Archie--in adventures that young readers in grades two and three can enjoy. No Dogs Allowed is sure to be a hit with children whether or not they have a pet.’

-Leslie Clark, Children’s Librarian, Ocean City Free Public Library, NJ

‘Thank you so much for coming today. It means so much to the girls to hear a real author speak. We love your books and enjoy hearing all the stories of the ‘Poodle Posse.’

 

-Catherine Scholl & the girls of Sacred Heart, Malvern, PA

‘Meet Woody, Archie and Daisy--three small poodles with big hearts that will steal yours in these two new adventures. In The Princess and the Frenchmen, the three poodles realize that living together doesn’t make a family but their willingness to share does. In No Dogs Allowed, Woody makes his own discovery--having fun is possible in the most unlikely places. Pat Achilles’ enchanting illustrations bring an old-fashioned charm that perfectly fits the mood of the stories.’

-Carmen Ferreiro-Estaban, Author, Two Moon Princess

‘Thank you very much. The children and their parents continue to tell me how great of a visit it was.’

       Miss Fetter, Principal, Pottsville

“Thank you for sharing your thoughts on your book, The Adventures of the Poodle Posse, at our Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade assembly yesterday. We are always thrilled to have authors come to our school and enrich our students education by speaking to them about their books and how they came to write a book. What a great way for our students to recognize that they might also have the ability to write a book someday. It is people like you that help the students of Notre Dame better understand the importance of the arts in their education.”

-Mrs. Kathy Maziarz, Principal, Notre Dame of Bethlehem, PA

‘“Again, just want to say thanks for the wonderful presentations that you gave at Asa Packer on Monday! It was great, the kids and teachers loved it! “

-Stacie Nevitt, PTO , Asa Packer Elementary, PA

“Thank you very much for visiting Pine Run on January 23rd. The staff and students were pleased to view your presentation and learn about your experiences as an author, from drafting to publishing. It was so much fun to see the students’ attentiveness and interest as you read your story out loud to them...”

-Campion Kelly, 4th Grade Teacher

Pine Run Elementary, New Britain

“It was a real treat to have you visit our school. The chidren had a wonderful time and enjoyed hearing about Woody and Archie. Thank you for sharing your talent with us. We are looking forward to your next book.”

-Rosa Costanzo, Librarian, St. Anthony-St. Joseph, Ambler

“I just wanted to thank you again for yesterday! I know my students loved it (your visit) and I can already see some of them beginning to write stories. I have heard many positive comments from the other teachers too, both from the younger ones and the older ones. Your book and presentation were great, and we can’t wait for your next ones to come out.”                   -Mary Saile, Teacher, St. John Bosco, Hatboro

‘Thank you for visiting us at Our Lady Help of Christians School. What a treat for our students to learn about your story ideas and learn about your life as an author. We love the poodle puppets the children made from the coloring sheets. Thank you for the ideas and fun.”

-Arlene Pfizenmayer, Librarian, OLHC School,  Abington, PA

‘Kids will enjoy these stories about two dogs and their antics. Young listeners will be drawn to the cute images of the poodles.’

            -The Reading Tub (Book Reviews for Children)

      ‘Chrysa Smith has created two memorable canine characters that will bring smiles to the faces of young readers. Woody and Archie are more than pet poodles; actually friends who demonstrate the qualities we try to instill in young children. The humorous, vivid details of the stories make for a great read-aloud for youngsters and a stepping-stone into chapter books for primary grade readers.’

        -Ruth Fields, Librarian, Bensalem Twp. School District, PA

‘Four Paws Up for Chrysa Smith as she vividly captures the warmth and gentle spirit of Mrs. Flout and shares the canine tails of her much loved curly-haired Frenchmen..witty phrases keep you begging for more.’

        -Linda Hastie, Director of Small Wonders at St. Pauls, Doylestown, PA

‘This book is a highly-entertaining read, not only for children, but also for their parents. Woody and Archie are mischievous, yet adorable poodles who have the ability to make everyone true dog lovers. They are adept at sniffing out one amusing escapade after another.....’

-Dolores Rock, Resource Reading Teacher, Hamilton, NJ

‘Thank you very much for my copy of your book. I am looking forward to sharing it with the staff here at Titus. We’ll most likely purchase some before our YAD in the spring. Don’t forget about us. I’ll be in touch.’

    -Karen Wallace, Reading Specialist, Titus Elementary, Warrington, PA

‘Received your finished, published book in today’s mail. LOVED IT! Sat down immediately to read and enjoyed every second. Someday, I will read this to my grandkids in Montana, but at Christmas, I plan to read it to my 7 year old granddaughter in Tacoma.’

    -Gail Richardson, Elementary Principal (retired),

Park City, MT

‘These are adorable! Where can I buy your books? I’m thinking Christmas presents for my nieces---also, I’d like to pick up a few for the siblings of some of my clients. They would think I was really cool that I know the author.’

    -Mary Beth Turchick, Reading Specialist/Autism,

Bucks County, PA

“Thank you for the books that you so generously sent to us. Books open the world up to many of these children. It brings a smile to my face knowing the children are learning about different aspects of the world as they listen to the stories that are read to them and, they themselves begin the beautiful journey of reading.”

-Barbara Kestenbaum, East River Child Development Center, NY

‘My favorite character was Archie. I did a book report on it for school.’

    -Jessica Presto, Fourth Grade, Bethlehem, PA

‘The book is very enjoyable. I like how the main character likes dogs, because I like dogs too. As soon as I started the book, I couldn’t stop. I hope it gets published into the stores.’

    -Megan Avallone, Fourth Grade, Mine Hill, NJ

‘My favorite story was ‘The Case of the Missing Steak Bone.” It taught me about sharing. I try to share with my sister, brother, friends. Woody and Archie are good at sharing together.’

    -Delaney Brown, Second Grade, Scottsdale, AZ

‘I loved your book so much. It’s so cool, the fact that at the end of the book, you ask questions. I have a little story of my own that I made up, and it’s really short. I like dogs too. I am in the fourth grade and am going to share it with my teacher. I am sure she will love it, just like I did.’

                                           -Alyssa Marazzi, Fourth Grade,

                               Gayman Elementary, Doylestown, PA