The Adventures of Gunner the Poodle Pony: Gunner Meets Stella by Lynne McGlothlen

What I Loved:

I really enjoy seeing children’s books that help them to understand and manage their emotions. Adults struggle to handle their emotions sometimes, so helping a child to understand something can be extremely difficult. The Adventures of Gunner the Poodle Pony is a wonderful book that introduces grief for a child in a way that is uplifting, and I loved that.

My Synopsis:

Gunner, a very special dog, is heading to work at the Hospice center. He enjoys helping people feel better when they are sick or sad. He meets Stella at the center, a young girl who is visiting her sick grandmother.

Stella and Gunner become fast friends, and Gunner helps Stella to understand her emotions and help her to feel a bit better. He promises to tell her more stories when they see each other again, which makes me think there might be more Poodle Pony books coming!

How I Felt:

I thought this story was written so that it is easy for a child to understand. It is told through Gunner’s perspective, which makes it fun for a child, but Stella’s emotions are easy to relate to.

The Adventures of Gunner the Poodle Pony had great illustrations. They were bright and colorful, and really caught my daughter’s eye. I liked how well they portrayed the size of Gunner. He’s huge, and it was an additional fun aspect of this story.

Overall, this was a good book with a wonderful message about love and loss that is well-written for children. The illustrations were good, and the story was easy for a child to understand.

To Read or Not To Read:

I would recommend The Adventures of Gunner the Poodle Pony for any child, but I think it would specifically resonate with a child that has had a recent death in the family or has a sick relative.