Take one incredibly cute dog, Hudson, and bring him to Paris. Beautifully illustrate him and scenes around Paris in gouache.  Teach him French so that he can talk with other French dogs and make friends.  Adroitly add French vocabulary throughout the story and Voilà! You have a fun and engaging masterpiece!

Ages 2+. La Librairie Parisienne.  June 2013. 40 pages. ISBN: 978-0615545424. Fiction.

Where to Get it:

• Your local library: Worldcat.org
• Your local bookstore (affiliate link):  Indiebound.org
• Or (affiliate link): Amazon.com

You Should Read Paris-Chien because:

• Each page is a work of art.  Check out more pages here: http://jackiemancuso.com/Paris-Chien-the-book
• Hudson is adorable, accessible, and the perfect character to navigate living, learning, struggling, and succeeding.
• It teaches 20 words and phrases of French in a fun and seamless way.
• It actually inspires more questions about how to say things in French.
• It’s a great book for everyone to read before going into a new situation or where they won’t know anyone.
• It’s happy, upbeat, and fun.
• Hudson talks directly to the readers, which draws in even the most distracted child, and makes the story unique and personal.

How My Three-and-a Half-Year-Old Son Responded to Paris-Chien:

After reading Paris-Chien he immediately asked for four things:  A dog (not yet), to go to Paris (let me check airfare), to learn French (immediately starts looking for classes/online programs/anything I can find) and to read it again and again (Yes, absolutely!)  He was fascinated by the fact that French dogs can understand French. (It’s true!)  He wanted to know if dogs can really speak French.  (Not that I have seen, but I’ve been wrong before.)  He also thought it was wonderful that dogs can actually go into restaurants in Paris.  (I agree, kiddo.)  He wanted to know if we lived in an arrondissement, if we could paint our couch pink like the one in the book, and what an ex-pat is.  He then spent a fair amount of time running around saying, “Waaaaaaaaaaay!”

Author/Illustrator Websites:

• http://jackiemancuso.com/Paris-Chien-the-book  (With many beautiful images from Paris-Chien.)
  • Check out her blog!  It’s wonderful:  http://parischienbook.blogspot.com/

Other Reviews of this Book:

• http://www.parisvoice.com/new-books/537-paris-chien-adventures-of-an-ex-pat-dog
• http://happilyafterall.com/2012/01/26/paris-chien/
• http://fourthmusketeer.blogspot.com/2013/06/book-review-paris-chien-adventures-of.html

Where Obtained:  I received a review copy from the author.  No other compensation was received.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

FTC Disclosures:  Some of the links in the post above are Amazon affiliate links and others are IndieBound affiliate links. If you click on the link and purchase something, I will receive an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. Which goes to fund my family’s picture book habit.  It’s a vicious cycle, but we manage.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”