Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. ( )

Stay! is a wonderful book with great illustrations and a lesson for children who want or have a dog. This is the story of Ben's dog, Buster. You don't really need to own a dog to understand this, but if you do have one, then this is even better. Buster has not been trained and the family is tired of the stunts he pulls so, when they do on vacation, they leave him home with grandpa. Ben is worried that grandpa will not know how to take care of Buster and he talks to his dad. Dad tells him to write notes to grandpa. This is where the cute begins. The notes Ben writes and later the postcards are a list of all his faults and misadventures. When grandpa and Buster have a misadventure, he decided it is time to train Buster. When Ben comes home, grandpa shows him what to do to make Buster listen and of course, the next vacation the family takes, Buster gets to go.

This is a good story for showing that dogs need to be trained, just like people need to learn manners and skills. No dog is bad, just poorly trained. This could be a good story for showing children how much responsibility is involved in owning a dog, and how important that training is, as well as keeping up with that training. The art work is wonderful filled with detail and expression as well as vibrant colours. I loved how Alex Latimer was able to show the anxiety Ben felt when leaving his best friend with grandpa. A delightful story that I highly recommend.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. ( )

When Ben and his parents go on holiday, leaving his beloved dog Buster behind with Grandpa, the young boy leaves lots of instructional notes for his canine pal's temporary care-giver. Although he enjoys his holiday, Ben manages to find the time to send lots of postcards with further warnings and instructions. Grandpa, in the meantime, starts a course of dog training with Buster, and has a few notes of his own to give his grandson, when he returns...

The third picture-book that I have read from South African author/illustrator Alex Layton, following upon Pig and Small and Never Follow a Dinosaur, Stay! A Top Dog Story pairs an engaging tale of boy and dog (and grandfather!) with bright, colorful artwork. I really appreciated the fact that Buster's bad behavior is addressed through the story - something notably absent in the Naughty Mabel books I've been reading recently - but that his over-exuberant nature reasserts itself from time to time, even after training. Recommended to all young dog lovers, and to anyone looking for children's stories in which naughty behavior is addressed in a constructive way. ( )

There are 2 reasons why I like this book; the plot and characters. The main character is a dog named Buster. Buster is a very mischievous dog that likes to get into trouble but his owner, ben, absolutely adores him. When Ben and his family go on vacation they ask grandpa to watch Buster. To help his grandfather, Ben writes a series of notes about Buster; he even continues to write to him on vacation. The notes all help describe Buster as a dog and by the end of the story, readers know Buster very well. Almost any dog owner can relate. The plot is interesting because, Ben keeps forgetting an important thing to tell his grandfather but he just cant think of what it is, he just knows he’s forgetting something. He finally remembers that he wanted to tell his grandfather not to take Buster to the post office because he will chase the mailman. By the time ben remembers, it’s to late, buster has already destroyed the post office. In reaction, his grandfather decides to train him while his family is on vacation. By the time they get back, buster is a well-behaved dog and everyone is happy. This story doesn’t have a moral; it’s only for entertainment. However, it’s very relatable and enjoyable. ( )

Stay! is a clever little book about owning a pet and how kids and parents see that pet - where adults can find them a pain, kids see past a lot of their flaws because they are a companion. Ben is about to go on vacation with his stressed parents and they have told him that he cannot bring Buster, their dog. So instead Ben must write a list for grampa about what may happen while they are away - all the things Buster likes, dislikes, things to do with him etc. Sadly, Ben still forgets some important things, luckily Grampa knows how to handle it.

This was a very cute story about a kid and his dog and the different ways to react when a pet is misbehaving. It was very cute, very colorful, and all the drawings were marvelous. As a dog owner and lover, I highly recommend this cute book.
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