MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW, D. DONOVAN, SENIOR REVIEWER

Picture book readers who love dog stories will relish A Home for Hope! Its lively tone conveys the dilemma of a young stray pup who longs for a warm and happy home.

This tale may sound similar to other picture books about lost animals who find a forever home. Yet its lilting, easy rhyme, lovely illustrations by Renée Andriani, and depiction of Hope's life on the street before she is rescued by a shelter aide and put up for adoption add insights into homelessness and what makes a house a home.

The beginning of Hope's adventure leads into the second journey taking place for two siblings who, with their parents, are moving out of their beloved nana's home into a fixer-upper a long distance away.

These intertwining narratives make for more than just a singular story of a puppy. They show how pets and people rescue one another, and how a sense of home is forged through familiar and unknown connections, further strengthening its foundations.

Margie Blumberg has gone above and beyond with A Home for Hope!, which lives up to its name in exploring how that home is built on hope, fresh opportunities, and wonderful surprises. Young readers and adults who enjoy rhyming read-alouds and fun, colorful drawings will find A Home for Hope! just the ticket for exploring themes of change and new possibilities in life.

A music sheet for the song "April Showers," celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, is included, along with new lyrics at the close of the book.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

Thanks to a shelter worker’s perseverance, a dog finds a home with a multigenerational family in this picture book.

Shivering in the rain, a stray canine is rescued by a “shelter hero.” After bathing the brown-and-white dog and giving her medicine, the man names her Hope and vows that he “won’t quit” until she gets adopted. Meanwhile, siblings Chip and Kaye are sad to be moving away from their grandmother Nana Faye. Though the kids help Mom and Pop renovate their new house, something is missing. When Nana Faye visits a canine adoption event, she asks for “a loving, fluffy, Faithful friend.” The shelter hero knows the perfect fit. With Hope in tow, Nana Faye visits the grandkids. When she informs them that she and the pooch are moving in, the siblings are pleased. Now, the place feels complete, and “home is sweet” with Hope around. The uplifting tale deftly demonstrates kindness and love for all creatures. Blumberg’s rhymes are clever and animated (“Squirt, spurt, spout! / Pup is drenched / From tail to snout”), making this an excellent read-aloud choice. Andriani’s illustrations are delightful. Readers will love the detailed backdrops, such as a scene depicting numerous humans and dogs at the adoption event. The images mirror story elements, like rainy weather, and show a diverse human cast. The book includes a poem and lyrics and music for “April Showers,” imploring readers to sing along.

A witty, heartwarming, and interactive tale for canine lovers.

READERS' FAVORITE, 5 STARS, ASHER SYED

A Home for Hope!, written by Margie Blumberg and illustrated by Renée Andriani, is a rhythmic children's book that follows two interconnecting stories that ultimately converge into one. The book begins with a dog who is found on the side of the street, wet from the rain and the passing cars, by a pet shelter rescue worker. The dog is taken to the shelter, given a bath and medicine, and named Hope. While this is happening, a family with two young children is preparing for a move. They are sad to leave their Nana Faye but are promised she's always just a phone call away. Meanwhile, Hope is still at the shelter but is continually reassured she is safe and will be adopted, even as other pups find families of their own. As the children settle into the home their parents have renovated, they all feel that something is missing...but Hope is on the way for everyone.

Margie Blumberg writes a lyrical tale with a beautiful message in A Home for Hope! As a family who adopted a cat from a rescue, there was an instant connection to the story between Hope, her new family, and my own. The illustrations in the book are absolutely wonderful and Renée Andriani, an artist in the truest sense, brings every scene to life with vivid, full-color sketches. One thing that stood out to me that I appreciated the most is that the situation Hope is in is not sugar-coated. For young readers who are unaware of the sheer volume of pets waiting for adoption at shelters, rescues, and pounds, Blumberg and Adriani put forward the clear need for animals like Hope to find homes where many children would rather just buy a new puppy or kitten. This is a book that will fit comfortably into our bedtime reading rotation.

READERS' FAVORITE, 5 STARS, EMILY-JANE HILLS ORFORD

A stray puppy is rescued on a rainy spring day and taken to a shelter. What will it take for this little puppy to find her fur-ever home? In the meantime, a young family moves into a big house that needs a lot of work. They had to leave behind their beloved nana, and the task of cleaning up the dreadful mess of a house seems overwhelming, even for the two children, Chip and Kaye. The children unpack and set up their rooms, but they know something’s missing. Mom and Pop know, too. Once things are tidied up, they realize that something is still missing to make their home complete. Will Nana Faye come to their rescue?

Margie Blumberg’s picture book story, A Home for Hope!, is a compassionate story of a loving, but sadly abandoned puppy. Hope dreams of a fur-ever home where she can be loved and cared for, warm and safe. The story is told in rhyming verse, beginning with the popular 100-year-old song, "April Showers," presented as sheet music (with a link to listen to the song online). The colorful illustrations help move this charming story to its hopeful ending. The plot begins with Hope’s sad plight, and the loving shelter worker who befriends her. A parallel story follows the children, Chip and Kaye, as they try to settle into their new and rather frightening mess of a home. There’s lots of room to play at the new house, but also a lot of work to be done first. And, they all realize there’s something missing – Hope. A beautifully told story about a loving and complete fur-ever family.

READERS' FAVORITE, 5 STARS, JACK MAGNUS

A Home for Hope! is a children’s animal picture book written by Margie Blumberg and illustrated by Renée Andriani. Chip and Kaye were not at all sure they were happy about the big move. For one thing, they were leaving Nana Faye behind. Eventually, they could put it off no longer, and they drove off with their mom and dad to their new house. The new house was dreary, to put it optimistically. Chip and Kaye were not sure their parents would ever be able to get it into shape, but then they had the best idea on how they could help. Meanwhile, at the local shelter, a cheerful little brown and white dog named Hope was wondering when she would meet her forever family. She was sure there was such a family out there; the nice guy who had found her cold and sick at the park assured her that they would come. And if Chip and Kaye’s parents did visit the shelter to find a dog for their family, would they see Hope and decide she was their forever dog?

Margie Blumberg’s A Home for Hope! is a marvelous story that chronicles a family’s move to a new, big house with a large yard for the kids to play in and plenty of room for a family pet. The story also chronicles the life of a rescue dog and shows how wonderful dogs like Hope are out there waiting at the local shelter for their forever homes. I also love how Nana Faye is such a focal point in her grandchildren’s lives. Renée Andriani’s illustrations also work perfectly with the story. This is a grand story to introduce young readers to shelter pets and begin a conversation about adopting a pet of their own. It’s also written at a level for young readers to try to read -- and sing -- on their own. The opening and closing poems are designed to be sung to the melody of "April Showers,” and the author even provides the sheet music for those who can read music. A Home for Hope! is most highly recommended.

NetGalley Reviews

KATY G., REVIEWER
5 STARS: "A Home for Hope! was ADORABLE! My kids and I absolutely loved it! This was a beautiful story about a little puppy who is found all alone in the rain. When she is brought into the shelter, it seems like she will never find her forever home. Meanwhile, a young family moves into a new house that needs a lot of fixing up. Even after it is all done, there is something missing. Things start to come together for everyone and readers learn that even the gloomiest days can bring sunshine."

VERONIC JOY, REVIEWER
5 STARS: "This gorgeous story involving a shelter puppy and two young children missing their nana is delightfully written and adorably illustrated. Told through the dual plot lines of Hope a stray puppy being picked up by a shelter worker and taken to a rehoming centre and children Chip and Kaye moving with their parents from their nan’s home to a new home of their own. While Hope waits for a forever home the children are trying to make their new house feel like home. The renovations are complete but it still doesn’t feel right, until Nana Faye arrives with the new puppy she has adopted from the centre. Home for Hope is a feel good rhyming story about family and belonging. Perfect for families that are thinking of adopting a rescue dog."

JEANIE SCHWAGERMAN, REVIEWER
5 STARS: "A picture book on a family that is moving and makes room for a dog named Hope from the animal shelter. Hope is not only the name for the dog but the message of hope. Their story will lead to conversation on what Hope really means and how it makes a family stronger. Highly recommend. A special thank you to MB Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review."

MELIKE ERKAN, REVIEWER
5 STARS: "I loved this story about Hope the puppy. Hope is found lost during a rainy day by a shelter worker named Jacques and he is taken to the local rescue center. Every day Jacques tells Hope that they won't quit until Hope finds a family to take her home. At the same time, a new family moves into town. Kaye and Chip are young siblings who just moved into a new home that needs some tender loving care. When mom and dad finish fixing it up, they still find something is missing and know exactly where to find it! Hope gets adopted and finds her forever home. What made this heartwarming story even better were the cheery and bright illustrations. It was truly a joy to read!!"

BETH G., EDUCATOR
4/5 STARS: "This is a beautiful story about a dog that is found and taken to an animal shelter and a family that moves to a new town and needs a new friend. Chip and Kaye move to a new house that needs a lot of work. Mom and Dad are busy working on the house. When the house and yard get cleaned up and fixed they add the final touch to their new home, Hope. Hope was found by a shelter worker and he took her there and cleaned her up and got her ready for her forever family. Now Hope and the kids are enjoying their new home together."

NATALIE G., REVIEWER
5 STARS: "My son enjoys stories about pets, so I loved reading this book to him. This book is the story of Hope after being found in a park and brought to a shelter, and the family that ends up adopting her. The illustrations are simply beautiful! We loved the bright colors and how well they complemented the story. My son enjoys trying to figure out what will happen by looking at the illustrations before we read, and he was right most of the time in this book! The story is simply beautifully written. It was nice to see both Hope's experiences as well as the family that finally adopts her. My son experienced his first move earlier this year, so he enjoyed seeing how the parents were trying so hard to make the children happy. We also loved the end of the story! It was a beautiful book we truly enjoyed."

RENEE W., REVIEWER
5 STARS: "A gem to read. My 6 year old grandson and I loved it. I liked how the book shows the importance of adopting from a shelter. We did! Love the artwork! Thanks #netgalley and #MBPublishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review."

VICKY Z., EDUCATOR
5 STARS: "Such a cute book! Dog lovers everywhere will love this book. I think kids would be able to see themselves like the kid in the story. They have often moved around and needed a friend. The illustrations are welcoming and engaging and really help tell the story. The story also uses rhyming words on every other line. This does not give a sing-songy feel like many books have, but rather helps with the flow of the story."

AMANDA M., REVIEWER
5 STARS: "This was so sweet!! As someone who has a rescue dog, this made my heart melt. It is a very wholesome story about how loved ones and dogs can help make a new place into a home. The back and forth stories with Hope and the kids was a nice way of showing how they needed each other. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!"

ANN F., REVIEWER
5 STARS: "This is an absolute delightful children's book. It's a uplifting story that has beautiful illustrations and would be a perfect bedtime or quiet time story. Thank you MB Publishing--Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles via NetGalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own."

JENNIFER C., REVIEWER
5 STARS: "This was too cute! A beautiful short story of adoption and family. Illustrations were colorful and filled with enough energy to keep the younger readers engaged! Thank you Netgalley and MB Publishing for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review."

KATIE W., REVIEWER
5 STARS: "I read this book with my ten year old. We liked how it showed two different narratives and it brought them together at the end. We also liked that it started out sad and ended happy. We learned that rescuing animals can help both parties as long as they are given a happy home."

READING T., REVIEWER
5 STARS: "You won't be able to deny this: This storybook is just so good! The illustrations is just perfect! The whole book read like a good animation show. You will be able to feel the rain alongside all the emotions. The lines are delivered well and good. They are playful! All the good vibes and yes, let's say yes to adoption and protecting animals. I love how the kids love books too! Bless them. They are so cute! Such a fun, feel-good read. Thank you, authors and the publisher, for the advance reading copy."

CHERRY-ANN L., REVIEWER
5 STARS: "This book had a sort of musical flair to it, all rhyme and all. You can actually feel the love these kids had for their Grandma and it was definitely a two-way street. It made me happy to see Grandma and Hope moved in with them. A beautiful, fun little book teaching your kids that there is always a way no matter how dreary it may be, I loved it.😊😊😊😊😊My Recommendation"

JAMIE D., REVIEWER
5 STARS: "Thank you so much for the chance to review this one, what an absolutely sweet book. I loved the rhymes and they way the story flowed naturally. The little girl knitting and the boy cooking were such unique hobbies for them to have. Sophie (4) really loved the pictures and Kaley (7) enjoyed reading the story aloud for us. I'd definitely recommend this one to parents with young children even up to primary school aged. Great book."

REVIEWER 677700
5 STARS: "Thanks for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for honest feedback. The cover is adorable! And the rest of the drawings/illustrations are wonderful. The storyline is great! I loved the stylistic choices of the writing as well, particularly the shorter sentences and rhymes. It flows well and allows for the reader (if reading aloud to a child) to enunciate at certain points for key effects. Really great job. Cute story."

BRIAR RAMSES, REVIEWER
4/5 STARS: A Home for Hope! by Margie Blumberg is a delightfully sweet book with some gorgeous, colourful illustrations.

Hope is a puppy, introduced to us during some April showers. A hero comes by to save her, making sure she doesn't get lost in the rain. Over the course of this book, Hope goes through the process of finding a home! What an exciting time for an animal!

This story is very sweet and the colourful illustrations make the book fun. It shows Hope and her soon to be family facing struggles at the same time, and shows that many people face the same emotions. But then, eventually, the sun comes out and people have a great day!

Overall, a wonderful children's book that I highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.