Reviewed by Amy Raines for Readers’ Favorite

In Clemmy Gets a Sister by Caroline Crocker, Clemmy, the English Bulldog, loved being the center of her humans’ attention. A duck with a duckling following her waddled through the yard, through the house, and to the swimming pool. When the mother duck waddled away, she left her duckling alone in the pool. Clemmy’s humans take good care of Peep, the duckling, much to Clemmy’s displeasure. Peep quickly became part of the family and seemed to get more attention than Clemmy liked. How long would Peep be around? How many time-outs would Clemmy get for chasing the duckling around the house? How would Clemmy fare if Peep wasn’t there anymore?

I thoroughly enjoyed Clemmy Gets a Sister! This adorable story gives an amazing view of what introducing a new pet [or child] into the family looks like. The way Caroline Crocker conveys Clemmy’s ideas and responses makes this picture book very hard to put down, even for an adult! I love how Clemmy can’t seem to decide if the addition of Peep is good or bad for her relationship with her humans. The pictures of Clemmy and Peep in such natural settings add extra fun and flair to the story. I recommend Clemmy Gets A Sister to young children who love a realistic tale of how animals [and siblings] interact and enjoy an interesting point of view. Crocker is an amazing writer who will undoubtedly keep kids entertained for many years to come!

Reviewed by Deborah Stone for Readers’ Favorite

Clemmy Gets a Family written by Caroline Crocker and illustrated by Tejal Mistry is a charming and touching story about Clementine, affectionately known as Clemmy. Clemmy is an English bulldog who had an unhappy start in life. She is frightened, lonely, and uncared for until a human family chooses her to be part of their family. They chose a dirty, stinky dog that hid from them because they knew she needed them the most. While enjoying what it feels like to be loved and to be safe, Clemmy also learns to be brave. As time passes, Clemmy learns what unconditional love means and how it is given easily and freely. Even when she doesn’t do things right, they still love her.

Caroline Crocker shows her young readers what it is like for Clemmy to be frightened and unloved, and then what it is like when someone sees her for the dirty frightened puppy that she is and decides to make her part of a loving and caring family. The author demonstrates the unconditional love that God offers simplistically so that a child can relate to it and understand it. The message of acceptance and love is sweetly illustrated in her story. The illustrations by Tejal Mistry are paramount to the success of the book. They are beautiful and vivid, and children will love them. With the colorful and interesting pages, this can be a fun book for children to look through even if they cannot yet read. I recommend this charming book.