Author: Michelle Staubach Grimes
Illustrator: BillDeore
Publisher: Pidge Media
ISBN: 978-0-9908420-1-9

“Pidge stretched her mouth so wide it hurt. Tears welled in her eyes. What have I gotten myself into? She thought,” Michelle Staubach Grimes writes in her children’s book, Pidge Takes the Stage.

A sequel in a series, this oversized thirty-two-page hardbound targets five- to six-year-old children and readers who appreciate a fun story about participation, hard work, and acceptance. With no scary scenes, it would be best read to beginner readers based on some complicated words. Expressive, detailed illustrations by Deore cover the pages with the story coinciding with the artwork.

In this charming story, young Pidge decides to audition for a school play and include her rather unruly-behaved dog, Maverick. While everyone tells her the dog is not well trained and she has to learn how to sing properly, the girl believes in herself and her canine. After taking lessons and training her dog as best as she can, the day of the audition arrives, but chaos occurs when Maverick misbehaves. Pidge’s friend takes care of the beloved pet so she can audition and be selected for a different role in the play.

This book is a clever way for a young child to learn about believing in oneself, practicing to get better at something, not giving up on others, being a friend, offering unconditional love, and trying your best in every situation. I love how the author promotes doing hard work and fortitude to achieve a goal.

The book contains many multi-syllable words that may frustrate beginner readers, but it also is a way to learn new words. Those with visual issues may find some of the illustrations too busy and hectic.

While the book is for five and six-year-olds, I think it could be read and understood by younger children or read on its own by older kids in the lower elementary grades. I hope more adventures of Pidge are in the works.

If you read the first in the series of Pidge’s life, this book will delight a young reader. It would be well received by a reader who likes to learn or try new things while accepting things do not always work out as planned.

Thanks to Bookpleasures and the author for this complimentary book that I am under no obligation to review.