Casey and Bella Go To New York City - Hardcover

Jane Lovascio

4.62

8 ratings by Goodreads

9781601310071: Casey and Bella Go To New York City

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1601310072 ISBN 13: 9781601310071

Publisher: Big Tent Books, 2008

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Casey and Bella Go To New York City is the first book in a series about the adventures of Casey, a Jack Russell Terrier and Bella, a Tea Cup Yorkie. In their first book, the furry duo embarks on a fun filled adventure meeting colorful characters and teaching them one of life s most important lessons: treat others as you would like to be treated. Children can follow Casey and Bella's paw prints through their adventures and learn from the positive messages promoted within the text. Stories of the dogs provide entertainment for curious little minds and allow them to wonder: where will Casey and Bella go next? What makes Casey and Bella's story so unique is it s affiliation with a very special charity called Loving Paws Assistance Dogs. The charity, founded in 1993, dedicates itself to training dogs to assist those children that are physically disabled. A portion of the proceeds from every book sold on Casey and Bella's website will go to Loving Paws.

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About the Author:

Jane Lovascio is a Boston University graduate with a Bachelor s Degree in psychology. She lives just outside of New York City in Hoboken, New Jersey with her husband Jeff. Among writing her series of children's books, Jane also works as a medical sales representative. Her past experience in elementary education combined with her passion for children and dogs inspired the creation of what will become a series of children's books based on her two dogs, Casey and Bella. She hopes that her vibrant story not only brings smiling faces to children everywhere, but also helps those with degenerative diseases.

Review:

Casey and Bella haven't been recognized on the promenade along the Hudson River outside of their West New York home. No one has asked for their autograph or a picture. They're not hounded by the puparazzi. At least not yet. Casey, a 4-year-old Jack Russell terrier, and Bella, a 3-year-old teacup Yorkie, are the stars of the children's story "Casey and Bella Go to New York City," the first book by Jane Lovascio, a medical sales representative. The dogs, who have already appeared at numerous bookstores, will accompany Lovascio to an 11 a.m. Saturday book reading and signing at Bookends in Ridgewood. In the book, the dogs take the ferry to Manhattan and visit Central Park, the zoo, Chelsea and a toy store, all while meeting numerous furry friends and learning life lessons about friendship. Casey plays the older, more mature dog foil to feisty Bella, who comes up with the idea to take an adventure across the river not long after being brought home from the store. Their fictional roles match their real-life personalities. Casey is calm and agreeable, whereas Bella is energetic and slightly temperamental, letting out a low growl when she sees other dogs on the waterfront. (Both are fine with people, Lovascio says.) Lovascio, who lived in Hoboken when she wrote the book, says the idea for the story developed over time. There was no real "aha!" moment. Instead, finding a pursuit outside of her regular job was a lesson in trial and error. "I can make cute dog collars," she recalls thinking. She made 50, which she wound up giving away. A book proved to be a much better fit for the 28-year-old Lovascio, who graduated in 2001 with a degree in elementary education from Boston University. She remembers thinking, "Why don't I just write a story? I love kids, and I love dogs." The book, which Lovascio says appeals most to children ages 4 to 6, is colorfully illustrated and rhymes. After meeting a snooty poodle from Central Park West who tells the dogs that it "wears a diamond collar and always smell my best," Casey tells Bella that "it doesn't matter where you live or what you wear. What makes you a good friend is being generous and fair." Perhaps more important to her than the book's success and message is the fact that $2 from each book purchased on caseyandbel la.com goes to Loving Paws Assistance Dogs, a non-profit organization that matches trained dogs to disabled children. "I'm not doing this for a quick buck," she says. "I really want to pay it forward." Keeping it small-scale. In fact, she's so focused on making as much money for charity as she can that for now, she's eschewing having larger retailers such as amazon.com and Barnes & Noble carry her book. "I want caseyandbella.com to be the first Web site that comes up when people search online," she says, therefore ensuring that the charity makes as much money as possible. She says that the subject matter of the book is particularly relevant for suburban New Jersey children, who have most likely traveled the ferry and visited Manhattan destinations. --Daily News

"Casey and Bella Go to New York City" (Big Tent Books ), by Jane Lovascio, illustrated by Aija Jasuna. Cute idea, nice illustrations - but imperfect execution of a kids' picture book about the N.Y.C. adventures of two affable puppies. While the author makes a point of announcing up front that they are donating some of the proceeds to Loving Paws Assistance Dogs, a worthy charity that pairs developmentally disabled kids with animals, several pages into the book we find that one of the new pups is bought from a pet shop - thus missing a golden opportunity to enlighten children on the importance of adopting homeless animals from shelters, or buying a dog from a breeder. --Daily News

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