I don’t read a lot of children’s books, but I had to read Crash!, by Mayra Calvani, with illustrations by Anna Pylypchuk. It’s a cute story about a young boy, Marcelo, and the Golden Retriever puppy his parents gave him for his fifth birthday. I’m a total sucker for anything related to Golden Retriever puppies!
One thing I liked about the book is that Marcello’s parents were wise enough to let Marcelo figure out the best name for his puppy. They even told Marcello that the puppy’s name should “reflect his personality.” So Marcelo did lots of things with his puppy for a few days. He bathed and brushed it. He watched it chew on shoes and toys and tennis balls. And he played tug-of-war over a newspaper.
Marcelo learned a lot about the puppy’s personality, but he still wasn’t sure what to name his new-found friend. Until he noticed that the puppy kept crashing into the wall every time he chased a tennis ball down the hallway. So Marcelo announced to his parents that his puppy’s name would be Crash!
There are some very sweet messages here. Marcelo’s parents wanted him to “tune in” to the puppy personality in order to name it. And, even though the book is short, you can see the bond building between Marcelo and Crash! At one point, Marcelo says, “I want to cuddle with you forever.”
Another thing I found remarkable about this book is that the very illustrative drawings were made by Anna Pylypchuk, a Ukranian citizen, is only sixteen years old. She’s been drawing most of her life, and her illustrations bring Crash! to life, as they should for a lovable Golden Retriever puppy.
A great gift for children & grandchildren. You can visit Mayra Calvani’s web site by clicking here.
