Customer Reviews

Crash!

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
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In Crash!, Mayra Calvani captures the excitement of getting a first puppy, and then the difficult task of finding the perfect name for the new pet. Woven throughout the story are hints for children on how to care for and train a pet. And of course - it's all about finding the ideal moniker for his furry friend. Sweet illustrations by teen artist, Anna Pylypchuk from the Ukraine, complement the story.

Crash! is available in English or Spanish, in print or as an ebook. Ms. Calvani donates 50% of the royalties from CRASH! to Almost Heaven Golden Retriever Rescue and Sanctuary. A charming book for your child that benefits a good cause. A win-win!

Crash! Is it the noise a new puppy makes or much, much more? Mayra Calvani's delightful book will keep children guessing about how to pick just the right name for a new pet as he tries to adjust to his new home. A sweet story. If you love Golden Retrievers you will love Crash!

Five-year-old Marcelo receives a puppy on his birthday. It's golden in color and has chocolate-brown eyes. A Golden Retriever! Marcelo wants a puppy more than anything else in the world, so he is quite happy with his new puppy. It's a boy puppy, and Marcelo wants to think up a special name for his special puppy.

Marcelo takes good care of his puppy and keeps him clean, well fed, and well exercised. Naming a puppy is a big undertaking, and Marcelo wants to make sure he picks out the best name. Mom and Dad give many names to Marcelo to consider, but he's not happy with any of them.

You'll just have to read this adorable book to see what the puppy does and what the perfect name is that Marcelo gives to his puppy!

Author Mayra Calvani carefully chose every word in this book. It just flows perfect, and I really enjoyed the care Marcelo put into giving his puppy just the right name. I was astonished that the colorful, kid-friendly perfect illustrations by Anna Pylypchuk are the work of a sixteen-year-old girl! She is a native Ukrainian and I found her very detailed illustrations just as charming as Mayra's text. This is a fun read for your little ones, and the author will be donating 50% of her royalties from this book to ALMOST HEAVEN GOLDEN RETRIEVER RESCUE AND SANCTUARY, a non-profit organization.
Reviewed by: Gayle Jacobson-Huset, Managing Editor

Review by Douglas Quinn, Author of Blue Heron Marsh, etal
and Donna Higgins Colson, Professional Artist

With rights come responsibilities. Conversely, with responsibilities come rights. Crash! is a story that shows a child that if he or she is going to take on the responsibility of a new puppy, then he or she should have the right to name the pet. Fortunately, the parents respect this right and, while offering suggestions, allow the child to feel his way through the naming process on his own. Ultimately, by observing the new puppy, the child comes up with the perfect name that suits his new pal.

The illustrations are delightful. The red and green cover works well with eye-catching primary colors throughout the book. Composition and use of space are skillfully cropped and the space is nicely broken up with diagonals, creating motion with enough details to generate interest. The boy and the dog are well drawn in appropriate proportions for the target audience and support the story line. We were impressed how skillfully the illustrations were done by this young artist.

We enjoyed Crash! and recommend it for the targeted 3 to 6 read-to age range.

This is a sweet tale about a boy and his puppy. Crash! can be used by a parent to introduce and discuss with a child the challenges of raising a puppy before purchasing one. Also a child will discover the importance of finding the right name for your pet.

Anna Pylypchuk is a talented artist. The illustrations are wonderful. They seem very retro to me. They reminded me of illustrations in pictures book from the fifties.

I read this story to my five year old and she liked it. She even got into finding a name for Marcelo's puppy. She suggested Cutie. She enjoyed looking at the pictures and seeing the funny things the puppy did. But sad to say it did not discourage her in wanting a dog. Even though she learned that caring for a puppy is hard work; she stills wants one when we move into a house. When that happens, she just might get one.

A boy.
A dog.
A winning combination.
Mayra Calvani's latest picture book, Crash, is the delightful story of a boy named Marcelo, whose mom and dad give him a golden retriever puppy for his fifth birthday. Marcelo says "this is the happiest day" of his life. The puppy loves Marcelo as much as Marcelo loves the puppy.

Marcelo bathes his puppy, brushes his puppy, and feeds his puppy. They play and go for walks. Marcelo teaches his puppy to obey him. They are best friends. But the puppy needs a name. And not just any name, but the perfect name for this special puppy. Marcelo thinks and thinks. Mom and Dad make suggestions. But none of the names are right. Then one day, when Marcelo and the puppy are playing, Marcelo discovers the name that fits the puppy perfectly.

Oh, no. I'm not saying. You have to read the book to see what it is.

Crash will capture the attention of young puppy lovers who will read the story of Marcelo and his special puppy over and over, or have their parents read it to them. Watch out, Mom and Dad, because your child will be asking for a puppy just like Marcelo's. The accompanying artwork adds to the story with priceless expressions on the characters' faces, setting the mood and tone of the story. Give this book to all your little readers and pick up a copy for yourself. You'll be glad you did.

Marcelo is happy when he gets a puppy but finding the right name for his new friend doesn't come easy. An important thing like a name has to be perfect. Some names didn't sound friend enough for Marcelo's puppy. And some names sounded too silly. The puppy, himself, will show Marcelo just what his name should be.
My two year old grandson, Luke is afraid of dogs. But Crash is different. He's happy, playful and most of all, friendly. Luke enjoyed Crash's search for a name. As the puppy chased and pounced on a ball, Luke laughed clearly seeing that Crush is not a dog to be afraid of. This is a great meeting `a friendly dog' book for kids.
J.D. Holiday

Anyone who is a parent with a child that has begged, hollered, and begged some more for a pet will enjoy Crash and Marcelo, the little boy who gets his wish. The glee and joy in his cute little face is described vividly by author Mayra Calvani.

Reading Crash, a child and a parent discover the responsibilities that come with owning a pet. Marcelo also discovers that naming his new family member is not as easy as he thought. Many ideas come to his head, none really fitting in with the cute Golden Retriever.

The name he finally picks surprises his parents. But as you read, you realize this is the PERFECT name... . This is a great book to buy for your child, you know, the one who is begging and hollering and begging some more for a pet. It will teach and prepare them for the responsibilities surely to come when a pet finally comes gift-wrapped."

(Review first appeared in Muse Book Reviews.)

NOTE: Author is donating 50% of royalties to Almost Heaven Golden Retriever Rescue and Sanctuary, a non-profit organization.

Armchair Interviews says: Nice way to help children learn about responsibilities

Children will love reading about Marcelo and his new puppy in "Crash!" by Mayra Calvani.

Marcelo's parents surprise him on his fifth birthday with a golden retriever puppy--the one thing he wanted more than anything in the world. Thrilled beyond all belief, Marcelo must now learn how to take care of his new puppy: feeding him, walking him, playing with him. But all that is easy compared to finding a name for him.

"Crash!" is a charming story about a boy and his dog and the special relationship that develops between a child and his pet. Author Mayra Calvani shows off her storytelling talents once again, as she did with "The Magic Violin". Calvani has a way of getting right to the heart of children with her touching stories.

Kudos go out to young illustrator, Anna Pylypchuk, whose beautifully drawn illustrations bring Calvani's story to life. My children each had their favorites drawings from the story.

I can't wait to see what Mayra Calvani's next children's book is all about!