No Room for Napoleon (Hardcover)

~ Adria Meserve (Author) "Napoleon was a small brown dog with very big ideas..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3 The author of Smog the City Dog (Chronicle, 2002) introduces readers to another canine protagonist on the receiving end of a life lesson. Napoleon, a seafaring pup, discovers a tropical paradise. When he lands on shore, he meets Bear, Crab, and Bunny, who welcome him with a special dinner and offer to help him build a home. Napoleon, who has big plans for his abode, takes advantage of his new friends' hospitality, barking orders and bossing them around. Before long, the self-crowned King and his enormous residence overtake the tiny island. Fed up with the dog's selfishness, the other animals decide to find another haven. Napoleon discovers that being alone isn't fun and persuades them to return by repairing the damage done to the isle and demonstrating his ability to cooperate. The cartoon artwork reflects the island's ecology; when everything is in balance, the dominant colors are verdant greens, but after Napoleon destroys it, gloomy dark clouds rain on his gray, imposing dwelling. The characters are expressive and interesting. Children will recognize the dog's mistakes and empathize with the other animals. In the appropriate ending, a seafaring cat sets her sights on the now-restored paradise, pointing out that ecological conservation is an ongoing challenge. Teachers will find this non-didactic approach to the themes of respect for the environment and for others an enjoyable vehicle to encourage discussion. Carol L. MacKay, Forestburg School Library, Alberta, Canada
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

K-Gr. 2. While exploring, a dog named Napoleon discovers a paradise island, but three friends--Crab, Bunny, and Bear--arrived before him. No problem for this can-do canine. He simply moves in and takes over, persuading the three agreeable amigos to help him build his dream house. Since this little dog has big ideas, the house quickly turns into a castle, and Napoleon proudly proclaims himself king. Talk about abusing hospitality! Worse, there's now no room for Crab, Bunny, and Bear, who set sail for a nearby island. There they do some proclaiming of their own: there's no room for Napoleon! No, this isn't the end of the story. In a neat touch, the tale continues onto the back endpapers and promises more adventures to come. Meserve's light touch makes for a gently humorous book about friendship and sharing. Michael Cart
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (March 21, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374355363
• ISBN-13: 978-0374355364
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 9.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,923,218 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars LESSONS TO BE LEARNED IN THIS ENGAGING STORY, June 29, 2006

By	Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (VINE VOICE)

Once upon a time there was a small brown dog. Really, an unexceptional canine save for his name - Napoleon. He is appropriately named because he has notions of grandeur.
One day when he is out in his boat he sees an island,. It appears to be a beautiful spot and never able to think small Napoleon decides he has found his very own, personal, just-the-way-I-want-it paradise island.

When he reaches shore he receives a warm greeting from Crab, Bunny and Bear. They show him all around the island, which is everything Napoleon hoped it would be and he decides to stay. His three new friend are delighted and offer to build him a home.

Well, Napoleon wants to start construction immediately and hustles about the island to find just the right spot with the best view. Early the next morning he begins to build, and his friends offer to help. Little did they know that Napoleon would soon be issuing orders and as they worked harder and harder he worked less and less. Not only that but he uses so much of the island for his house that soon there's not much left of the woods, gardens or beach. There's hardly any space for Crab, Bunny and Bear to play.

Young readers will enjoy discovering how the threesome deal with Napoleon and the lessons that he learns.

- Gail Cooke

4.0 out of 5 stars Good read-aloud for early elementary, June 8, 2006

By	C. Betz "elementary librarian" (Dallas) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

When Napolean spies an island from his little boat, he is overjoyed at the prospect of building his house in such a beautiful place. Crab, Bunny and Bear befriend Dog and invite him to live, play, and eat with them on their island. Soon, however, Dog becomes greedy, wanting to build the biggest house in the world and uses up all of the resources on the island to build his home. Dog sees the error of his ways when his friends leave him alone with his island home. This book is a perfect read-aloud to illustrate for young listeners the value of maintaining friendships and avoiding selfish behavior.

3.0 out of 5 stars Cute pictures and a worthwhile theme, February 1, 2006

By	Sarah "Sarah" (CT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: No Room For Napoleon (Hardcover)

In this book a small brown dog lets his dreams of his very own paradise island get in the way of his relationships with his friends. While the characters were a bit of a stretch.. a bunny and a bear on a tropical island??? ...doesn't really seem to fit. However, the dialogue and interactions between the characters were believable and true to the intended age group of this book. The main theme of this book: treating others as you would like to be treated is a worthwhile message. The dog quickly realizes his mistake and tries to make things right. At the end of the book the friends are back together and the author foreshadows the arrival of another visitor to the island who is also looking for her "own paradise island".