I read this with my six year old daughter and we thought it was super cute. We loved the cleaver mash ups of the animals with the vegetables. My daughter’s favorite was the Unicorn on the Cob. The pictures were nicely drawn and they were very vibrant.

Pugtato finds a thing and roams around to each of his friends to figure out what it is. Pugtato perseveres and figures out what it is.

Such a sweet book for kids to learn how to keep asking about something to figure out what it is.

My daughter said this is the best book she has ever read!

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for my eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Rating 4.5

The book "Pugtato Finds a Thing" by Zondervan is about the main character Pugtato trying to learn what he found. During his adventure we are introduced to all of his friends and shown how they interact with "Thing". While I enjoyed this story, I had bigger hopes based off of the cover and the synopsis. The story was cute but I found it to be too long, introducing too many characters but this of course if jut my personal opinion. I read the story aloud to a little one and they loved it. However, they did say it was not a good story for bed because it was too long and it did not make them tired. I love how creative the author was in the use of puns but I found myself getting tired of the story towards the end. I do think this book will be perfect for a library storytime centered around vegetables. It is a good way to teach and introduce kids to different kind of veggies. I wanted to read this book based off of the illustrated cover and I am happy to say the illustrations throughout did not disappoint.

Should you read "Pugtato Finds a Thing"?
Yes! Even though this story can feel a little too long it is still an enjoyable read especially for a younger audience. Some kids might need the puns explained but that will help start conversations about different vegetables. This is a book that I would definitely purchase for the library.

**Received an advanced copy through NetGalley in return for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **

I really wanted to like this book more than I actually did. It was fun seeing all the other veggie crossovers and the artwork was fun, but the story just kinda fell flat and ended. I would still recommend it as a good library book as the idea and the artwork is great to share!

I'm quite sure all kids will like these illustrations. These hybrids vegetables/animals will capture their attention. The story is really simple and enjoyable and I like the rhyming..
However it is not the most orginal tale and concept but overall it is a nice reading for kids.

Pugtato Finds a Thing is way too adorable! This is the story of Pugtato and his quest to find out what "Thing" is. He asks all of his "spuddies", because he doesn't think he is smart enough to find the answer on his own. In the end, Pugtato not only learns what "Thing" is, but he also learns something very important about himself. This story is great for all children, but especially for those who lack confidence.
I originally decided to read this book because of a 5th grade ELL student of mine. For about three months (before Covid-19), this student blurted out "Potato" at random times, every single day. It was silly, and very endearing. Now, every time I see something with a potato, I have to look at it. This story will always remind me of my sweet, silly student, and left me with a smile on my face.

This book is from NetGalley.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

This is such a cute book about a pug crossed with a potato, making - Pugtato of course!
As a pug lover I adored this book, and I especially liked how each friend Pugtato went to to ask what this 'thing' was that he had found, was an animal crossed with a vegetable eg Cowbidge, Unicorn etc. I thought this was really clever!
This book is sure to be a hit with little ones!

I cannot get over how adorable the veggie animals are. Pugtato and his journey to follow his heart is beautiful.

Pugtato Finds a Thing, by: Zondervan
This book draws you in from the start with its cute cover. The cuteness doesn’t end there it carries on through the whole book. Very creative characters that make you giggle as you turn each page. Pugtato offers a valuable message and teaches about taking care of your things and believing in others. This is an easy read and most likely entertaining for grades k-4 due to the cuteness of the character.

This was incredibly sweet!

Pugtato is really cute and their friends are as well. I can totally see a child wanting to re-read this as its rhymes and illustrations are as sweet and cool as Pugtato.

About the illustrations-- I loved them. Not only the writing and animal-vegetables idea is lovely, but the ejecution is as well.

I'd love to have this in my library to re-visit sometimes, when I need a break. And also-- it's great for kids! ;)

This is a cute book introducing vegetables to a child as if they were animals, cute animals with play-on-word names.

The illustration is digital and there is a lot happening on each page, different sorts of text bubbles and colors of text and so on, just a bit of visual conflict (I am an artist and a bit picky on presentation, given).

It's a really cute concept and would allow some great conversation on what are vegetables, and on the gifts of veggies. The main theme is that following one's heart is always the wisest move.

Sweet. A nice addition to a child's library. 3 stars for the visuals that could be a bit cleaner, but a child won't notice that one bit.

Art: Spin on animals appearance hybrid of fruit and veggies with animal that is not limited to Pugtato

Story: All the animals are fruits and veggies which was not only visually fun to read but also was just fun & cute to read. I can see parents (or teachers) getting the kids to create their own animal/veggie hybrid.

Pugtato found a Thing. He visits all his animal/vegetable friends to ask their advice about the Thing. The illustrations have a dull pallet, but are engaging nonetheless. I loved all the animals, my favorite being Pugtato of course. I would definitely do a read aloud with this title.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title.

I think kids will love the illustrations in this book and it will spark a lot of creative ideas for drawing. Unfortunately the story text itself wasn't anything special and I don't think this would be a book I'd purchase for our home shelves.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* HES JUST A GOOD SPUD :'))) this book is too cute cant get over the animal-veggies, just too cute. Really want to own a hardcopy of this book lmao its just too cute.

A cute little book with fun play on words. Would be a great read aloud for the PreK, K age. The illustrations are cute and the rhyming makes it an easy pick for early readers.

Cute little tale! The author’s creativeness with each animal character being a vegetable was interesting. The names were especially fun.

To say that my niece is obsessed with pugs is putting it lightly. We have read countless pug books together, with many pug stuffies tucked-in to enjoy the story. So naturally when I came across this picture book I knew I had to review it with Samantha.

The thing we found when we literally gobbled up this delicious read, was pure joy. Joy in the vibrant, fun illustrations. Joy in the goofy activities Pugtatos “spuddies” tried with Thing. Mostly though, joy in the unexpectedly adorable nature of the vegetable animals. Samantha emphasized Corrigan’s entertaining cast when she said, this story is “different because it combines vegetables and animals.”

Page by page Samantha and I went back and forth guess what Thing could be. “It looks like…” she pointed at the illustration. Page turn. “No wait!” we burst out on more than one occasion. The mystery of Thing as it was misidentified throughout the story (by us and the “spuddies”) propelled the pages forward with such speed that we were almost sad when the book ended.

Almost sad, but not actually sad. How can we say we were sad when Samantha’s first words after reading it were “Pugtato is the funniest.” Not only that, but the ending also has the two key components of every great picture book. Pugtato manages to solve the mystery all on his own, and once the mystery is revealed, it seems obvious, even though we didn’t foresee the answer. Samantha sums up our thoughts beautifully. “At first, Pugtato didn’t really believe in himself, but in the end he figured it out on his own. It was a good ending. I liked the whole book.”

So that’s our take on Pugtato Finds a Thing. A definite must read for pug lovers everywhere and for anyone who wants a good laugh wrapped up in a satisfying story.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! My daughter loved it too and it’s impossible to get her excited about reading! Pugtato is one many Vegimals in his garden. After he finds Thing, he asks them all their advice. In the end he realizes he knew best the whole time. This was a cute story about believing in yourself, the illustrations are adorable, and I love a rhyming story!

DISCLAIMER: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Favorite children’s book I’ve read in awhile. Cute rhyme schemes, creative vegetable/animal hybrid characters, and an absolutely endearing pugtato, this book teaches about listening to your heart. I really like all of the talking points this book provides between the reader and the child. Truly excited to share with the kids in my life.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in return for my honest review.

This was a delightful story. The mix of animal/vegetable was played off adorably. The storyline was cute following Pugtato has he tried to identify the object he found in the dirt. I could see younger children loving the illustrations that went along with the story. This would be a fantastic read-aloud for any classroom or library. I'd love it if they made a stuffed Pugtato or Crocolli to put up in my classroom.