When a pug puppy named Peggy finds herself in a new foster home, her desire to be a unicorn increases daily as she wishes to fulfill the secret wish of her new girl and become the unicorn she's always dreamed of.

A short, quick, adorable and heart-warming read. This is the perfect book for beginner chapter book readers and dog lovers!

This was a super cute book! My daughter (5 years old) loved it! She loves pugs and unicorns and loves when something combines the two! We both laughed a few times throughout this illustrated chapter book! The pictures were cute too!

A fairly standard tale of an abandoned dog looking for a place to belong. The details are a bit unique and there is a low level of humor. Pretty basic though.

The Pug Who Wanted to Be a Unicorn by Bella Swift is an illustrated chapter book that is currently scheduled for release on August 312021. After Peggy the pug puppy is left at the animal shelter just before Christmas, she is taken in by a foster family. But the situation is just temporary—the family isn’t ready for a dog quite yet. And the little girl, Chloe, wants a unicorn for Christmas, not a puppy. Peggy decides that she will become a unicorn to make Chloe’s Christmas wish come true—and hopefully make Peggy’s temporary home her forever home in the process. All she needs is a long silky mane, a glowing horn, and the ability to do magic! Easy-peasy, right? But all of Peggy’s attempts to become a unicorn go hilariously wrong. From knocking over the Christmas tree to getting lost in the snow, Peggy remains a pug. How will she ever find a forever home if she can’t make her new humans happy?

The Pug Who Wanted to Be a Unicorn is a transitional chapter book that might hit just the right chord with some young and transitional readers. I love that while the book is sweet and fun, it also shows how much work is involved with properly caring for a puppy. I think this is even more impactful, especially for young readers, but putting the book in the dog's perspective. Poor Peggy just wants to play and be loved, just like the kids reading the book. Seeing that the pug makes mistakes (just like them) but that those mistakes come from good intentions or things out side Peggy's control is something that most will be able to relate to. I think the book is very accessible to new independent readers, and might be a new favorite for many. I now need to read the author's previous book about a pug wanting to be a reindeer.

Peggy the pug is left at an animal shelter, where she is then taken in by a foster family. The family’s little girl is hoping for a unicorn for the holidays – not a little dog. The new home is so wonderful, Peggy makes it her mission to make a little girl’s wish come true and find a permanent home for herself.

Bella Swift’s The Pug Who Wanted to Be a Unicorn is a very early chapter book. While I felt the book lagged at times, my seven year old enjoyed the idea of a pug attempting to be a unicorn. The antics of the little dog and the warmth felt by the family who ultimately agrees they couldn’t live without her are sweet and touching.

This book is absolutely adorable! I love the perfectly portrayed pug point of view! What a sweet book.

Adorable beginning chapter book about a pug who will do anything to find his perfect family. Charming illustrations accompany the large font size. Perfect for kids who are starting chapter books and pet lovers!

Thanks to Simon + Schuster and NetGalley for the e-ARC of THE PUG WHO WANTED TO BE A UNICORN by Bella Swift, expected pub date August 31, 2021.

My kiddos loved reading aloud "The Pug Who Wanted to Be a Unicorn" - a story about a Peggy (a little pug) who finds out that all she needs to be in her forever home is herself. Highly recommended as a bridging chapter book readaloud between early readers and longer chapter books without illustrations.

{Just a heads up, that I wouldn't recommend using this as a comparison to human adoption or foster care experiences because it is *not* the same or even similar to this story}.

This story was very cute. I read a chapter a night with my daughter who is almost seven. While she loved reading about Peggy and her journey of self discovery, there were definitely some more serious parts that kept this book geared towards middle school aged children. Overall the message was excellent and the story was engaging. At no point did my daughter lose interest. Ever night she was excited to read another chapter and see what was going to happen on Peggy's adventures. I enjoyed getting to read this one with my daughter and am thankful to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for providing us an advanced copy in exchange for our thoughts. My daughter says she would give this book 5 stars except for when Peggy lost her home in the begnning. She said that was sad but she was glad she found a new one.

This is a really cute story for middle-grade readers. It’s about a little pug named Peggy, her quest for a forever home, and how being your authentic self is all you need to find genuine love and friendship. The illustrations are whimsical and perfectly fit the story, and Sparkalina added a nice touch of humor.

I had two issues with the story. At the very beginning, a newborn Peggy and her four siblings are happily snuggling with their mom when mom informs her puppies that they’re all about to get a new “owner” and probably never see each other again……..and she’s happy about it……..and so are they. Peggy goes on to never even wonder about them. The notion that the only sense of family a dog has is with humans is disingenuous. I also didn’t like the dogs referring to their human caregivers as their “owners”. I know the shift from “owner” to “Mom, Dad, Chloe” demonstrates a discernible difference in the type of relationship she has with them, but I don’t think the target readership age will pick up on that. Instead of thinking, “That’s my owner”, a dog would probably think, “That’s MY human”.