The Smith Family's New Puppy

Helping Children Cope with a New Family Member

by Dana Smith Mansell, M.S.
illustrated by Kathy Voerg

The Smiths were a happy family. There were two dogs, Hanna and Darby, a cat named Kearsey and two humans: Darla and Ray. They went everywhere together. They always had fun. Then Darla announced they were going to adopt a dog named Trevor from the animal shelter.

The pets felt scared and nervous. Would the puppy grab their toys and things? Would the adults still love them? Would all the time and attention go to Trevor?

This sensitive, comforting story with charming illustrations teaches children that sharing their families with a new sibling will bring more, not less, love, and most importantly, the values of acceptance and understanding which come with that love. This book also includes tips and resources for children, parents and teachers to help them cope with problems of adoption and the introduction of new siblings.

*Featured in Republican Herald

Dana Smith-Mansell, M.S. has a Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education and a Master of Science in Behavioral Disorders from Bloomsberg University, and has worked in the field of Special Education for 23 years. She participates in Scottish Terrier and West Highland Terrier rescue groups and is active in pet therapy. She is a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the Council for Exceptional Children, as well as the author of another children’s book, Stop Bullying Bobby (Small Horizons, 2005). Dana and her family live in Pottsville, PA.

Kathy Voerg, a graduate of Pratt Institute, is a freelance illustrator whose previous book includes another children’s title, I Don’t Want to Go to School by Nancy Pando, LICSW (Small Horizons, 2004). She resides in Rutherford, NJ.

A Small Horizons 2008 Release
Fiction/Children's Self-help
7 x 8, 48 pages/26 color illustrations
LC #2007936877, world rights
ISBN-13: 978-88282-327-0 (pb), $8.95