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David grew up in North Edison, NJ where he always had a pet dog. It was his love of dogs that motivated him to convince his wife, with the help of his son, to get their first dog. That dog was Jenna. It was his life as an educator that inspired him to write a children's picture book to help children learn to love to read and continue that love. He currently lives in Bayonne, NJ with his amazing wife and awesome son and second family dog, Bart.
Reviewed by Rosie Malezer for Readers' Favorite
Adventurous Jenna Finds A Home is the first book in the Adventurous Jenna series, written by David Neustein and illustrated by Roland Lorente. Jenna is a homeless puppy who survives by eating out of garbage cans and drinking from any water supply she can find. Excited by all of the snow on the ground, Jenna seeks out adventure. After sliding down a snowy slope, she jumps into the back of a utility truck which is driving by. When the truck pulls up at the supermarket, Jenna walks into the store to look for water. Instead, she sees her own face on many large dog food packets, all of which smell amazing. Jenna is dismayed to discover that all of the water in the store is enclosed in bottles. Desperate for a drink, Jenna charges through the store and out the back door, making her way to the nearest stream in order to quench her thirst. While her back is turned, Jenna is captured in a net and taken to the dog pound with a group of other stray dogs. As all of the other dogs are purchased and taken away, Jenna patiently waits until it is her turn. Sure enough, a young boy, Jordan, who had just moved to the area and feels lonely, decides to take Jenna home with him. When it is bath time at Jenna’s new home, she quickly runs out the door and jumps onto a sled, excited for her next adventure.
This is definitely a fun book for young children, and I found David Neustein’s story beautifully illustrated, bringing every exciting and happy moment to life in a wonderful burst of color. Showing readers that there are so many different and exciting things to do outdoors in snowy weather, Adventurous Jenna Finds A Home would definitely be suitable for young children at story time, as it also reflects how much energy a young puppy has (and how tricky it is to catch them at bath time), should they consider owning a pet. I would be cautious about older children reading the book without strict parental guidance, however, as Jenna’s actions (jumping off a sled into a moving truck, etc.) might be something that older children foresee as fun, before deciding to try for it themselves.
