Ellie is a cute little wienerdog, and she has discovered just how hard it is to be good. But there are so many temptations out there! With the devil whispering in one ear and an angel in the other, will she be strong and say no to what is tempting her?
Three dogs live with me, and one of them is a wienerdog. So many things tempt them: the trash, food on the counters, chasing the cats. (There are no cats in the book. Since eight cats live with me, that is something all of my dogs are tempted to do.)
Open Door Press
The clever illustrations are as entertaining as the story. Ellie, except for the fact that she is purple, reminds me so much of my own wienerdog. My favorite illustration is on the page where Ellie is tempted by a sandwich on a plate at the edge of a table. She says the sandwich is calling to her, and the letters in “calling” are made out of bread, cheese, tomatoes, mustard, and lettuce. I hope I identified all of those ingredients right.
Open Door Press
My four-year-old granddaughter, Zoey, loved this story. When I first started reading it to her, she didn’t want to sit still and listen. After she’d heard a couple of pages though and saw the amazing illustrations, she became still. She started to laugh at Ellie’s antics and make guesses at what this dog would do. Zoey’s favorite part was when Ellie got her special cookie at the end. And she told me that Ellie reminded her of my wienerdog, Missy.
Open Door Press
Ellie is a dog who faces temptations daily but so wants to be good. Her constant battle to behave is sure to entertain any child or adult who reads it.
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. If you would like your own copy of It’s Hard to be Good, I have provided an Amazon link below.
Amazon Link: It’s Hard to be Good
Favorite Sentences:
One smell in the air and I must go see what yummy treats might be waiting for me.
Hey, after all, I am still a hound.
About the Author:
K.J. is an award-winning photographer, artist, and writer who found inspiration in her wienerdog, Ellie. She never dreamed of becoming an author. Then one day, a sassy wienerdog named Ellie came into her life and nothing was ever the same again.
Hales shares, “I started doodling wienerdogs everywhere and I couldn’t stop. Next thing you know, I was writing quirky little stories about Ellie’s everyday struggles and thought how much they mirrored those of children.” That was when the idea of a children’s book series was born.
Because she has always believed in the power and magic of a good book, K.J. has dedicated herself to writing stories for children and building a publishing company that celebrates books for the young and the young at heart.
K.J. lives in Southern California with her husband, her muse, Ellie the Wienerdog, and Ellie’s little sisters, Ruby and Pepper.
