Even animals can be misunderstood. Such is the case of Shel, the Dalmatian puppy who was found abandoned on the steps of the local animal shelter.
Shel’s story is found in the pages of the engaging Xlibris picture book, ”Sit! Stay! Sign!” It relates how caretakers at the animal shelter initially perceived Shel as a “bad dog”. A little girl then comes along and realizes a secret held by Shel for so long: that he’s not a bad dog after all – only misunderstood.
Sit! Stay! Sign! is a narrative that actually tackles two complex situations that occur in life: misunderstanding and the need to reach out for true love. These underlying elements of the story were simplified into a language that children understand and appreciate, thanks to the efforts of the book’s authors, Marion and Alysia Margolis. Illustrations for the book were created by artist Paton Miller.
Sit! Stay! Sign! makes for an engaging read for both young ones and adults due to its candid yet unorthodox take on the relationship between humans and their canine friends. It teaches the virtue of having an open and understanding mind for others – human or animal alike.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Sit! Stay! Sign! has been allotted by the authors toward the efforts of various animal rescue groups. In essence, people will not only learn from this book but will also be helping animals in need.
About the authors
Sit! Stay! Sign! is the product of a collaboration between a mother and her daughter. Marion, the mother, has already written another Xlibris children’s book: New Digs for Beau. Curiously, both main characters in Marion’s two books are Dalmatians. Apart from penning children’s books, Marion is also a speech/language therapist.
Meanwhile, Alysia – the daughter – is an occupational therapist, as well as a dancer connected with the Calvin Wiley Dance Theater. She is wife to Steve and mother to twins, Spencer and Kyra, who – according to Alysia – “also don’t know how to ‘sit’ or ‘stay’ but know how to ‘sign.”
Paton Miller is illustrator for Sit! Stay! Sign! Being the consummate artist, his paintings have already been exhibited in galleries and museums worldwide.
