This story took a unique and creative approach that was a bit different from what my little ones and I are used to, but in a good way! The illustrations were vibrant, fun, and very engaging. They really captured my kids attention.
At first, the “my brain is like a puppy” concept was a little confusing for them, but once I took a moment to break it down and explain the examples, they began to connect with it and enjoy the story more.

Overall, this is a sweet, thoughtful book to read with young kids especially if you’re looking to start conversations about thoughts, feelings, or how our minds work.

What a great book to read with your young children. The story follows a young girl, her puppy and how the puppy struggles with following directions and focusing on tasks. Throughout the book Brooklyn begins to notice some similarities between Boss's (puppy) actions and her own. Brooklyn shows a great deal of empathy, patience and understanding for Boss. What a great show of character and perseverance for both Brooklyn and Boss. The end of the book also has some tips and ideas of exercises to help children feel more at ease.

I read this with my niece, and the story and illustrations were super cute! While the message about giving grace to yourself and others—especially while learning—is a great one, the metaphor was a bit confusing for her. She asked, “Why does it keep saying my brain is like a puppy?” Still, the overall theme is meaningful, and it’s a creative approach to teaching emotional awareness. A good story with a heartwarming lesson!

Super cute. Loved the illustrations. The messages about how a child brain works was really wonderful.

This book is the perfect book to add to grade school classrooms, even special needs classrooms. It perfectly demonstrates how younger children think and good ways to help them through. Especially for children with ADHD. I firsthand remember how I felt at that age with severe ADHD. Now I’m helping my children that are on the spectrum. My son loved this book.

Absolutely loved this book. I wish we had more stories like this about sensitive kids (or kids with ADHD) that don’t portray them as “less than,” but simply as different. The metaphor of a puppy brain is both clever and relatable. Honestly, my brain acts like a puppy too, and I’m no longer a child, just a tired mom juggling a million responsibilities that society treats as “normal” and keeps expecting more.
This book is a warm and honest reminder that different brains work in different ways, and that’s okay.

I’m starting to read children’s books as a mind break but also to find fun books for my nieces and nephews.

My Brain is Like a Puppy! is an adorable, playful way to help kids understand big feelings and busy thoughts. With fun illustrations and a super relatable message, it turns brain chaos into something cute and manageable. Great for teaching self-regulation with heart, humor, and lots of tail-wagging charm!

What a fun way for children to learn how sometimes our brains get away from us. I was that child with ADHD that just couldn’t pay attention. This book would have been perfect for me. The illustrations were beautiful, too!

This book was pretty cute! Very cute pictures and a great lesson on perseverance and trying hard to learn new things and succeed.

I wasn’t sure what to think of this book, and I don’t think the title will do it any favors - my three (nearly 4) year old skipped over it again and again because it’s hard to gauge the book by this title…

But this book was so cute. Our little protagonist gets a puppy who struggles with training. Brooklyn and Boss understand each other, and Brooklyn uses her own struggles in school - inattentive, fidgeting, anxious - to relate to how Boss must be feeling in puppy class. Together, they conquer Boss’s issues and he graduates.

We really enjoyed this book and its illustrations. Thank you to NetGalley and Boys Town Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Overall MoodVibe: adventurous, emotional, funny, informative, inspiring, lighthearted, reflective, and fast-paced
Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Star Rating: 5.0 / 5.0

I loved this book so much! It’s perfect for children and their parents or caregivers that struggle with executive functioning (ADHD, anxiety, trauma hx, etc). I also liked that the text was in OpenDyslexia font (but not sure if that’s final), as to make it easier for folks to read no matter their differences. The art was very cute and featured diverse characters and environments. But, my favorite, by far, was Boss the dog. I’m partial to big clumsy pitbull dogs, but it’s a great comparison and I love that they learn together! The rhyming was extra fun and may help children remember the key lessons in this book. It’s definitely going to be one I add to my therapy office library when it comes out!

Thank you to the author, illustrator, publisher, and NetGalley for providing this eARC!

Cute book. A little long for my 9-year-old’s attention. But cute. Interesting drawings of adults. My kiddo gives this book 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.

This was a cute and subtle way of describing how out of sorts it can sometimes feel as a kid to have a brain that works faster than they do. My daughter was with ADHD at only 7 so this book was a refreshing way to sit down with her and have her be able to relate to the way she sometimes feels. The parenting tips in the back were incredibly helpful and are something I think all parents could benefit from!

I really liked this book. The art was cute and, I think, effectively portrayed the narrator's feelings. I appreciated the tips in the back on how to slow down and train your brain.

What a great way to teach children about mental and emotional health and why it is so important to do so. This is something I would keep in a classroom for students.

This is a fun story with many layers. First, having had puppies in my life, I can testify that puppy Boss is very much a true puppy. Boss is full of fun, mischief, hyperactive one moment and zooming about, then plopping down and stubbornly refusing to be easily moved the next. He wants to please but is impulsive and easily distracted by, well, pretty much everything. Let's just say, self-discipline isn't a strength for most puppies....or children. That's where this book comes in.

The bond between Boss and first-time dog/puppy/owner Brooklyn is close. And, as Brooklyn slowly realizes, they also share many traits, not all of them good. Yet, her focus on Boss helps her recognize them and realize that many of the same tactics she's trying to ingrain in Boss will also benefit her. As Boss goes through training to earn his Canine Good Citizen award (yes, that really is a thing) the story alternates between Brooklyn's loving understanding and frustrations with her impulsive, stubborn, but adorable pup and her realization that she has a lot in common with her challenging pet. It's handled well and the illustrations add to the layers as we follow the fun rhymes. Metaphors, anyone?

Bottom line, this deceptively simple story of a girl and her rowdy puppy works on all levels. It's a fun story that can be read as just that, a fun story. It might also help open a child's eyes to how their own actions can be "trained" through focus, perseverance, and how to control both emotions and behaviors that, like Boss's wild child puppy behavior, isn't desirable. Again, the tips at the end are wonderful, direct and easy to understand. Thanks #BoysTownPress - #IBPA for the early peek at this layered look at taming not just a rambunctious puppy but helping children learn to navigate their world, too.

Adorable story about a girl and her new puppy. Her puppy is learning in school, but it's hard at first. The girl relates her busy brain to everything her puppy is feeling and thinking. It's an easy to relate to story of feelings and how they can be handled in a healthy way. The illustrations are also adorable!

Thank you to NetGalley and Boys Town Press for the advance copy!

This was such a lovely story. As a Mom to a preschooler who struggles to regulate at times, I’m looking forward to reading this with her and seeing if we can use some of the techniques to help her with her big feelings!
I loved all the dogs and Brooklyn is especially drawn with such a lovely character!

A cute book about a girl with a dog.
Book works to teach about how your brain needs the same care a puppy would. Was an easy enough read for a 2nd grader. They only needed help with a few words that i think were more because of the font.

Good educational book if your kid can make the connections. The 2nd grader didn’t get the to your brain parallels but the 4th grader did.

Definitely recommend for kids!

Maybe it's because I have my own furry friend (and ADHD), but this adorable story really got me in the feels!

This is such a fun, well-paced story that would be a great hit during any reading circles. The illustrations are gorgeous and full of energy and emotion, and each page has a measured cadence to get the messages across.

I love to see more books for children that encourage self compassion, bravery, resilience, and teamwork! There are many relatable and important themes to celebrate with Boss and Brooklyn!

This was a delightful 5-star read.