Wagnificent: The Adventures of Thunder and Sage (Wagnificent, 1)

Wagnificent is a cute graphic novel about Thunder who loves being a good dog but lately has been having trouble since she enjoys barking, digging, and chasing furballs. Thunder’s inner wolf appears to tell her these tendencies are all because dogs originated from wolves. Read along as Thunder decides whether she wants Sage's loyal pet or will embrace her wolf side and be wild.

What I liked: I will always read a book about dogs, especially one about the relationship between dogs and humans. I love reading about others' relationships with their dogs as it reminds me of all the dogs I had growing up and their importance in my life. This book was no different as Sage loves Thunder even when Thunder makes mistakes.

The art in this story is very cute and I love that you can distinguish each character from the other but they fit together quite well. I liked how easy it was to go from one panel to the next and that none of the panels had too many words. I thought it was important for early readers that the images helped tell the story more than the words.

I really loved the way the author wrapped this story up as she chose to show how some of the wolf traits that Thunder was worried about could be used for good. I love that both Thunder and Sage learn something at the end of the story and recognize how important they are to each other.

Final Verdict: Wagnificent is a great book for children who are transitioning into reading children's books or who are having a hard time gaining interest in reading. Children will laugh along as Thunder engages in silly dog behaviors and be able to relate to Sage’s search for magical creatures.