I was captivated when I first picked up “Munch Madness,” one of two Munchie Tales. These children’s books were written by Susan LaScala of Gill and illustrated by Nancy B. Baker of Greenfield. The pair will appear at the Greenfield Public Library this Saturday.
Munchie, the books’ heroine, is an extremely cute, small black-and-white dog. She appears to be some kind of spaniel. She lives with LaScala and her husband, referred to in the books as Nona and Opa.
Munchie immediately reminded me of my own Cocoa. When life is calm, Munchie is very well behaved. Unfortunately, when a sound startles her, or she detects a wild animal, or (heaven forfend!) she is given a bath, she goes haywire.
In short, Munch Madness ensues.
Much of “Munch Madness” (Barton Cove Publishing, 43 pages, $12) is taken up with Munchie’s bath time. Like Cocoa the Cockapoo and many other dogs, Munchie knows the word “bath” and is not a fan of the word or the experience.
She begrudgingly tolerates submersion in warm water and gentle soaping only because she cannot escape the sink. When she is released from the bath, chaos ensues.
The dog rampages through the house, shaking and rubbing herself over myriad surfaces, including forbidden territory: her parents’ bed.
Pet lovers old and young will relate to the swiftness with which Munch Madness recedes once Munchie finishes drying off and is given a dog biscuit.
In the equally fun “Munchie the Great Hunter” (Barton Cove Publishing, 37 pages, $12), Nona takes Munchie for a walk outdoors. There the two encounter (or come close to encountering) several types of wildlife.
Most exciting is a squirrel that accidentally falls out of a tree in front of Munchie. The little dog immediately chases it back up the tree and proceeds to bark her head off.
I must admit that Munchie is a better-behaved dog than my Cocoa. When Nona tells Munchie that the squirrel has no plans to come back down from the tree and that it is time to move on and go home, Munchie obeys.
Cocoa often spends hours outside barking at creatures that have no intention of coming her way. She can hear every tiny sound in the woods. Somehow, however, she is mysteriously unable to detect my loud calls for her to come back home with me.
Both dogs slurp down a lot of water when they get home and take joyful naps in which they dream that they are great hunters.
The Munchie Tales are charming. Their humor, sweetness, and colorful illustrations will appeal to children and adults alike. They should make ideal bedtime reading.
Susan LaScala and Nancy B. Baker will read the Munchie Tales this coming Saturday, Jan. 17 at 10:30 a.m. at the Greenfield Public Library. The real Munchie will be at this appearance, and children in attendance will be encouraged to draw and write a bit.
Books will be available for sale at this event. They are also available at the Shelburne Arts Co-Op in Shelburne Falls and from Amazon.com.
Tinky Weisblat is an award-winning writer and singer known as the Diva of Deliciousness. Visit her website, TinkyCooks.com.