Milton's Suitcase Adventure

by Diane Distefano, Manny Pantoja (Illustrator)

Overview

A perfect story for early readers, picky eaters, and first-time travelers!

Milton's Suitcase Adventure is a fabulously furry tale about Milton the dog, whose fondness for sleeping in unusual places leads to an unplanned trip very far from home. Milton's epic journey is a playful escape into a world where dogs can speak French, snap selfies, and learn to navigate the Paris Métro. Along the way, Milton makes new friends, samples the local cuisine, uses his wits to get out of trouble, and learns that exploring the unfamiliar can be fun. After all, trying new things is often the very best part of life!

Featuring rhyming verse and vibrant illustrations, this feel-good story of discovery is full of surprises and giggles. Upbeat, silly, even touching, children will enjoy traveling by plane, train, and taxi as Milton takes on new experiences and learns that there's so much more to life than snoozing. Parents and educators will appreciate the lessons of kindness, resourcefulness, resilience, and adaptability-important qualities that Milton must rely on to ultimately find his way back home.

Join adorable Milton the mutt, Gigi the French Poodle, and friends, as they explore the fabulous City of Lights (between naps, of course).

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798886791884
Publisher:	Luminare Press
Publication date:	05/16/2023
Pages:	52
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.31(d)
Age Range:	3 - 10 Years

About the Author

Diane Distefano is an award-winning journalist, mother, and Nana to two adorable granddaughters. Milton is based on her snoozy, curious, snaggle-toothed rescue of the same name. As co-workers and friends, Diane and Manny shared a passion for storytelling and travel; when the world shut down in the face of the pandemic, they sought a creative outlet-and so began Milton's Suitcase Adventure. www.dianedistefano.com

Illustrator Manny Pantoja is a painter and graphic designer, whose love of art and sense of wanderlust has taken him around the globe. As co-workers and friends, Diane and Manny shared a passion for storytelling and travel; when the world shut down in the face of the pandemic, they sought a creative outlet-and so began Milton's Suitcase Adventure.

Editorial Reviews

2023-09-19
Milton the dog accidentally embarks on a trip to Paris.

Milton, a snaggle-toothed pup with curly brownish-cream fur (Milton’s human family appears with light brown skin), is an expert at napping, no matter the venue. One day, when he falls asleep in a suitcase belonging to elegant Aunt Kay, he ends up on a plane, traversing the Atlantic Ocean; to his distress, Milton wakes in Paris. Aunt Kay stops his crying with a shopping spree, complete with cucumber eye treatment and beret. He visits the Louvre, dines with new friends on his own, takes himself to fromageries, and appears to court a poodle while boating on the Seine. Pantoja’s cartoons make the familiar subject matter pop: The linework is expressive, with rich purple tones signaling a Parisian evening, giving a touch of class to the simple illustrations. Distefano’s word choices are simple and direct, if inelegant (“He worried and felt bad. Milton wanted to cry”), and the book’s rhyming couplets maintain story-time verve, even when shoehorning in a questionable slant rhyme (“friends/French”). While hardly a grounded introduction to French daily life, Milton’s journey may serve as an early example of the value of travel in the vein of Eloise, proving equally delightful with its silly, too-sleepy puppy hero.

A travel-friendly addition to the cute-canine canon, best read aloud.

Kirkus Reviews