Reviews

Great story with a rhythmic flow. Frequently requested by my boys! Their grandfather also has an Aussie that they love and adore. Flapjack’s joyous innocence and inherent curiosity reminds us why dogs and humans are best friends. We can’t wait for Flapjacks’s next adventure

I may be an adult, but I loved reading The Adventures of Flapjack. It’s light and whimsical, and filled with adventure. The illustrations gave me a beautiful visual picture of Flapjack’s journey and his unusual encounters. I thoroughly enjoyed not only the story but the powerful messages contained within. Bravo, Dan, for a beautifully written and illustrated book.

Naomi Aoyagi

Copyeditor/Writer, Dreamscribe

Reviewed By Faridah Nassozi for Readers’ Favorite – 4/09/2014

The Adventures of Flapjack: The Collar of Courage is the second book in The Adventures of Flapjack series by Dan Cohen.  This time the book tells a story about bravery. Flapjack had always been afraid of Pit Bully, a mean dog at the park that always bullied all the other dogs. All the dogs feared Pit Bully and could never face him. That is until Flapjack’s parents bought him a magical collar, the Collar of Courage. The new collar changed Flapjack’s life very much and taught him important lessons about courage and how to stand up to a bully.The Collar of Courage is another wonderful story in The Adventures of Flapjack series which centres around bravery. The book tells the story about how Flapjack’s parents helped him discover his inner bravery and how it changed his life and the lives of those around him. The book is so vividly illustrated with amazing pictures that will captivate any kid’s attention and keep them turning the pages over and over again. It is a fun way for kids to learn more about dogs and also add some new and interesting words to their vocabulary. More importantly, The Adventures of Flapjack: The Collar of Courage is a fun way for kids to learn about the power of positive thinking, courage, and also shows kids that “mummy always knows best.” The book also teaches parents how to guide their kids and help them discover their inner bravery.

 

Reviewed By Jack Magnus for Readers’ Favorite – 4/10/2014

The Adventures of Flapjack: The Collar of Courage is a children’s storybook written by Dan Cohen and illustrated by Lisa Norman. Flapjack is an Australian Shepherd who loves going to the dog park except when the one dog who’s a bully is there. Flapjack and the other dogs are frightened of this bully and don’t have much fun when he’s there. Flapjack’s mom comes up with an idea as she and Flapjack are going home after a visit to the dog park. She tells him about a special collar she’s heard about. It’s called the Collar of Courage. She takes Flapjack to the pet store, and they find the collar. The next time Flapjack goes to the park, he’s wearing his new collar and, when he sees that bully, he doesn’t run away or hide.  Dan Cohen’s The Adventures of Flapjack: The Collar of Courage is a fun book for dog-loving children and adults alike. The illustrations by Lisa Norman are inspired and really add sparkle and dimension to the story. This story is also a great little fable about finding courage within yourself.  Sometimes it helps if you have a magic token, like a Collar of Courage.  The Adventures of Flapjack also addresses bullying, something most kids encounter and may suffer in silence, in a constructive and fun way. Flapjack also has his own Facebook page and website so kids (and adults!) can share in his continuing adventures. The Adventures of Flapjack: The Collar of Courage made me smile as I read it, and I’m still smiling now. It’s highly recommended.

 

Reviewed By Brenda Casto for Readers’ Favorite – 4/20/2014

The Adventures of Flapjack: The Collar of Courage by Dan Cohen is about a dog named Flapjack, who is being bullied.  Flapjack loves going to the big green park where he can play with his friends, but there’s one dog that he hopes will stay away and that’s a bully.  You see, the bully is the meanest dog around.  He picks on Flapjack and his friends and they don’t know why.  When Flapjack hides behind a garbage can to get away from the bully he feels ashamed, but his mom tells him about the collar of courage and takes him to buy one.  Will the collar of courage help Flapjack find the courage to stand up to a bully?  The Collar of Courage is the second installment in The Adventures of Flapjack by Dan Cohen.  It deals with the subject of bullying and how one little dog finds the courage to stand up to the bully in order to protect himself and his friends.  Bright, colorful illustrations capture the eye as well as the imagination, bringing the story to life, allowing the reader to imagine the fear and shame that Flapjack felt but also how proud he was when he did the right thing.  Written in rhyming prose, the story flows well and is easy to read.  The perfect pairing of words and pictures brings the story to life in such a way that I can just imagine youngsters will be reading along in no time at all.

While fear of bullying is the major theme of the story, it’s also about finding courage, doing the right thing, and the importance of knowing that your parents are always there to help.  I love how the author allows the parents to take such a positive role in helping Flapjack deal with his fears.  No matter what, they were always there for him.  As a dog lover I found this story a delightful read.  While filled with the challenges that children often face, it is also filled with positive messages that will help them overcome those challenges! This book would make a wonderful addition to any library.  On a scale of one to five I would give this book a six because it is just that good.  I only hope that Flapjack has many more tail wagging adventures to share.

 

Reviewed By Joy Hannabass for Readers’ Favorite – 4/28/2014

The Adventures of Flapjack is a really cute kids’ book.  Flapjack enjoyed going to the park, but there was one dog that he didn’t like.  This dog’s name was Pit Bully and he was really mean.  Flapjack’s mom and dad thought he was brave around Pit Bully but he was really scared.  One day Flapjack’s mom bought him a special collar of courage, so he wouldn’t be scared to be around this mean dog.  Flapjack proudly wore his new special collar the next time he went to the park with his family and what do you think happened?  Did his new collar give him the courage he needed to face Pit Bully or was he still scared to be around him?  This book is a wonderful way to teach kids about having courage to face their fears.  And using a precious dog as the one in this book was very clever of the author.  The story is interesting and exciting and kids will love reading about dogs and kids playing at the park.  And the illustrations are awesome.  I love the vivid bright colors, and the details in the pictures help tell the story so well.  Even a child who cannot read can look at these pictures and tell the story, which is something I love about illustrations in children’s books.  I highly recommend this book for your child’s library.  The Adventures of Flapjack: The Collar of Courage is a must for both public and school libraries. I look forward to reading more books from author Dan Cohen.

 

Reviewed By Samantha Rivera for Readers’ Favorite – 04/29/2014

Set in a rhyming style, The Adventures of Flapjack: The Collar of Courage is an easy to read story of a young dog who’s afraid of the bully on the playground.  In a plot many young children can relate to, Flapjack is able to overcome his fear with the help of his family.  By standing up to the bully, Flapjack is able to gain courage in other areas of his life as well and actually helps to save a woman’s life.  When you are able to overcome the fear you have of one person or event, it is possible to remove fear everywhere.  Courage, after all, isn’t something that everyone is born with, but it is something that everyone can find and learn.  The Adventures of Flapjack: The Collar of Courage by Dan Cohen is definitely a wonderful book for young children.  It helps them to see what a little bit of bravery can really do and how they all have that bravery deep inside them; it just takes finding it.  Flapjack was worried that he wasn’t brave enough to do what was needed, but when he was given a little help from his Mom and Dad, he found that he actually did have the courage that he needed and he could help others with his bravery.  I would definitely recommend this book for children of all ages. If your child has trouble being courageous and standing up for themselves, then this is the perfect book to teach them what they need to know.

Taking on the serious topic of the loss of a loved one, Dan Cohen and Lisa Norman’s third installment to The Adventures of Flapjack, Saying Goodbye, becomes an uplifting exploration of the meaning of life. The story follows the Australian Shepherd dog, Flapjack, who had been rescued by a forest ranger and adopted by his new Mom and Dad. Flapjack enjoys being with his family, but can’t help missing his old friend, Fowler the duck. For five seasons, Fowler has not visited Flapjack and he doesn’t know why. Then, one day, Flapjack spots a duck in the sky, but it is not Fowler. The Australian Shepherd learns from Fowler’s son that his dear friend is close to passing away. Crossing long distances, Flapjack journeys to say goodbye to his friend one last time. It is there he discovers that death is not an ending, but a beginning.

For young readers, these heavy ideas will be easily palatable and might even aid in coping with the loss of a loved one. Dan Cohen’s bouncing rhymes and Lisa Norman’s lively, heartwarming illustrations make The Adventures of Flapjack one adventurous lesson. At the heart of this tale is the idea that death, like life, is merely another adventure, and that in nature nothing actually dies, but, like the seasons, always returns. And, in that case, one would expect a new best friend for Flapjack to be in the works in the next installment of The Adventures of Flapjack. Meanwhile, kids can connect with and befriend Flapjack the dog on his website or social media accounts listed in the book.

Flapjack feels very lucky to have adopted Mom and Dad. Lots of good things have happened to him, like interesting walks. Sometimes, though, Flapjack misses his friends in the forest, particularly a special duck called Fowler. Even after Flapjack adopted his Mom and Dad and went to live in town, Fowler came to visit. Lately, there’s been no sign of Fowler and Flapjack is confused. He doesn’t understand why. When a duck lands on the pond in Flapjack’s backyard, hope arises, but it’s not Fowler. It’s Fowler’s son come to tell Flapjack that Fowler is dying. Flapjack insists on following Fowler’s son back to the nest in the forest. When he finds Fowler, Flapjack sees how old and frail his long-time friend is and he’s very sad. He doesn’t understand this ‘dying.’ Fowler explains that death is a part of life, but it’s important to enjoy life to its fullest and keep the memories of happy times and good friends close.

Death is a difficult concept for anyone to understand and accept, but most especially for children. Using his beautiful Australian Shepherd, Flapjack, as a guide, author Dan Cohen created a story around his beloved Aussie to help others, particularly children, accept and try to understand this difficult concept. Dogs have an incredible ability to adapt to any situation and to love unconditionally. Dan used his dog’s amazing compassion to create children’s stories like The Adventures of Flapjack: Saying Goodbye to help young readers learn and understand. The story is told in rhyme and beautifully illustrated by Lisa Norman, another dog lover. A very tender-hearted story. Well done!

The Adventures of Flapjack, Saying Goodbye by Dan Cohen is a picture book style story that helps children deal with loss and bereavement through the charming adventure of a lovable dog. Flapjack is an Australian Shepherd dog who loves his duck friend, Fowler. Not a season goes by without visits from Fowler. Then the time comes when he no longer flies in. Flapjack is very sad to learn that his friend has reached the end of his life and will die soon. But Fowler shares his words of wisdom and comfort with Flapjack about the natural cycle of life, the joy of living, and living on in memories and spirit. This is a lovely, hopeful book to share with a child who has experienced loss or bereavement. I feel it needs to be read aloud with time to look at the illustrations and discuss the story’s meaning as it unfolds.

It can be difficult for many children to talk about their feelings or fears, and books that gently help them to see they are not alone are invaluable. Flapjack is adorable and children will warm to him and empathize with his sadness at losing his friend. I like the rhyming nature to the text and the way Flapjack gradually comes to terms with his loss and begins to understand that endings and beginnings are all a part of life – and that when loved ones pass away they leave us with special happy memories and a sense of their presence. Using the example of clouds and raindrops nurturing life and growth before being recycled is a good way to explain how everything created has its natural time before passing on to another stage.

Lisa Norman’s illustrations complement Dan Cohen’s story perfectly. I liked the pictures of the four seasons – a connecting of Fowler’s year-round visits with the idea that life events can be seen as seasons that always move on and begin again. The depiction of Flapjack’s dream of happy times with Fowler and the clever The…Beginning (as opposed to The End) at the end of the book give it a comforting and hopeful conclusion. A beautifully presented and special book for families, and also for teachers, therapists and counsellors who are helping children deal with loss.

The Adventures of Flapjack: Saying Goodbye is a children’s concept picture book written by Dan Cohen and illustrated by Lisa Norman. Flapjack is a dog who is quite happy living with his human mom and dad. He didn’t always live there, however, because a ranger found him in the forest as a puppy. He had a special friend while he lived in the forest, a duck named Fowler. After he left the forest, Fowler would come to visit Flapjack in town where he lived with his family. Fowler used to visit with the changing of the seasons, but it had been five seasons since Flapjack saw his friend, and he wondered why. Finally, he saw a duck circling and then landing in his pond. Flapjack got very excited and was sure that the duck was his friend, but, no, it was Fowler’s son who had sad news for the dog. Fowler was not at all well, and he would not be getting better. Flapjack wanted to see his friend before he died, and he kept on insisting until Fowler’s son agreed, and together they traveled back to the forest.

Dan Cohen’s children’s concept picture book, The Adventures of Flapjack: Saying Goodbye, is a well written and gentle tale about loss and grief. Flapjack’s sadness and initial inability to process the news that his friend is dying echoes the universal sentiment of the bereaved, no matter how strong one’s faith in an afterlife or what stage of life one is in. Saying Goodbye is probably the hardest and most mysterious aspect of life to comprehend, especially for a child, and I believe that Cohen’s sensitive coverage of the subject may help children cope with the loss and grieving process that hits all of us so hard. This eloquent and moving story is accompanied by Lisa Norman’s marvelous artwork that follows Flapjack on his final visit to Fowler. Reading The Adventures of Flapjack: Saying Goodbye, is a sad, yet uplifting experience. It’s most highly recommended.