Name: The B Team
Item: The B Team
Rating: 5
Author: Kameron Brook

Must read 🏆

I loved the powerful messages in "The B Team" and agree that being different is okay and always follow your dreams!

Synopsis

A happily ever after with some extra Cajun flair, featuring two bloodhounds who look rejection in the eye and continue to dream and dare.

The B Team sets out with two brothers, Bruno and Bo, seeking to follow in the footsteps of their legendary police dog dad. But, there are two obstacles standing in the way of their dreams— the brothers cannot smell, and their ears point straight in the air rather than drooping low like most hound dogs. They endure teasing, leading them to feel self-conscious about their differences rather than embracing them. To prove their abilities, the brothers decide to keep their unusual characteristics secret until they can be judged on merit rather than appearance. Bruno and Bo perform exceptionally well during training but are halted by the final Skunk Sniff challenge.

However, they become the toast of New Orleans after saving Mardi Gras from the villainous Toothpick Charlie and solve the case of the missing golden fiddle. In the end, the good times soar along with the brother's ears. And the streets are once again filled with laughter, music, and dance all thanks to two special brothers the Academy didn’t give a chance.

As a child, it was common to see young siblings or friends playing cops and robbers. That said, the opening sequence of seeing puppies (Bruno and Bo) playing this imaginative childhood game was cute.

The bloodhounds are teased for their appearance when they navigate their school years. The cute canines are taunted relentlessly. Oh, it's a pity that MANY kids will relate to this. This section opens the doors for caregivers to discuss the effects of bullying and try to stop bullying in its tracks!

The dogs were labeled "underwhelming" and assumed they'd amount to nothing in life. They vowed to prove to their haters, the doubters wrong, and good for them. Bruno and Bo studied hard. They deserved those A+!

The illustrations by Neil Kohney were amusing. Marcel, the water moccasin, was scary looking, but we (my daughter and I) loved him nonetheless. We also smiled at the image of their dynamic duo with their long ears secured with a rubber band.

I loved the powerful message in The B Team and agree that being different is okay. It's more than okay! Life would be boring if everyone and everything looked identical and behaved similarly. It's our differences that make this world a remarkable place.

The B Team by Alex Leach conveys other messages: don't give up and follow your dreams. We should always encourage our children to do just that!

Amazon's recommended reading age is 4 - 10 years. Most of the story is easy-to-understand words. Albatross and atrocity might be new words for most kids, especially those on the younger side of the age bracket. However, it is never too soon to introduce new words into their vocabulary.

Every listener will love the illustrations and be rooting for the two bloodhounds to win. Did they, though? Ah, I encourage everyone reading this review to pick up a copy and find out for themselves.

Reviewed by

I've been constructing reviews for over a decade and don't plan on stopping anytime soon. Most of the reviews will be featured on my blog (Kam's Place), Pinterest, Instagram, BlueSky, and Goodreads. Don't forget to tip your waitress! :D

Synopsis