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From School Library Journal

October 25, 2024

Gr 5 Up-Poor pug Sam has had a rough life. Gary and Elaine, two work-at-home scientists, adopt him for their son Justin after Sam ran away from a neglectful owner. Alas, things get off to a rocky start. Sam thinks the living room rug is for doing his business, a chair leg is for his chewing pleasure, and the trash can is a treasure chest of treats. He's confused by his new owners' frustration. He's only trying to please and protect them from evil wizards (Justin's new friend) and dangerous neighbors (the lady with the funny hat)! Why do they always "smell" so angry? Happily, after a series of funny mishaps and misfortunes, the story ends on a satisfying note. The narration from Sam's point of view is clever and conveys hilarious situations, such as Sam seeing his reflection in a sliding glass door and barking loudly to scare away the "enemy creature." But more sweetly, the voice of Sam calls attention to the well-documented link between humans and their four-legged friends. Sam loves the smell of trash and the "cookies" in the cat litter, but he also smells emotions like sadness, anger, and love. Written in kid-friendly language, readers will fall in love with Sam and his quirky ways. Lowery's black-and-white illustrations are reminiscent of comic art and accompany the story nicely. VERDICT Animal lovers who are edging into longer chapter books will appreciate the story and Sam's funny view of humans, or "naked-monkey-things." An excellent addition to the shelves of school and public libraries.-Anne Jung-Mathews

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Booklist

May 1, 2024
Grades 3-5 *Starred Review* Delighted to exchange shelter (or "prison," as he calls it) for a home complete with convenient pooping rug, chewing chair, and porcelain drinking fountain, "No Sam" the pug is determined to protect from all threats his new "naked-monkey-thing" pet Justin and his scientist parents, who spend most of their time working on a secret project in a home laboratory. This turns out to be a tall order, as Justin is plainly bespelled by a classmate named Phoebe, who must therefore be an evil wizard; the next-door neighbor can only be Medusa, as she has turned a peeing baby into stone; and a ghostly "wolf" keeps appearing at night on the other side of the sliding-glass patio door. Readers, of course, may opt to see things--including a few details that escape Sam's notice, like the fact that the two monkey things lurking in a van parked across the street are spies--in a different light. Strewn with line drawings featuring a tubby but ferocious pooch wreaking havoc, deliberate or otherwise, this howlingly funny tale propels its doggy narrator through challenges ranging from explosions and dognapping to actually making friends with cats on the way to a well-earned name change: "Good boy, Sam."

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

From Kirkus

April 15, 2024
A dog who sees the world through his own unique lens battles evil forces to protect his newfound family--and inadvertently succeeds. In a "Dear Diary" format, Sam the pug relates his adventures over the course of 20 eventful days, during which he runs away from "naked-monkey-thing" owner Mike, ends up at the shelter, and gets adopted by the Peterson family, who have a 12-year-old son named Justin. Meanwhile, Sam is suspicious of Justin's new friend, Phoebe, but perceives actual villains Drago and Grisha as his friends, even though they're trying to steal the Peterson parents' lab secrets. Many of Sam's fears will be humorous to readers, such as the "deadly assassination robot" (the vacuum) and the Ghost Wolf (Sam's own reflection in a sliding glass door). No matter how misguided and oblivious he is, Sam's heart is in the right place, however, and he manages to protect his family. He's also able to smell people's emotions, knows when Justin is lonely, and tries to be a good companion. Readers will find plenty of humor--and a few gross-out moments, as when the Petersons' cat makes "little snack treats" in his "magic sand oven." The grayscale cartoon illustrations throughout are especially funny and often spotlight the difference between Sam's worldview and reality. Most main characters read white; the bad guys are coded as Eastern Europeans who speak a language other than English. Silly, swift, and a surefire success. (Adventure. 8-12)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

From Publisher's Weekly

April 1, 2024
According to Sam the pug, his human owner, 196-year-old Mike ("in naked-monkey-thing years that's only twenty-eight"), fails to use his hands for their intended purpose, including "petting, scratching behind ears, and opening bags of food." Though Mike "was fine at opening the food bag most of the time," Sam tires of his owner's ineptitude and runs away. After ending up in "jail" (the local shelter), he's adopted by adolescent Justin Peterson and his scientist parents. Having recently moved, the adult Petersons hope that Sam will help Justin-who often smells like loneliness or longing, per Sam-adjust to his new home. Unfortunately, Sam doesn't understand why Justin takes him outside so often, or why he gets scolded for defending the home against people like Phoebe, Justin's classmate, whom Sam believes to be an evil wizard who can enchant people via "magic wand" (a laser pointer). Sam's diary entries-written in arch first-pooch prose by Daywalt (The Wrong Book) and accompanied by slapstick b&w comics and spot illustrations by Lowery (Pizza Shark)-craft a humorously tender look at the daily life of a pup whose bark is worse than his bite, but whose determination to protect and love his family is fiercer than any threat. Human character skin tones match the white of the page. Ages 8—12.

From AudioFile Magazine

Ron Butler buoyantly portrays a dog named "No Sam," who thinks he's human and tells his story via daily diary entries. Listeners meet Sam when he runs away from a neglectful owner and is soon adopted by the Peterson family as a pal for young, lonely Justin. Sam, in his doggy-sounding thoughts, believes humans are naked monkeys he needs to protect. Well-rendered, often hilarious misunderstandings abound: Garbage cans are treasure chests, and Sam must use an inside "pooping rug," not the grass outside. Butler aptly portrays encouraging Justin and his family as they help Sam realize he's a dog, an actual family pet. An intellectual-sounding Sam and impressively realistic dog sounds--from the slurping of food to menacing growling--make this audio a rewarding listen. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine