The Dot character was originally created Randi Zuckerberg and now has a book based on the television series. It is called Dot: For Pet’s Sake. Candlewick Press and The Jim Henson Company put their marks on this chapter book as well.
I am not familiar with the show, but figure this book is close to the things that happen there. This is a story about taking on too much and then asking for help. It is basic, been done before, but still is a good story with a nice message. I am not sure I am going to find more books or watch the show because of this, but it is a nice tie-in for those who do watch. The illustrations are wonderfully bright and just the right number of details to keep the story moving without being overwhelming.
The story itself has modern touches. First our main character is Dot, a spunky girl who is not really afraid of spiders, or crickets and has blue hair. But she is “girly” in the way she dresses (pink dress with dots). Her best friend is a boy of color, who is afraid of spiders. So, the gender roles are reversed. And the parents are modern with their letting Dot get into trouble on her own, letting her make the choice of taking care of the extra pets without permission, and letting her figure out that she needs assistance. It is straight forward. There is the “Sesame Street/Mr. Roger” happy level of “Hey, the message is, Ask for help.” The text is aimed at the first to second grader but can be read to younger listeners.
While researching to see if Zuckerberg has other works, the book Dot (illustrated by Joe Berger) came up. I am assuming it is the same author and what started it all.