How Dachshunds Came to Be:  A Tall Tale about a Short Long Dog by Kizzie Elizabeth Jones is a mythical story about how Dachshunds were created.  The reader is introduced to a little girl who loves to play with her sea creature friends.  One day, the girl becomes sad because her friends are preparing to migrate to warmer waters for the winter. 

The girl’s sea creature friends decide that since they cannot stay with her, they will create an animal that can.  Each friend contributes a personal characteristic to the creature.  What magical beast do they create?  Dachshunds!

Will the little girl like the Dachshunds?  More importantly, will the Dachshunds like her?

I thought this book was a fun read.  I do wish that the story would have been a bit longer.  I feel that it ended quite abruptly after the girl is gifted the Dachshunds.  I would have liked to see more interaction between the girl and her newfound friends.

Additionally, I would have liked to have a little more background information about the little girl.  Is she living alone on the beach?  What happened to her family?  If she has a family, what do they think of the Dachshunds?

Scott Ward’s illustrations are simply delightful!  I love his use of vibrant colors.  Ward’s depiction of Dachshunds is spot on and I love the characters that he has created.  My favorite illustration is the blueprint of the sea creatures.  The detail of the illustration blew me away.

Overall, this book will delight animal lovers of all ages.

10 Little Hot Dogs by John Himmelman is an adorable book featuring a pack of mischievous Dachshunds.  The story begins with one lonely Dachshund in search of a playmate.  One by one, more playful pups fill the comfy armchair.  Will the rambunctious bunch be able to get along and share the chair?

I absolutely love the illustrations!  Each Dachshund has a personality all its own.  I can totally relate to the Dachshunds’ silly antics.  I own a mini double dapple Dachshund that was born without eyes and is completely deaf.  She acts just the doxies in the book!

This is a wonderful story for the emergent reader that teaches counting in an easily accessible manner.  Children will fall in love with the Dachshund characters and will enjoy counting them throughout the book. 

Sometimes, all you need is a scary book, and a dachshund in a flannel shirt.