Peaches and the 19 Cobras is a sweet and heartfelt story about two dogs, Peaches, and her big K-9 brother, Jake, that entertain, protect, and love their pet parents during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown in 2020. Paula Bailey has written a book that readers of all ages will love. Peaches and the 19 Cobras tells the story of Peaches and Jake that hear about COVID-19 that the dogs mishear as "19 Cobras." Once the coronavirus pandemic worsens and the worldwide quarantine takes place, Peaches and Jake spend unlimited time with their human mother and "protect" her when visitors come to the house with mandatory masks. While their mother tries to distract herself with her numerous Christmas trees and rearranging her house, Peaches and Jake entertain their mother and keep her from being lonely when she can't spend time with her friends. When she is able to see her neighbors, friends, and family again, the dogs are fun companions that welcome the guests and cheer them up during a tumultuous time. Peaches and the 19 Cobras is a sweet relatable story that many readers will enjoy, especially surviving the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic. Bailey captures the anxiety many people felt. However, she balances that worry with the unconditional love and joy Peaches and Jake brought. With the dogs as protagonists, the book offers an objective view of how the pandemic affected people with Peaches and Jake observing how the shutdown affected their mother. Bailey writes about the companionship that Peaches and Jale provided her along with her human friend and housekeeper, Sandra, that helped her survive the social isolation of the quarantine. The pictures in the book of Bailey's family and friends show how important staying connected to people is during a crisis. The pictures of Peaches and Jake, especially the ones of the dogs in masks and costumes, bring levity to such a heavy topic. Peaches and the 19 Cobras would be best for readers who want to read about how people survived the pandemic from five years ago. The book would be great for all readers who want to read about how pets can be the best companions during the most difficult times of our lives. Peaches and the 19 Cobras would be a great book for readers of all ages that want to know more about how to persevere and even have fun during uncertain times. Full of laughs, adventure, and a few wild twists, Peaches and the 19 Cobras is a story kids will want to read again and again!

Pacific Book Review, LLC Book Reviewer

Dogs and pets, in general, typically become such a large part of their owner's lives in ways that may be hard to imagine if you've never had the pleasure of experiencing K-9 companionship yourself. They end up being an extended part of your family and develop a truly special bond which may even feel they are their "canine kids," as author Paula Bailey states in her author's note in Peaches and Jake and 19 Cobras Oh, My!, which is a sequel to her original tale about her rescue dogs and their daily antics. Told through the eyes of Peaches and Jake, we get to learn more about their life while they are on the lookout for the "19 Cobras" as well as the "Delta Very Aunts" aka Covid-19 and the Delta Variants they produce. This is a unique and interesting way for young children to learn about this highly contagious virus and what you can do to keep yourself as safe as possible. Jake and Peaches may know about it through the perspective of a dog's mind but their tips are just as handy, like when they mention hand washing and social distancing within the first few pages of their story. The photos associated with each page makes the readers much more engaged, and it makes it easier to identify the thoughts and feelings of Bailey's beloved rescue dogs through their expressive nature bursting through the photos. They both not only appear to be incredibly sweet and gentle creatures which is confirmed by the author as well. You can see not only their incredible bond with the people in their lives but with each other, too. It feels as though it was kismet that they wound up in each other's lives and that their true goal is to keep themselves, their humans, and even their toys safe from the "19 Cobras". This is a fast-paced and fun read for young readers ages 5-8 and will make storytime with their parents even more exciting with the associated pictures on each page of the adorable Jake and Peaches. Their bond emanates throughout this book and the fact they will go above and beyond to help in the fight against the "19 Cobras" and the "Delta Very Aunts" which is truly admirable. This is certainly an informational story with a fun twist that will be perfect for those who know the love of a dog. For those who don't, this will definitely make you want to learn this love sooner rather than later. With teamwork, clever thinking, and a bit of backyard bravery, Peaches and Jake show that even the scariest situations can be handled with a little help from your best friend. Pick up this story to read to the little ones in your life and help keep them safe in the process from any dangerous viruses lurking around the corner - Peaches and Jake and 19 Cobras Oh, My" by Paula Bailey is not one to miss!

Pacific Book Review, LLC Book Reviewer

Peaches. The best part of the day is celebrating with their human mom Paula, who ensures they have the best holiday ever by providing them with love and cheer. The story is aimed at children ages three to seven with real photography and a genuine tale about how important friendship is. These themes make the story perfect for children to share with their families at any time of the year. This charming picture book is a real story about Author Paula Bailey's rescue dogs Peaches and Jake, with events taking place in 2018. The structure pairs short paragraphs with photographs, which gives the story a quick flow that can easily maintain children's attention. This gives the story a reflective quality as the writing gives you the impression of Bailey looking back with fondness at this memory. There is a lot of love felt between her and the two dogs, which is aided by the use of real photographs. This choice for visuals supports the real aspects of the story by giving it an aesthetic of a family album and making it feel more personal. Despite focusing on a specific holiday, this sweet memory is good for any time of the year as it carries themes of friendship and family. These themes are easy for children to comprehend through simple details that make them easily distinct from each other. The real story aspect is further established by the inclusion of photography that takes you back to this family moment and allows you to connect with Peaches and Jake. The story does a great job of engaging children with the characters through vibrant personalities that make the two dogs easily distinguishable. Bailey uses short and subtle details to do this with photographs, adding supporting visuals for children to see these personalities. For example, Peaches has to encourage Jake, who is too lazy to get out of bed, to go see what presents they received. These details will help children to understand character differences as Bailey cleverly uses the choice of toy as lovely and humorous representations of their personalities. Through this, you can feel the love that Bailey has for them as she insists that Moosie is just 'losing weight' when she finds stuffing. Moments such as this will be touching for adults reading with their children, while younger readers will find them funny. These are moments that express a genuine family dynamic and put heart into the story. Friendship is an important aspect of the story with Jake loving Moosie even when it's merely a 'shell,' which is an endearing message that children can apply to their dynamics with others and touches upon how many have favorite toys. There is a lightheartedness that is ideal for a picture book with the dogs behaving as dogs typically do - destroying and playing with toys. This is where the primary humor that Bailey incorporates stems from, such as Peaches not knowing what to do with her toy. These moments are delightfully paired with photographs so you can see for yourself their actions and expressions. This humor ensures that the tone stays wholesome and charming throughout, making it a feel-good story that will bring smiles to the whole family and create something entirely genuine to enjoy. Peaches and Jake Celebrate Christmas is a charming children's book that incorporates real photos, Christmas, and two adorable dogs in a heartwarming story about friendship and family.

Pacific Book Review, LLC Book Reviewer