This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Cara Komukai is a 13-year-old girl who loves art, singing, dancing, make up, and creating stories. Cara also happens to have Down syndrome and a repaired AVSD heart defect. With her lower immunity, she studied from home during the Covid-19 pandemic. Cara’s learning goals during her online lessons included clearer articulation, proper sequencing of events, and adding details to her conversations. Despite the many challenges, Cara’s Education Assistant, Dave Larocque, found ways to engage her and keep her on task. When Cara did get frustrated or tired, she would start making up stories about rainbows, unicorns, and Mr. Larocque’s dogs, Reggie and Olive. Mr. Larocque took this opportunity to have Cara develop the characters, settings, problems, and solutions further. Cara explained her ideas clearly, organized the details logically, and before you knew it, this story came together.
Cara’s book, Rainbow Puppy Daycare, shows parents, caregivers, teachers, and children of all different abilities what can be achieved with the right support and a big imagination.
Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite
Puppies, like children, are forever getting into trouble. In particular, they love to chew on things – anything. In Cara Komukai and Jessica Mai’s story, Rainbow Puppy Daycare, Reggie and Olive are two very active puppies who always manage to get into trouble. They chew everything in sight: the carpet, the walls, shoes, even the toys. If it’s easily accessible and it’s chewable, it’s fair game for these two puppies. Cara and her boss, Mr. Larocque, try everything to stop the chain of destruction. They even put the puppies into a Time Out Room. Nothing seems to work until they find an edible alternative that meets the pups' adventurous and hungry needs.
Cara Komukai and Jessica Mai’s picture book, Rainbow Puppy Daycare, is a sweet story about two young rambunctious puppies. The plot follows the path of destruction until a solution can be reached. The language is simple and repetitive which is a bonus as this will help young readers improve and develop their reading skills. The illustrations are colorful and full of imagination and fun. I love the expressions on Cara’s face every time she has to discipline the puppies. This is a great story just to read for fun, but also to teach young readers how to be imaginative in their problem-solving skills and to work collaboratively, as Cara did with her boss, Mr. Larocque. This author is a talented young writer with lots of stories to share and I can’t wait to read some more of her work.
