I Am Golden: Book One: Bailey

By Elaine Craige

Bailey is a purebred golden retriever puppy. When she is born, she is the third of a large litter of puppies. She spends the first weeks of her life with her mother and brothers and sisters, eating and sleeping and playing. But when her new human mom comes to take her homeeverything in Baileys life changes.

Bailey is a little scared at first. In this new place, there are many things for her to understand and experience. She meets her new human dad, gets her first crate and her own toys, puts up with being groomed, and goes to puppy class. She also learns about the invisible fence, visits camp, and plays with company. But what will Bailey do when a kitten comes over to be companyand then stays for good?

This tale, including pictures, tells the story of how Bailey feels when she is adopted by a family and how she deals with the new experiences of being in her forever home.

• Language: English
• Publisher: LifeRich Publishing
• Release date: Jun 24, 2014
• ISBN: 9781489702364

Elaine Craige

Elaine Craige’s fondest childhood memory is of a traveling bookstore that visited her school. To her, there was a big difference between checking a book out from the library and having a book she could actually keep. She currently lives in Graniteville, Vermont, with her husband and their dog, Zoey.

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Copyright © 2014 Elaine Craige.

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Reviews for I Am Golden

[spinea1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I would use this literature to teach character traits and problem and solution.This book can help me teach comprehension skills that can help strengthen a reader.

[lara.lofdahl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book from Mercer Mayer's "Little Critter" series tells the story of how Little Critter keeps trying to do things, like keeping frogs in the bathtub or playing the newly cleaned sheets, and the adults in his life keep saying NO! Little Critter lives in a pretty typical little house, much like the houses of many students which make the stories relatable, yet him being a little monster makes him funny to kids. He also has emotions just like they have -- students are told "NO' all the time, especially at school, and they can understand how frustrating it is to be told they cannot do "fun" things. This could be used in a younger classroom for a unit on emotions and how they effect students differently. A discussion question could be about different ways to calm down when they are mad and different strategies for expressing anger.

[apetru5 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

“I Was So Mad” features Mercer Mayer’s famous character Little Critter. I really enjoyed this book, as it was one of my favorites as a little kid. One reason I liked this book was because of the illustrations. The book has a lot of colorful and detailed illustrations that feature not only Little Critter, but also his mom, dad, sister, grandmother and grandfather, showing a big family. On every page, Mercer Mayer drew a small gray mouse hiding somewhere, which gives the readers something to search for on each page. This is a fun way to get the readers interacting with the illustrations. Another reason I enjoyed reading this book is because Mayer does a great job at incorporating a commonly experienced childhood problem into an appealing story that isn’t too complex for his beginning readers. All children experience times when they are angry at their parents for not letting them do something, like when Little Critter wants to put frogs in the bathtub and his parents forbid him, but they have to find a way to calm down. Children can definitely learn a lot from this book. The big idea in this book is that although parents can sometimes seem mean and strict, their children are very important to them and they just want them to be happy.

[nmhale_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Little Critter is having a rough day. His mom won't let him keep frogs in the bathtub, his dad won't let him play in his sister's too-small dollhouse, and his grandparents refuse to allow him to paint the house or play hide-and-seek in the clean sheets. He is just so mad about it all. After having his wishes shut down repeatedly, even though he thinks they are perfectly reasonable requests, he has had enough. Little Critter decides to run away. As he is packing, though, his friends come over to ask him to play. Little Critter decides he isn't so mad that he has to leave that day, after all.The story and illustrations work together well to capture a child's perspective. The author never apologizes for Little Critter's irrational anger, even though the reader clearly understands why all the adults are commanding Little Critter to stop engaging in activities that have negative consequences. Instead, the story shows children that everyone gets angry, and that it is okay to experience that emotion. Also, the ending shows children that no matter how strong the anger is, it will pass. This isn't a story to teach children how to handle their anger, but to show them that anger is normal, and doesn't last forever. Children will relate to the childish antics and Little Critter's reactions, and adults can appreciate the humor and the way the pictures complement the text. Another great picture book from Little Critter's world.

[paperloverevolution · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I get mad a lot. Who doesn't, in this bleak and cruel world? This book helps. It's hard to stay so mad when you're looking at these cute tiny monsters. I hope my heart never gets so old that I stop loving Mercer Mayer.

[jverke_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Mercer Mayer's book is a great story to help children deal with the frustrations of being a child. Humorous and cute!

[smdorr · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Little Critter is funny as he stomps around his house trying to do things HE wants to do that he's not supposed to do. For example, he tries to tickle the gold fish and paint the house. At the end, he ends up finally being allowed to do something with permission that he wants. This is a good book to teach feelings and show that people get angry, but it's important to listen to our elders even if it does make us mad.

[chelseahopton · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is about a little critter who can't do anything he wants to do and it makes him "so mad!" When he finally gets his way he becomes happy. This book is easy for a child to relate to. The things the critter gets upset about are very similar to what a young child would get upset about. I recommend this book for any young child, or any child learning to read.

[skc004 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

He was so mad. The litter critter within this story feels that nothing he does is right. From keeping frogs in the bathtub to tickling the family goldfish, he just can't seem to please his family. He wants to play hide and seek in clean sheets and help his grandpa water the garden. Ultimately, he realizes that maybe playing with his friends is just the answer, and mom let's him go.

[sdl149 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is an absolutely adorable childrens' book! I have several books in the Little Critter series by Mercer Mayer and each one is precious to me. There are lessons taught in each book that can apply to all children. This particular book explains that while you can get mad at parents, grandparents, and siblings it doesn't last and they still love you. The pictures in the book help early readers to understand the text and the text itself is simple. I will definitely keep this book/series in my classroom library!

[carriedold_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Little critter series. Easy read, no real lessons from the story.

[megross_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is about little critter wanting to do a bunch of things but her parents and grandparents say he can't. He decides he is going to run away because he can not do anything he wants to do. He gets outside like he is going to run away and his friends are going to the park and his mom tells him he can go so he decides he is going to run away tomorrow if he is still mad.

[smmote · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a short book to read about a boy wanting to do all of these things that his parents won't let him, such as play hide-and-seek, water the garden, or decorate the house. They suggest other things like going down the slide or playing in the sandbox, but he does not want to do that. So he wants to run away because he is so mad. His friends come over to ask him to play ball and his mom says he can go, so he is happy now and not running away!

[mrslee_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Little Critter is fun to read because he deals with the same issues children do, and in a realistic way, meaning he's not too good to be true.

[conuly · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

We have a lot of Little Critter books in this house. They're short, they're funny, they're topical, and they're cheap. This book is a very realistic portrayal of how frustration and anger can build up in a person, especially a child, and how they can keep you from wanting to do *anything*. My nieces really relate to this book.And there's even a realistically happy ending.

[stharp_5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

genre: realistic fiction. This book is a great example of realistic fiction, except for the fact that it is written about animals with human like qualities. The reason I am classifying it as realistic fiction is because, by the author making the main character an animal instead of a person, it makes it easier for kids to empathize. This book is an excellent example of characterization. The author accurately depicts the absurdities of being a child in an adults world with satire and humor. The characters are shown accurately with society's expectations on their role.