Reviews

Title: Peaches and the 19 Cobras
Author: Paula Bailey
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 978-1-6641-7061-2
Genre: Humor / Young Adult/Pets/Dogs
Pages: 62
Reviewed by: Suzanne Gattis

In part because of the endearing characters, Peaches and the 19 Cobras is a fun, at times quirky, little story to read. It follows a family, however untraditional, on their journey as they are living through the pandemic. It sheds humor on a topic that is actually quite serious.

To start with, the two main characters are unique in that they are not people at all! Jake and Peaches are dogs. Best friends and sidekicks, we follow their thoughts and adventures during the pandemic. It is fun to see the pandemic, such a serious topic, through their eyes as they try to understand what is going on. It adds some humor in a time that was so hard for some many. For example, Jake, instead of hearing Covid19, heard 19 Cobras. So, especially in the beginning, he was looking everywhere to keep everyone safe from those snakes. In the book, we even get to see the dogs with their masks.

In all the humor with the dogs, you can’t forget their owner. Like many, she is trying to cope during this unusual time while still carrying on as normal a life as possible. She makes masks for others, decorates her Christmas trees, and goes to her summer cottage in Maine, all the while social distancing. It is very clear in her book that her beloved animals are part of what gets her through.

I do struggle a little bit to find the age group for this book. It is only 62 pages and has puppies, so I originally assumed it was for children. It doesn’t come across to be as a story for children, more of a little documentary. I would have a hard time putting this book in a genre. Despite that, this is a book that I could sit down and read again.

Peaches and the 19 Cobras
by Paula Bailey
Xlibris

book review by Michael Radon

“‘You know, Peaches, we don’t know how long these 19 Cobras are going to be around, and this is pretty serious stuff.'”

When the pandemic began to pick up critical speed in 2020. and quarantine began for most people, it left many with lots of time and the creative urge to do something with it. For the author of this book, she took her existing hobbies and merged storytelling with them, using crafts and photographs to tell a whimsical and supportive story. Peaches and Jake are two dogs that mistake COVID-19 for a dangerous set of nineteen cobras, and though the fear is present and powerful, they find ways to have fun and stay sane in isolation as a family. Whether it describes getting up to hijinks, staying in touch with friends, or reorganizing their living space, each page features a humorous story with cute pet pictures that will hopefully ease the tension from readers looking for relief from a global crisis.

Being able to take a tough situation and spin something positive out of it is a quality that people look to in uncertain times. Likewise, the innocence of a beloved pet can be a much-needed boon in an environment where bad news and negativity persist in seemingly every corner. Readers who like dogs, positivity, or just a little silliness will get relief just by flipping through the pages and the photos in this book. Writing on a subject that can be so tragic or heart-breaking, yet deftly winding around it and trying to put it into the pile with every other challenge, takes a skilled hand. To do so, the writer must also have an honest desire to improve the collective mood. That requirement is firmly met and on display in this pleasant, relaxing read.