My

BOOKS

Piki Goes to College

Author and Illustrator, Joan M. Hellquist

I met Piki at the Rio Rancho, NM Shelter in April 2013. She had been found roaming the streets and needed a good home. It was love at first sight for me and I adopted her a few days later. She is a beautiful blue merle with amber eyes that seem to follow you everywhere. Piki (rhymes with sneaky) explains how she got her name and what breeds she is in her book, so I won’t tell you now. Piki and I both went into training that fall. She was training to be a Service Dog and I had to train her in order to be a Service Dog Instructor/Trainer. Neither of us was very good at our training at first, but with perseverance, we both graduated. Piki is mischievous, independent, stubborn, funny at times, loving always, entertaining, caring, calming, and excellent at reading emotions. She was wild and crazy when we found each other but now is a sweet, well-behaved Service Dog.

Loved it! Told from the perspective of Piki herself, this book helps readers learn about service dogs from the dog’s point of view. Service animals are increasingly more common in society today, though people without direct experience may not know very much about them.

Joan M. Hellquist is author and illustrator of a book which explains her dog Piki’s life. She creates lovely, realistic color drawings and adds the flare of Piki’s personality to her first-person narrative. Piki Goes to College provides a host of insights, concrete details on the process, and fine discussions of a service dog’s new life.

Piki Goes to College is both an endearing story and an important learning resource for children and adults alike. …Piki learns what it means to be a service dog and how to keep her boisterous nature under control when she is doing her job. She becomes an important support as well as a loveable scamp…. …Piki Goes to College can help readers understand that service dogs are much, much more than well-trained pets. Beautiful hand drawn illustrations burst with movement and help bring Piki to life on the page.

Beyond the Stars

The Other Side, Through a Child’s Eyes

Author and Illustrator, Joan M. Hellquist

Beyond the Stars: The Other Side Through a Child’s Eyes is Joan’s first book. It is a story about bereavement. Joan wrote it as part of her own grief therapy over the loss of a child at birth, which occurred many years ago. The story is about Joan’s daughter, Jamie, arriving on The Other Side, being befriended by a polar bear cub and a cottontail rabbit who help Jamie learn all about that place of peace, joy, and love. It is an uplifting and warm story about a very serious subject told by the innocents that Joan so loves, a young child and animals. It is not only a story that introduces death in a non-scary way to children, but can also be of great comfort for parents who have lost a child.

This is an incredible book that I think should be in every household with children, just waiting for the right moment to read it with them. I have read it with my two 6-year-old grandchildren separately. Both really enjoyed it and loved the illustrations. My grandson, who recently lost a pet, asked immediately if it was heaven and found it very comforting. He also wanted me to find more books with illustrations like that. My granddaughter came back to me several hours later to talk about it and have it read to her again. We had some really interesting and insightful conversations. I feel that when they have a loss in the future, this will be a big help to them in dealing with it, and I plan to keep it with their favorite books for easy access. (Parents may think it is too sad for the children, but my grandchildren thought it was quite joyous.)

This is a beautiful and comforting book for those who have suffered the loss of a loved one.. It presents scenarios for the many questions that arise. The pictures and narrative speak to the fears and mysteries that surround death. The author skillfully offers reassuring concepts about the afterlife of the lost loved one as well as the impact of death on the grievers. The soothing, sensitive tone and enchanting animals offer a gentle narrative about a very sensitive topic.. It is a warm and charming story and highly recommended for grievers.

Piki Goes Flying

What are the rules for flying with a Service Dog?

Author and Illustrator, Joan M. Hellquist

Our mischievous and independent friend, Piki, whose training we learned about in Piki Goes to College is at it again in this new adventure, her first two flights on an airplane. Of course, she tells her own story and just because she is a well-trained Service Dog and is flying with her person, Joan, doesn’t mean she isn’t full of questions and opinions about all of the rules they both must follow. It is a learning experience for her and the readers before and throughout the flights.

Piki Goes Flying, narrated by Piki, will delight children and will show them some of the rules about flying with a Service Dog. And for adults, the back pages will explain more details. As a Service Dog, all of the Americans with Disabilities Act rules still apply, but most of the rules and regulations listed here are from the U.S. Department of Transportation along with some from individual airlines.

Joan M. Hellquist creates a fine story filled with details about Piki’s training and exposure to unfamiliar sights and sounds. Piki is not just obedient—she has questions about what she observes and how she’s being trained to act. Libraries and adults looking for stories that educate all ages about Service Dog training, activities and methods of support will find Piki Goes Flying and attractive illustration of all these subjects.

Piki, the Service Dog, is used to learning new skills and behaviors to support her human, Joan. But she’s never had to learn as many new things as she does when Piki accompanies Joan on an airplane: from where to sit to how to cope with having her vest and collar removed and the loud noise of the plane engines. Piki navigates exciting and sometimes frightening new experiences as she helps Joan on the airplane and at the airport. Through excellent training, love and trust for Joan, Piki demonstrates how valuable Service Animals can be.

Piki Goes Flying is creatively illustrated and playfully written from Piki’s inquisitive perspective. Children and adults will enjoy reading this travel adventure together…. I would also recommend this book as an excellent story for children to read who are anxious about their own first flight on an airplane. The picture book is well-written and excellently edited.

Piki Goes Flying is the second in a series of three adventure books about Piki (rhymes with sneaky), a Service Dog, by author and illustrator Joan M. Hellquist. A true delight for readers young and old, Piki Goes Flying delivers a humorous retelling of Piki’s first airplane flight. With a simple text structure and explanation of key vocabulary throughout, Joan M. Hellquist shares a valuable experience about inclusive travel, along with themes of safety and cooperation, while showcasing her bond with her very own Service Dog. Ms. Hellquist is both the author and illustrator of this book and she does a thorough job aligning detailed hand-drawn illustrations with key events in her text. This book would serve as a wonderful instructional read aloud in any elementary classroom.

Piki Goes Flying is the second in a series of three adventure books about Piki (rhymes with sneaky), a Service Dog, by author and illustrator Joan M. Hellquist. We watched as Piki went through a metal detection screening and received wings from the Captain. Joan M. Hellquist did a lovely job explaining to Piki and readers at home the role of a captain, what TSA means and what the three-letter code on our baggage ticket means.

My

BOOKS​

The Other Side, Through a Child’s Eyes

What are the rules for flying with a Service Dog?

Author and Illustrator, Joan M. Hellquist

BOOKS