Award-Winning Author and Illustrator Teaches Valuable Lesson About Bullying And Friendship

Progressive Rising Phoenix Press is pleased to announce the release of award-winning author and illustrator Linda Boyden’s Boy and Poi Poi Puppy in Doggone! With its signature bright yellow cover, the lovable Poi Poi Puppy and Boy character, stole the hearts of children when introduced in the first book Boy and Poi Poi Puppy.

Originally named after the Hawaiian staple food, poi, the poi dogs were used by Native Hawaiians as spiritual protectors for their children and as an actual food source. Fed poi to increase their body weight for human food consumption, partially due to traditional meat being limited, and partly due to Native tradition, they became known as poi puppies. The breed declined as the consumption of dog meat became unnecessary as a food source. Today, the term poi dog refers to a stray, a dog without a home. Linda lived on Maui for seven years. Noting the issue of strays on the island and her love of animals, she hoped her story about a boy finding a way to adopt a stray dog would encourage others to do the same and to help support the local humane societies with their efforts.

Boy and Poi Poi Puppy in Doggone!

This book teaches a valuable lesson about bullying. Rushing to catch the school bus, Boy forgets to lock the gate. Poi Poi Puppy sets off to find his boy. Unfortunately he doesn’t find Boy, but trouble finds him instead. New friendships are formed, as a bully is confronted. Set in a sugar cane field in Hawai’i, Boy and Poi Poi Puppy explore how friendship can be stronger than any bully. Bullying is never acceptable, even in the animal world.

About the Author

Boyden, storyteller, and part time-teacher’s other works include: The Blue Roses, debuted in 2002 from Lee and Low Books, winner of their New Voices Award and two other national awards, and was included on the CCBC (Cooperative Children’s Book Center) 2003 Choices list of recommended titles. Powwow’s Coming, published by the University of New Mexico Press in 2007, illustrated by Boyden, and Giveaways: An ABC Book of Loanwords from the Americas, also published by University of New Mexico Press, and illustrated by Boyden. She is a longtime member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI) and Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers & Storytellers.

Linda is available for book-signings, speaking engagements, presentations and workshops. Contact publisher for additional information.

Review copies and author interviews available upon request. Authors work available where books are sold including Amazon, Barnes and Noble.com Ingram Catalog, and the Publisher.

ISBN-13: 978-1944277109
Paperback $11.95
978-1944277178
Hardcover
$18.95

Both titles are available for significant discounts to schools, libraries, non-profits, retailers, and vendors through Progressive Rising Phoenix Press or Ingram/LSI. For media requests or event bookings, please contact publisher or order here.

Progressive Rising Phoenix Press is building a select list. For this reason, we do not solicit authors, but do accept submissions. For a full explanation of our program prior to submitting please contact us at the following: contact@progressiverisingphoenix.com or visit our submissions page for guidelines.

All of our titles are available for significant discounts to schools, libraries, non-profits, retailers, and vendors through Progressive Rising Phoenix Press or Ingram/LSI. For media requests or event bookings, please contact publisher at contact@progressiverisingphoenix.com