Awards
2012 Next Generation
Indie Book Awards
Finalist in the category of Animals/Pets
Nominated for the 24 annual Minnesota Book Awards
Winner of 3 Mom’s Choice Awards honoring excellence in family-friendly media, products and services in the following categories:
- Children’s Picture Book – Gold
- Inspirational/Motivational – Gold
- Domestic Animals and Pets – Gold
Reviews
Pearson and her long-time friend Patti Nero Kivestu realized they had a great story on their hands and one that kids who feel lost and alone—just like Rags did in the west Texas desert—can relate to. Rags to Riches: A Dog’s Tale of Hope and Friendship is a true story, with a little “creative conjecture” about the Rags’ adventures as a stray. They would sit down together most afternoons, with a cup of coffee for Kivestu and hot chocolate for Pearson, and build on their own friendship while writing about the same.
—Claire Walling
MN Parent
June, 2012
I love to read and am always looking for good books to recommend. Rags to Riches - A Dog's Tale of Hope and Friendship is a great read for kids and parents alike.
—Linda Demi Drahota
Whiskers to Tails
March 13, 2012
Celebrities often appear to be smaller in real life than you might expect—ask anyone who has ever seen Tom Cruise—and the same is true for Rags, a sweet Boston Terrier mix who is becoming something of a celebrity in her own right around Edina...
—Julie Pfitzinger
Rags to Riches - A Dog's Tale of Hope and Friendship
Rags, a little dog with big personality, stars in a picture book written by two Edina women.
Edina Magazine: February 2012
With valuable lessons about bullying, perseverance, and true friendship, Rags to Riches makes a wonderful addition to the classroom bookshelf or bedtime story collection.
—Mom Central
Lifestyle Book Review
10/19/11
I have fallen in love with Rags!
—Kathy Reis
Come along on a journey with this curious and determined little pup through the rough wilderness of Texas, the bustling activity of city life and into the arms and heart of one special girl.
I have fallen in love with Rags – and you will too!
Program Chairman Operation School Bell/Literacy+
Assistance League Minneapolis/St. Paul
A charming book about hope and friendship. My boys would have loved this book when they were younger!
—Eileen McCarthy Harness
Senior Education Specialist with Search Institute
Despite all the talk about reading books electronically, nothing beats snuggling up with a child to read a "real" book with lovely illustrations...
—Mary Ann Grossmann
11 Wonderfully Illustrated Children's
Books Under $20
St. Paul Pioneer Press
Sunday Life 11/27/11