A Dog Named Dover Saves the Planet

Becoming a published children’s author was so surreal at the time. I could not believe that not only had I written and published a children’s book, but it was one that you could purchase at Barnes and Noble, where I used to go on weekly shopping trips with my dad! But I did, and it has been such a fun and rewarding experience ever since. In this blog post we will talk about the inspiration behind A Dog Named Dover Saves the Planet, plus eco-friendly lessons that kids can learn from Dover, and a glimpse into what is next for Dover’s literary and eco-friendly adventures. 

The Inspiration Behind a Dog Named Dover Saves the Planet

I am a firm believer that life is about taking chances and following your heart. My mission is to advocate and bring awareness to the environmental issue and small changes that we can make as pet owners. Creating Pure Earth Pets has taught me so much about advocating for our planet. And the more I have learned, the more my heart brought me to thinking about other ways that I could help people live a more sustainable lifestyle. 

I had the idea to help instruct children about ways that they could make small, gradual differences in their own lives and homes. And then I realized that Dover could help by being the star of his very own children’s book. 

When children read about Dover’s efforts to save the planet, it makes it a fun challenge for them to follow Dover’s lead and mimic his helpful behavior. It is even more fun that Dover saves the planet with his friends, and helps kids understand that they can involve their friends, too. 

Eco-Friendly Lessons that Kids Can Learn from Dover

A Dog Named Dover Saves the Planet is about our own dog Dover. On his daily walks, Dover loves all the experiences that he has in the outdoors. From hanging out with his dog friends, to watching the birds, and meeting new people, he loves being outside. In the book, Dover overhears his mom (aka me) talking about the earth being in trouble. Dover asks her how he can help, and then he decides to share with his friends how they can all pitch in. 

All the characters in the book make small changes. Mom and Dad commit to using reusable bottles and straws instead of single-use plastics. Dover tells his friends to ask their parents to buy sustainable treats, recyclable toys, and to help their humans recycle around the house. The moral at the end of the story is that if every dog (and human) makes just one slight change, we can save the earth. 

The goal of the book is to show kids and their parents that you do not need to embark on a huge lifestyle overhaul to affect the planet. Being eco-friendly does not have to be as hard as it might seem. You can make small, easy changes that all add up to big improvements.   

What’s Next for Dover

Since the launch of A Dog Named Dover Saves the Planet 10 months ago, we have read delightful stories by parents, grandparents, and teachers who report that their kids love the book. I even got to speak to an entire classroom full of kids about the book on Earth Day! And of course, I look forward to the day our newborn daughter is old enough to read this book about her very own dog! 

Dover and his friends are about to set out on a new adventure, A Dog Named Dover Saves the Ocean. We have added several new friends to the cast of characters, including a special dog named Zeus who is a real-life environmentalist. Zeus helps his mom clean up balloons from the ocean and is the winner of a contest that we had to be included in the next book.