Oh To Be a Bulldog

Kaidan experiences his first homecoming football game at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium in Orangeburg, South Carolina, on the campus of South Carolina State University. Everything excites him, but Sanchez, the bulldog mascot, mesmerizes him. Kaidan desires his own Sanchez and devises a plan in hopes of acquiring a bulldog. Can Kaidan prove his responsibility to keep a pet and make his big SC State dream come true? This book introduces children to South Carolina’s only public Historically Black College and University (HBCU). Oh, To Be a Bulldog also teaches children to make college plans early, as well as the importance of working hard and accepting responsibility. This book is a 5-Star Readers Favorite and an AfricanBookstore.net Bestseller.

5-Star Readers Favorite Review
Oh, To Be A Bulldog, written by Sonia Cunningham Leverette and illustrated by Neel Solanki, portrays a young boy named Kaidan, an only child who goes to a homecoming game where he sees an English Bulldog and genuinely falls in love with the breed. Kaidan greets the dog and begins asking his parents if he can have an English Bulldog of his own. His parents explain to him about the responsibilities involved in being a pet owner and the responsibilities he must fulfill to earn the privilege of having a dog. Kaidan does everything he is supposed to do and is permitted to have the pet he longs for. How will Kaidan respond to being a new pet owner? Will the responsibility prove to be harder than he thought or will it be everything he dreams of? How will Kaidan and his new companion grow and learn together?

Oh, To Be A Bulldog is a beautiful, short children’s story with images that have some wonderful details to lend meaning to the story. I love how Leverette has written this story with a very strong plot that will help children learn that owning a pet takes passion and is a huge responsibility. My favorite thing about the story is how Leverette intertwines her obvious love and passion for her home state of South Carolina into the story and how Solanki corresponds the meaning with the wonderful art. The characters are very realistic with realistic behavior as the parents instruct Kaidan to be responsible and earn the privileged he desires. I recommend this story to parents, children’s reading circles and anyone who has children because Leverette sends a meaningful message about the responsibility of being a pet owner.