< P> For a young bulldog named Noelle, the joy of being adopted by her very own little girl is overshadowed by the worry that she won't fit in to her wonderful new home.< /P> < P> What can an odd& ndash; looking brown pup possibly have to offer in a world where shimmering fish, glittering fireflies, and beautiful Dalmatians play games that Noelle's short legs can barely keep up with?< /P> < P> Five& ndash; time GRAMMY& #174; Award& ndash; winning singer& ndash; songwriter Gloria Estefan's first book for children is a heartwarming story. Exuberantly illustrated by Michael Garland, it captures all the worry of an outsider trying to fit in & ndash; and all the joy of discovering that everyone has a talent that matters, and that true beauty comes from inside.< /P> < P> o Includes CD single of Gloria Estefan's latest release Noelle's Song< /P> < P> Ages 3+< /P>

"As singer/songwriter Estefan's first book opens, a girl welcomes her new pet: 'With most of her features so oddly arranged,/ compared to most Bulldogs she looked a bit strange.' Noelle soon learns that she otherwise fails to measure up: she can't run fast like Dalmatians and sinks when she tries to swim with the fish. Clunky rhymes (as when the fish spout, ' 'We thought everyone everywhere knew how to swim.'/ 'So did I,' said Noelle. 'That's why I jumped in!'') lead up to a predictable outcome. A sunflower tries to reassure the pooch ('You're quite special, Noelle, with a look you can't beat./ Dark and rich like the earth and, like chocolate, so sweet'), and Noelle dreams of the day 'she'd find her mysterious, magical way,' which comes the next morning (e.g., she crawls under a car to retrieve a ball for the Dalmatians and rescues a stranded fish). Garland's (SantaKid) electric-hued, at times garish digital artwork is as lacking in subtlety as the narrative. Estefan's talent is better showcased in 'Noelle's Song (Been Wishin')' about finding a friend, performed on an accompanying CD. The book will be released simultaneously in a Spanish-language edition, Las mgicas y misteriosas aventuras de una bulldog llamada Noelle (ISBN 0-06-082626-6). Ages 4-8." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Five-time Grammy Award(-winning singer-songwriter Gloria Estefan's first book for children is a heartwarming story. Exuberantly illustrated by Michael Garland, it captures all the worry of an outsider trying to fit in--and all the joy of discovering that everyone has a talent that matters, and that true beauty comes from inside.

For a young bulldog named Noelle, the joy of being adopted by her very own little girl is overshadowed by the worry that she won't fit in to her wonderful new home.

What can an oddandndash;looking brown pup possibly have to offer in a world where shimmering fish, glittering fireflies, and beautiful Dalmatians play games that Noelle's short legs can barely keep up with?

Fiveandndash;time GRAMMYand#174; Awardandndash;winning singerandndash;songwriter Gloria Estefan's first book for children is a heartwarming story. Exuberantly illustrated by Michael Garland, it captures all the worry of an outsider trying to fit in andndash; and all the joy of discovering that everyone has a talent that matters, and that true beauty comes from inside.

o Includes CD single of Gloria Estefan's latest release Noelle's Song

Ages 3+

Michael Garland is an award-winning, bestselling author and artist who has illustrated more than twenty children's books, including The Magically Mysterious Adventures of Noelle the Bulldogand Santakidby James Patterson. He lives in Patterson, New York.