A whimsical, sophisticated storybook for readers of all ages.

Price: $16 flat rate
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Born from a massive surge of pure creative freedom and a 20-year friendship, Wackadoodle the Poodle is a collaborative labor of love by author Nicole and artist Bren Corn. While raising three children of similar ages, working in the valley, and graduating from Western State College together, the duo originally crafted this rhyming tale during their shared parenting journeys in 2006. While initially conceived for children, the book holds a deep, sophisticated crossover appeal that resonates just as powerfully with adults.

This endearing narrative explores the profound significance of companionship, tracking the journey of a little wacky poodle and an awkward horse named Mo who take a brave leap of faith to become friends. It is a playful, whimsical tale infused with a subtle sense of melancholy, digging into the heavy themes of trust, resilience, and the recurring cycles of life.

What makes this book a groundbreaking milestone in Bren’s timeline is its radical visual design. Rejecting traditional illustration, Bren used her massive, texture-rich contemporary canvases as background layouts, seamlessly superimposing her raw, black-and-white character drawings right on top of the vibrant paint fields. Every layout serves as a deliberate stage of light—weaving together everything from gritty street-art iconography inspired by Basquiat to intimate personal memories of heartbreak, family ranch history, and local mountain town satire.

To elevate the reading experience, the book includes an advanced vocabulary that naturally sparks curiosity, learning, and deep conversation between parents and kids. It also features a complete fine art index of the featured paintings, inviting readers to explore the independent origin stories of the canvases behind the text. Wackadoodle the Poodle masterfully intertwines art with innocence, sophistication with simplicity, and the world of adults with children, creating a truly unforgettable, captivating experience.