Review of "Please Pet Me: I’m Bryn, a Lovable Therapy Dog" by Mary Jean DeSantis, Illustrated by Melissa Kahl

Score: 95+/100 (9.5+ out of 10)

What do you get when you combine a wonderful concept and lovable characters with an outstanding children's book author (Mary Jean DeSantis) and one of the best artists/illustrators to come our way (Melissa Kahl)? You get a masterpiece!

This heartwarming book stars Bryn, an adorable Golden Retriever who starts the book as a puppy and gradually grows into a role she seemed fated and destined to fill.

The story begins after Miss Mary loses Abby, her beloved therapy dog. We actually get to briefly see Abby comforting and bringing joy to a group of school kids. We then see a winged-Abby looking down angelicly from the clouds down at a little puppy (who is later revealed to be Bryn), sorta like Mufasa and Simba from the Lion King. It's a powerful passing of the torch moment!

Still grieving, Miss Mary visits Super Goldens simply to “look,” but Bryn separates herself from the other puppies and seems to choose her. Both immediately sense that they are meant to become best friends and continue Abby’s work of bringing comfort and happiness to others.

As Bryn grows, she meets new people, visits different environments, socializes with other dogs, and begins spending time with residents and staff at a senior community called The Terrace. She gets the full therapy-dog-tour/experience!

Her calm temperament, friendliness, and natural ability to connect with people become apparent almost immediately. The residents celebrate holidays with her, throw her a first-birthday party, and eagerly anticipate her visits.

The book then follows the less glamorous but essential work behind becoming a therapy dog. Bryn attends classes with Miss Mary, earns certificates, practices in public settings, and undergoes an evaluation in three different locations. After months of preparation, she passes her test and receives her official therapy-dog certification. The ending brings the journey full circle as Bryn invites children to pet her and proudly stands beside her therapy-dog father.

Goodness gracious! How cute is that?!

Yes, we're suckers for cute animals, especially dogs. But this book is so much more than a cute dog or animal book.

It helps that the illustrations by Melissa Kahl are exceptional as always. If you aren't aware, Melissa Kahl is the first every undisputed OCA Ultimate Championship Belt winner, having won our 2024 Creator Classic with her beautifully self-illustrated book, Ellie's Masterclass.

We'll get back to Kahl's illustrations later. But a lot of credit also needs to go to Mary Jean DeSantis's writing, as simple and straightforward as it is. This book is SO MUCH FUN and so pleasant to read aloud. It flows so well. Everything rhymes, connects, and makes sense. Yeah, there are times when the text is a bit small, but it's not a big deal. We never found ourselves squinting or struggling to find what text to read next.

We definitely imagine this is a great book to read aloud with kids. It has everything that kids like: cute, charismatic characters combined with eye-catching illustrations and an uplifting story. You could even argue that Bryn undergoes quite a hero's journey in just these 19 or so pages. That's an accomplishment!

Speaking of which... so much is accomplished on each page. Seriously!

One of our favorite illustrations demonstrates the passage of time and the range of Bryn's experiences across seasons and holidays. There are a lot of little nice thoughtful touches like that. We also noticed a few things that you might consider Easter eggs!

The first is Bryn’s actual paw print. Instead of treating the copyright page as disposable space, the design immediately gives readers something intimate and authentic. It is almost like Bryn has personally “signed” the book.

On page 7, a red cardinal is perched on the fence behind the characters. Cardinals are often used in art as symbols of deceased loved ones remaining nearby. The book does not explicitly confirm that meaning, so we should call it a possible interpretation, but its placement is striking. It could be another quiet indication that Abby is present during their first embrace.

On page 10, we gushed at Bryn wearing a tutu to visit some elderly folks at The Terrace.

We loved spoting a Lambchop, a favorite toy among many dogs, on page 9.

Page 17 really melted our hearts and won us over in more ways than one. Not only does it feature Bryn in essentially the same position as Abby from earlier (comforting and bringing joy to schoolchildren), but it also shows a passing of the torch in a different sense: Bryn follows in the footsteps (or paws) of her doggie dad, who is also a therapy dog.

Such beautiful literary symmetry all around!

Melissa Kahl’s illustrations elevate every part of this story. According to the book’s final pages, the artwork was created from oil paintings based on actual photographs from Bryn’s life. That explains why the book feels simultaneously imaginative and deeply personal. These are not merely generic pictures of a Golden Retriever performing therapy work. They are preserved memories of Bryn’s real experiences, transformed into expressive artwork.

That message is reinforced by one of the book’s smartest visual metaphors. After Bryn’s certificate arrives, the text explains that “many doors have opened,” and the accompanying illustration shows a literal red door opening onto images of the children, families, professionals, and community members she can now visit. Paw prints lead toward the doorway, making it feel as though Bryn is stepping into an entirely new chapter of her life. It is a creative way to transform an ordinary expression into something young readers can immediately see and understand.

We also loved the snowy mailbox scene immediately before it. Bryn waits beside Miss Mary as they retrieve the long-awaited certificate, and her body language makes the excitement obvious. She cannot read the envelope, of course, but she seems to know that something important has arrived. The falling snow and muted background make the moment feel peaceful and almost magical, especially when contrasted with the colorful collection of opportunities shown on the following page.

Kahl is particularly gifted at capturing Bryn’s expressions and personality. Sometimes Bryn looks curious and thoughtful. Other times, she appears proud, excited, sleepy, playful, or completely delighted to be receiving attention. The close-up of Bryn looking up at Miss Mary while silently asking to be chosen is almost impossible to resist. Her soulful eyes do much of the storytelling before the words even begin.

We were also impressed by the variety of page designs. Some illustrations occupy nearly an entire page and create a strong emotional moment, while others resemble scrapbook spreads filled with smaller scenes, seasonal decorations, certificates, costumes, and memories. This allows DeSantis and Kahl to include an enormous amount of Bryn’s real journey without making the story feel excessively long. It also gives readers plenty to examine after the main text has been read.

In other words, children can follow Bryn’s story the first time through, then return to search for smaller details. They may notice the Super Goldens sign, the Fort Ann road marker, the training equipment, the calendar counting down toward Bryn’s evaluation, the filming equipment used during her commercial, or the different outfits she wears at The Terrace. The more closely we looked, the more we found.

Even the contrast between Bryn’s television commercial and her ordinary training experiences is meaningful. One page shows her running toward her friend Doug while cameras capture the moment. However, the book does not treat fame as the culmination of her journey. Bryn still attends daycare, takes pack walks, practices commands, and works with trainers. The true reward is not appearing on television. It is gaining the ability to help others.

That is another reason the book feels so authentic. DeSantis understands that therapy work is built through consistency and trust. Her background as an elementary school speech-language pathologist may also help explain why the story communicates its ideas so clearly to children. She presents concepts such as grief, training, responsibility, service, and compassion in language that young readers can understand without oversimplifying the emotional significance behind them.

There is also something quietly powerful about the title. “Please pet me” sounds adorable and inviting, but it also represents Bryn’s purpose. Her role is based on creating safe, comforting human connection. She wants people to approach her because affection is not merely something she receives. It is something she gives back.

The people Bryn visits are not treated as scenery for a cute dog story, either. Kahl gives them distinct expressions and reactions. We see people smiling, laughing, embracing Bryn, kneeling beside her, and including her in celebrations. One resident presses her face into Bryn’s fur. Another reaches toward her while Bryn wears a tutu. These moments show that Bryn is not simply entertaining people. She is forming genuine relationships with them.

The book’s greatest achievement may be the way it connects loss, love, and purpose. Abby’s death begins the story, but the book never suggests that Bryn erases her memory. Instead, Bryn continues the work Abby began. Abby passes the torch to Bryn, Bryn follows the example of her therapy-dog father, and the final classroom scene mirrors Abby’s earlier work with children. The story comes full circle while also looking toward the future.

Please Pet Me: I’m Bryn, a Lovable Therapy Dog is funny, tender, uplifting, educational, and visually outstanding. Mary Jean DeSantis provides a delightful read-aloud experience with an emotionally meaningful story, while Melissa Kahl turns Bryn’s real-life memories into expressive oil-painted artwork worthy of being displayed beyond the pages of a children’s book. Together, they have created something that animal lovers, families, classrooms, libraries, senior communities, and therapy-dog organizations should cherish.

Check it out here!