‘The Incredible Adventures of the Awesome and Amazing Margaux’

Waggy Tail One: YAY Margaux!, the First in a Series

Laura and Scott Jordan have co-written a children’s picture book about teaching your kids resiliency, courage, and confidence. It’s called The Incredible Adventures of the Awesome and Amazing Margaux: Waggy Tail One: YAY Margaux!. One of their family dogs, Margaux, was a charming happy poodle, but she became ill at age eight and it wasn’t certain that she would live long at all. She became deaf and blind, and had to readjust to dog life with these new challenges. But she survived and continued to thrive for years to come. And through it all, Margaux kept her smile and her love of the outdoors.

“For almost 14 years, we were so inspired by Margaux’s joy for life and can-do attitude, despite her disabilities,” Laura and Scott Jordan said. “After she passed away, we realized that we wanted to continue to spread that inspirational feeling Margaux gave us in her life to those around us.”

The Jordans have crafted a story, based on Margaux’s experience, to empower children to have courage and confidence, even if they have difficult challenges as Margaux did. Margaux overcame her serious health challenges and kept her positive attitude. She also developed a strong social media following, and gave her family and the world hope.

This book is the first in a series in which five poodle sisters (Margaux plus Lucy, Chloe, Susie, and Rhonda), and their big “brother” Wolfgang the Cat, share inspiring stories from their home base at the Poodle Resort & Spa. While reading the story, you will fall in love with Margaux. Her positive spirit is infectious.

What’s the Book About?

Margaux is a standard poodle who resides at the Poodle Resort & Spa with her poodle sisters and her cat brother, along with her mom and dad. She begins by taking the reader on a tour of her home and yard, and describes all the fun activities there, such as hiking trails, a tennis court for chasing balls, a moat, and more. It is obvious from the illustrations that Margaux and her entire family have a blast at the spa.

Margaux then goes on to describe what her life was like before she got sick, and how her illness affected her health, such as making her deaf and blind. But the book goes on to describe how she discovered that she could still do just about anything. She began focusing on smells and breezes and enjoying her surroundings in new ways. Sights and sounds that used to bother her bothered her no more. She became brave and her sense of smell became more acute and helped her navigate through the world. And, at the end of the story, her “limitations” allowed her to save the day!

The Jordans have made an animated version of the story on YouTube! Here it is:

What Did I Think?

The artwork in this book is fantastic. It’s colorful, adorable, and whimsical. The story’s message is heartwarming and vital for kids to hear. Margaux is an easy heroine for kids to rally behind and identify with, because she’s cute and allows herself to be vulnerable, but still finds strength to contribute and thrive. She doesn’t allow her challenges to become obstacles, which is an important lesson for us all.

You can tell from the writing that the Jordans aren’t authors by trade, but I imagine they’ll get the hang of it as the series goes on. And the fabulous illustrations and important message are more than enough to carry the book. I, for one, look forward to hearing about more of Margaux’s adventures in the rest of the Waggy Tails series.

This 20-part book series will include the stories and lessons learned from Margaux’s experience. Readers will find inspiration, courage, and confidence to face what they must face. The stories will all center around the rallying cry, “YAY Margaux!” I’m curious as to what stories they’ll tackle in future books.

More Information about Margaux and the YAY Margaux! Initiative

For more information on future books, check out the YAY Margaux website.

If you want to check out Margaux’s social media presence, she still has a page on Facebook. There, you can scroll back and check out her livestreams of her daily life with her poodle sisters, and see what Margaux’s other followers have shared about their own struggles. Or, check out the videos of Margaux on the YAY Margaux website.

The YAY Margaux movement continues to move forward. In addition to the book series, the Jordans will be creating men and women’s apparel, dog products, and a line of stationery. If you love the book’s illustrations, they sell two different puzzles featuring the artwork, one for summer and one for winter.

Also, do check out three videos that show Margaux in her element and give some background to her story. Her smile makes my day.

• Margaux’s Story—#RootForMargaux
• Root For Margaux The Awesome & Amazing Poodle
• Blind, Deaf Dog Is Obsessed With Being Outside

The Incredible Adventures of the Awesome and Amazing Margaux: Waggy Tail One: YAY Margaux! came out last fall on what would have been Margaux’s 14th birthday, November 23. It’s a fantastic gift for any child, whether they’re currently facing difficult challenges or not. Plus, a portion of the proceeds of the book sales will benefit Mountain Humane which is a no-kill shelter in Idaho dedicated to preventing animal suffering and cruelty, and it provides safe animals for adoption.

Note: I received a copy of the book for review purposes.