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On Children’s Day at the Brooklyn Book Festival, a ‘Little Dude’ brings smiles

September 15, 2018 By Mary Frost Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Therapy dog Little Dude, the star of Cara Zelas’ “Big World of Little Dude” delighted children at the Brooklyn Book Festival’s Children’s Day event at MetroTech in Downtown Brooklyn on Saturday. Shown: Simon Pizarro, 8, holds his little cousin Johannah Eder, 2, while she pets Little Dude. Mom Meghan LeBorious watches the action. Eagle photo by Mary Frost
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“Can I pet him?”

Therapy dog Little Dude, the star of Cara Zelas’ “Big World of Little Dude,” was a hit with children at the Brooklyn Book Festival’s Children’s Day event at MetroTech in Downtown Brooklyn on Saturday.

The adorable little dog sitting in a fleece-lined basket remained mellow despite being petted by countless enthusiastic attendees.

Zelas, a teacher originally from Sydney, Australia, trained to be a therapy team with the Good Dog Foundation in order to visit hospitals and schools. These visits evolved into a social and emotional curriculum used at schools and the New York Public Library, said Seth Ginsberg, Zelas’ husband. The themes used in her books include courage, respect and feelings, and each story can be both read and sung.

This is Zelas and Little Dude’s second appearance at the book festival. “And we’re just delighted,” Ginsberg said. As the parent of a 3-year-old girl, “this is touching me in the right place.”

The “Little Dude” books “are meant to put a little goodness into the world,” he added.

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