“The Cookie Book” Every Dog’s Woofing About”
Good Night Cookies is a heartwarming tale of wonderment and the transformative power of storytelling. The adorable golden retriever, Grace Kelly, and her playful yet unlikely best friend, Mr. Mischief, an adopted feral cat, gathered close each night regaling in the unforgettable escapades of “Gracie the puppy” as retold by their human Dad.
Written by beloved author, John J. O’Reilly, Good Night Cookies is a true story that celebrates the special connection between a family and their furry companions. Reading to pets and other animals, even favorite toy ones, can be a delightful experience for both readers and their fluffy dedicated listeners.
Good Night Cookies is more than a bedtime story perfect for a pre-sleep ritual or family tradition of love. The author hopes it also encourages and supports reading therapy dog programs that help children overcome personal, developmental, and educational challenges-all through furry camaraderie!
Join Us in Supporting Reading Therapy Dog Programs and Animal Shelters through your purchases of Good Night Cookies. 10 percent of all book revenue goes to these programs and will be featured on my website.
Critical Acclaims and Reviews
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MAUREEN WINSECK ED.D. SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST for 12 years with a prior 27 years of public school education experience in Massachusetts as a Middle School sixth grade teacher and seventh and eighth grade math teacher, (11 years) Chapter 177 Elementary Math Intervention teacher; and in Connecticut Elementary Math Intervention and higher order thinking skills teacher (2 years).
Good Night Cookies is a delightful tale about a scamp of a puppy, her feline buddy, and a loving family. This true story models the best of all bedtime routines… hearing a great story, having someone to snuggle with and getting a treat!
Gracie wins our hearts as she recounts her favorite memory. John O’Reilly, the author, captivates us with a masterful retelling of Gracie’s midnight adventures. Daryn Rowley, the illustrator, creates beautifully executed prints that bring Gracie’s story to life visually.
The information provided regarding the Reading Assistance Dog Program ( READ) is a perfect reminder that reading can be done by a child to a loving pet not only for the joy of companionship, but also for the improvement in oral reading skills. As the mantra for school reading states…’Good Readers Reread’. A pet, whether living or stuffed, is a safe listener and a constant encouragement to the child to just sound out that word and there is no rush. It’s great confidence building with a devoted listener…a loving pet!
This children’s book combines all the best reminders for a reader…enjoy the story; share the reading adventure with a loving pet and it’s ok to have a small snack before bed!!!
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PATRICIA CLARK, LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALIST for 25 years and a first grade teacher for eight at an elementary school in Connecticut
Shared stories and experiences are vital to a child’s emotional development. A bedtime routine can be reassuring and self-affirming.
To engage in this time with someone you love, be it another human or a pet, is a comfort that will be remembered and re-lived forever. This story also makes us remember our own bedtime good nights and the pets we loved along the way. It can serve as a model for children to verbalize the connection, empathy, imagination, and other social emotional aspects of reading literacy and storytelling.
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T.R. STEARNS, RETIRED SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT, PRINCIPAL, AND TEACHER IN IDAHO PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Goodnight Cookies is a bedtime story that quickly becomes a household favorite!
O'Reilly's enchanting tale shows the connections between a Golden Retriever named Grace, and her "unexpected" best friend - a cat named Mischief. The illustrations are charming and the subtle message of building confidence and friendships fuels childrens' imaginations, and also sparks conversations about the power of friendship and bedtime rituals
Welcome to the Pack!
We’re excited to share our book with you, Good Night Cookies!
Adults, this book is a great bedtime tale or even a pre-nap ritual to share with your children and grandchildren.
Kids, you can read this book to your family or, for more fun, to your pet or neighborhood pets or visit a shelter or rescue program with your classmates.
Sign up for our special offers, announcements, news, and book tour. We will also give prizes and books away as a thank-you for supporting our reading therapy grants and donations programs.
Keep reading and have a cookie for us!
Learn about us
Our Story
Who are John O’Reilly and Grace Kelly?
Storyteller, writer, sports enthusiast, and lover of animals, John O’Reilly was immediately smitten when he met his golden retriever, Grace Kelly. Grace was about six years old then, and meeting John was the beginning of a forever bond. Grace, being the dog of a single dog-mom, always wanted a daddy and a kitty. When John came into Gracie’s life, she had both! And a new blended family was born. It was no longer just Grace and her mom, Susan, but also, John and a dapper black and white cat, Mr. Mischief.
John, as a father of two children, Siobhan and Connor, regaled them with nightly stories with characters he made up for them and encouraged his children to develop a love of reading with their favorite chosen books. That bedtime story time continued with Grace, and at times, Mr. Mischief, all piled in bed together as they listened to the tale of Grace’s “Good Night Cookies.”
Although Grace has passed over the rainbow bridge, her precocious successor, Annabella, another California bred golden retriever, has shown John the art of raising a puppy (Hahaha! Much different than an adult dog like Grace) and with her, they carry on the legacy of Grace Kelly and her good night cookies and bedtime story.
