Twelve-year-old Austin Brown's dad is deploying for Afghanistan again, hoping to make it home in time for Christmas. Before he leaves, he gets Austin a puppy named Dino. It's not long before Austin discovers that Dino is special... he can sing! When auditions come to town, Austin enters Dino as a contestant on "America's Next Pop Icon." Captivating American households and dominating the competition, Dino becomes an overnight celebrity and Austin quickly becomes the most popular kid at his new school! However, with the media storm brewing, Austin becomes blinded by his newfound popularity and must learn the true value of friendship before it is too late.
When twelve year old Austin Brown's family moves to Fort Langley, Austin has a hard time fitting in. Being the son of a father in the military his family is always on the move and maintaining friendships is difficult at best. Before he is shipped to Afghanistan, his father buys him a dog from a man at the side of the road, a dog named Dino.As his friendship with the dog grows, Austin's life is suddenly turned upside down when he discovers that Dino can SING! Problem is, Dino can sing the timeless classics with gorgeous dulcet tones, yet when it comes to performing, he's as shy as a mouse! With the help of his younger sister, Vanessa, and his new friend, the awkward and nerdy Greg, they coax the shy dog out of his shell.
When Austin discovers that a popular talent search television show is coming to Fort Langley in hopes of finding contestants, he quickly enters Dino! There is no way a singing dog can lose on..."America's Next Pop Icon"! As the pooch's amazing talent reaches the airwaves, Austin's popularity soars, he is invited to every cool party, and the famous young singer Taylor Madison has caught his eye. His desire to finallyfit in is within his grasp! Yet when the local dog catchers see there is value in a singing dog, they plan to snare the pooch for ransom!
With the media storm brewing all around and blinded by his growing popularity, Austin pushes his friends aside and loses Dino to the thieves! When he realizes the folly of his ways and learns to understand the value of friendship, Austin must regain the trust of his friends and the trust of Dino, for only real friends truly listen.
