Children Make Terrible Pets [Bargain Price] [Hardcover]

Peter Brown (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 7, 2010 | Age Range: 1 - 6 years

Check out this rollicking, humorous, and heartwarming twist on the classic "first pet" story about a young bear and her favorite pet boy!

When Lucy, a young bear, discovers a boy in the woods, she's absolutely delighted. She brings him home and begs her mom to let her keep him, even though her mom warns, "Children make terrible pets." But mom relents, and Lucy gets to name her new pet Squeaker.

Through a series of hilarious and surprising scenes, readers can join Lucy and Squeaker on their day of fun and decide for themselves whether or not children really do make terrible pets.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1–Lucy, a young brown bear in a pink skirt and hair bow, meets the most adorable little boy in the forest one day. She takes him home, excitedly shows him to her mother, and begs, "Can I keep him, PLEASE?" Though her mother warns her that "children make terrible pets," Lucy is bound and determined to prove her wrong. Agreeing to take full responsibility for her new companion, Lucy and Squeaker eat, play, and nap together. However, the cub soon finds that there is some truth to her mother's admonitions. The child is hard on the furniture, creates chaos everywhere, and absolutely refuses to be potty trained. When Squeaker goes missing, Lucy tracks him down and discovers that all involved will be better off if the lad remains where she finds him. It's a hard truth, but Lucy has to admit that her mother was right. The amusing, soft-hued illustrations on tan backgrounds are worked in pencil on cut construction paper and a bit of "digital tweaking." Each spread is placed on frames made of a variety of woods. The dialogue is shown in speech bubbles, hand lettered by the author/illustrator, while the narration is placed in rectangular boxes. Appealing and humorous, with a lesson to boot!–Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WIα© Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From Booklist

Lucy, a tutu- and ribbon-adorned young bear, is instantly besotted with a human boy she finds in the forest. After naming him Squeaker (the only sound he makes) and bringing him home, she begs her mother to keep him, and Mom relents on the condition that Lucy take full responsibility for his care. The two have a ball playing together until Lucy confronts some of the less-appealing aspects of pet ownership, such as potty training and dealing with destroyed furniture. When Squeaker suddenly disappears, Lucy follows his trail, discovers that he has returned to his natural habitat of house and human family, and comes to understand, as countless children have, that not all critters are cut out for domestication. (A final spread shows that Lucy hasn’t given up on her enthusiasm by any stretch, though.) Brown’s distinctive multimedia art, featuring text in colored blocks and characters’ asides printed in word balloons, has a playful, old-time style that matches the woodsy setting and the enjoyable story's upbeat tone. Preschool-Grade 2. --Andrew Medlar

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 1 - 6 years
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (September 7, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316015482
• ASIN: B0062GJRH8
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #692,157 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Peter Brown writes and illustrates books for young whippersnappers. He grew up in Hopewell, New Jersey, where he spent his time imagining and drawing silly characters. He studied Life Lessons at the School of Hard Knocks, and then got his B.F.A. in Illustration from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.

After college Peter moved to Brooklyn, New York and spent several years painting backgrounds for animated TV shows. And then in 2003 he got a book deal to write and illustrate his first picture book FLIGHT OF THE DODO, which is a story that involves bird poop...in case you're into that kind of thing. Since then he's written and illustrated three more picture books, and illustrated several other books for young whippersnappers. His books have been adapted into plays and animated short films, they have been translated into a dozen languages, and they include the 2010 E.B. White award winner, Children's Choice Award winner, and New York Times bestselling books THE CURIOUS GARDEN.

His books CHILDREN MAKE TERRIBLE PETS, YOU WILL BE MY FRIEND! and his latest book, CREEPY CARROTS! are also New York Times bestsellers and award winners. CREEPY CARROTS! written by Aaron Reynolds has also been named a 2013 Caldecott Honor book.

You can find out more about Peter and his books at peterbrownstudio.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

99 of 100 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Some creatures don't make great pets... September 10, 2010

By L. Hobbs

Format:Hardcover

Simple, funny, sweet...a story about a young bear who finds a boy in the woods and keeps him as a pet. Of course, she finds out that children can be a lot of fun but don't really make good pets. They tear up the furniture, throw food,track mud everywhere, and are tough to potty train (especially using a litter box). I read this story to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders and they loved it. A great read aloud. They're all hoping for a follow up book to find out if elephants make better pets than children.

38 of 41 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant! Great Bday Gift September 15, 2010

By Kindle Addict

Format:Hardcover

Super story for ages K - 3rd Grade. Pictures as good as the words. Makes a great birthday gift; parents will laugh and kids will love it. Good for girls or boys too!

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun, silly read! January 30, 2012

By Young Mensan BookParade

Format:Hardcover

The book was about a bear named Lucy who found a kid and wanted to keep him as a pet. She called him "Squeaker." The mother bear said that kids are bad pets, but she let Lucy keep him as long as Lucy was the one who took care of him.

I think kids will enjoy it because it is fun to read and silly that a kid would be a bear's pet.

My favorite part was when Lucy couldn't find Squeaker and she looked for him throughout the forest until she found him.

Both boys and girls, ages 2 to 7 would like this book because it is a funny book and the pictures of Squeaker's antics would make them laugh.

Reviewed by Young Mensan Isaac, age 5