From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2-In this cautionary tale, a boy is advised not to take his unusual pets anywhere-"Don't take your skunk on an airplane," "Don't take your moose to the movies," etc. His pig will make a slobbery mess, and the snake will terrorize the neighborhood. The watercolor with black-line art is hilarious as each animal (rabbit, chimpanzee, frog, duck, and more) creates its own peculiar ruckus, and the boy's wide-eyed surprise suspends him in concentrated animation as the action swirls around him. Judith Barrett's Animals Should Definitely Not Act Like People (Aladdin, 1988) makes for simpler amusement whereas Ireland broadens the fun with four-line rhymes per page. At the end, the child holds his palm out to stop the pets as he walks with his oblivious parents and younger sister. His wise expression suggests that he will never go out with members of that motley group again. A verbal and visual treat.
Nancy Call, Santa Cruz Public Libraries, Aptos, CACopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
K-Gr. 2. In the spirit of Margot Apple's
Sheep in a Shop (1997), this humorous litany of what might happen if one takes exotic pets out for a stroll, shopping, to the beach, or on any number of outings makes for a comic cautionary tale. Brief rhymes, one for each situation, describe the action, which is perfectly complemented by the wacky artwork. Illustrations in bright colors and outlined in thin, scratchy lines depict exaggerated people and beasts in all sorts of silly situations: an outsize pig wallows in a planter outside a mall that boasts stores such as House of Socks and Pencil Mart; rotund passengers bail out of an airplane after the skunk sets up a stink; an outrageously plump bride with a beehive hairdo looks astonished to find a duckling in her punch; and so on. Kids will like the outlandish pictures and giggle at the goofy advice.
Diane FooteCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
