Pet Parables, Volume 1: The Cat Who Smelled Like Cabbage & The Duck Who Quacked Bubbles [Hardcover]

Neta Jackson (Author)

Book Description

A menagerie of funny animal buddies romp through the Pet Parables and discover that it's fun to get along! Children will identify with the familiar antics of these fuzzy pals and the bumps on the road to friendship. (20050216)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Illustrations help move the stories along and appealing characters make this book a winner. A note to parents and teachers and excellent discussion questions follow each story." (Anita Cain CBA Marketplace )

These stories teach lessons in a fun way. There's also a special section for parents and teachers with interactive questions. (Kids Bookshelf )

From the Back Cover

A menagerie of furry, feathered, and fuzzy animal buddies romp through the Pet Parables and discover that it’s fun to get along! Their antics and adventures take them over bumps on the road to friendship as they learn how to tell the truth, cooperate, share, speak kindly, and respect one another.

Each parable concludes with a special page of interactive questions for parents and teachers to use to reinforce the friendship lesson in each story.

In “The Cat Who Smelled Like Cabbage,” purebred Siamese Cat looks down her perfect nose at Alley Cat . . . and so does Black Cat, until she discovers that Alley Cat is a true friend.

In “The Duck Who Quacked Bubbles,” Grumble learns that no one likes being around a duckling who complains all the time.

Neta Jackson and her husband Dave are also the authors of the award-winning Trailblazer Books, a forty-book series of historical fiction for youth about great Christian heroes, and Hero Tales, a four-volume set of Christian biographies. When deadlines permit, Neta enjoys biking, camping, gardening, and playing with her grandkids. The Jacksons have three grown children and live in Evanston, Illinois.

(20050128)

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Kregel Publications (October 25, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0825429382
• ISBN-13: 978-0825429385
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 8.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,799,751 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

As a kid I was crazy about horses and animals of all kinds and loved to draw (horses, mostly). Since I didn't have a horse, I wrote stories about them instead. My high-school English teacher sent one of my stories (about a couger) to a Scholastic magazine writing contest and it won First Place . . . and the rest, as they say, is history. I wanted to be a writer!

I grew up on the campus of a private Christian school in Seattle where my parents were teachers. A lovely childhood, though fairly sheltered. But college took me back to the Chicago area and a whole new world. My husband and I settled in the Chicago area soon after getting married, and even though we both grew up in solid Christian homes, our search to deepen our faith took the form of Christian community for much of our family life raising kids. Eventually the critical issue of racial reconciliation became the call of God upon our life, and we chose to immerse ourselves in African American and multi-cultural churches. Our world and our hearts expanded. What a gift these relationships of faith have been!

All during this time, my husband and I have been a writing team--writing books with expert resource people (as their co-authors) on a variety of topics (from medical ethics to stories of gang kids), then writing a whole series of historical fiction about great Christian heroes--40 titles in all!--called the Trailblazer books (and a series of "Hero Tales," five volumes in all). Now we are each writing adult fiction--the Yada Yada Prayer Group series for me, which was inspired by my real-life Bible study sisters, a multi-cultural group of feisty women going on 12 years now that God has used to turn my life upside down, or rather, rightside up! (I have to admit, sometimes my real world and my fictional world get a bit mixed up!)

I've been married for 40-plus years to the same wonderful man, we are truly partners in life. We raised two kids plus a Cambodian foster daughter, and together they've given us eight beautiful grandchildren! As one of my girlfriends and I agree: The best stress-busters in the world are pets, gardening, and grandkids!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully Written, May 3, 2010

By 

itsjustme (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pet Parables, Volume 1: The Cat Who Smelled Like Cabbage & The Duck Who Quacked Bubbles (Hardcover)

Kids love animals, so what better format to teach kids about biblical behavior than a book of animal stories? That's the premise behind Neta Jackson's Pet Parables (Vol. 1).

This volume contains two stories: "The Cat Who Smelled Like Cabbage" and "The Duck Who Quacked Bubbles." The first begins by quoting Philippians 2:3 ("Be humble and consider other smore important than yourselves..."), then Jackson weaves a surprisingly down to earth and deep story. In it, snobby Siamese Cat and her good natured friend Black Cat chat about the neighborhood. Siamese Cat turns her nose up at the ugly, homeless Alley Cat who tends to linger across the street. She has no real family and no good breeding. But when one of Black Cat's kittens wanders into the street, Alley Cat saves the baby from being run over by a vehicle. Black Cat couldn't be more thankful - and surprised. As she talks with Alley Cat, she find her kind and friendly. And she learns there are good reasons for Alley Cat's mysterious ways. In the end, rather than go for a walk with Siamese Cat, Black Cat shows Alley Cat a better place to keep her own babies, and a new friendship is formed.

The second story begins by quoting Philippians 2:14 - 15 ("Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless den pure..."). Grumble, a very grumpy duckling, complains about everything. Her siblings crowd her in the nest, splash her in the pond, bump into her when they walk, and make her late for everything. When the other ducklings finally tire of Grumble's grumblings, they leave her to play by herself. To "show them," Grumble wanders into a box, thinking to hide until her family gets worried. But the box turns out to be a trailer that gets pulled away by a car. Fortunately, the family in the car hear Grumbles quakes and bring her back home. Grumble discovers her family really did miss her, and she's so thankful to be back home, she vows never to grumble again. Instead, whenever she feels the urge to grumble, she sticks her head under the water and quacks, producing bubbles. Soon, her family renames her Bubbles.

Both stories end with a parental note and questions for discussion, always bringing up God. For example, in the questions for "The Duck," the author writes: "What do you think God wants us to do when we feel like complaining? The next time you feel like complaining, what could you do instead?"

What I Like: Jackson is a strong writer. My 4 year old loves her stories and I find them pleasing to read. "The Cat" struck me as particularly well written for a book targeting this age group. The illustrations by Anne Gavitt are also lovely. Even my 18 month old loves them (he is, admittedly, a huge fan of cats). The cat drawings are realistic and expressive, while the duck pictures have a vintage storybook charm.

What I Dislike: Nothing

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Kristina Seleshanko
Christian Children's Book Review