Petropolis [Hardcover]

Suzanne Santoro Whayne (Author), Christopher Santoro (Illustrator), Susanne Santoro Whayne (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2003 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

When your pets are home alone, are you sure they're really there? Really?
Put yourself in the position of a beloved pet whose family has just installed a new pet door to the backyard. But instead of the backyard, there's a teeming city populated entirely by pets. The stores, restaurants, and theaters, the public transportation, the museums, parks, and municipal services are run by a huge assortment of well-dressed cats, dogs, rabbits, mice, hamsters, guinea pigs, ferrets, turtles, fish, and parrots. It is wonderful, but all too soon, it is time to go home. There is one very large problem -- how do you get there?
In myriad, strikingly detailed and richly hued illustrations, sister-and-brother team Susanne Santoro Whayne and Christopher Santoro present a highly original, good- humored parallel universe for all young readers to visit, explore, enjoy, and then revisit.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2–After his owners install a new pet door and then leave for the day, a dog detects some enticing aromas coming from the other side. Jumping through, Max leaves the land of black and white and finds himself in a new world full of colors. Petropolis is a pet's dream: "Ratzilla" and "The Dogfather" are showing at the local theater, a restaurant serves liver pizzas, and an art museum houses works such as Lizardo da Vinci's "Mousa Lisa." Best of all, there are no leashes or humans making rules. Max has a great day but soon realizes that he doesn't know how to get home. Happily, he figures out that he should follow his nose–literally–and, after tracking his people's scents, squeezes back through the door just in time to greet them. The rhyming story is adequate, but the anthropomorphism is carried a bit too far and falls flat. After Max lands in Petropolis, he suddenly finds himself magically changed, walking on two feet and wearing clothes. He loses his animal traits and becomes all too human. Santoro's watercolor-and-ink illustrations are sufficient; the layout is filled with details, somewhat like the work of Richard Scarry.–Roxanne Burg, Orange County Public Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS. This jaunty story begins with a cute little dog, Maxie, who has a new pet door to use while his family is gone for the day. But there's something unexpected outside: the backyard has transformed into a bustling city, crowded with pets who have slipped away to go to the movies (The Dogfather), take in a museum with works such as "Whisker's Mother," and dine at the "Slurp and Burp." Told in ready rhyme, the book takes its shape from the vibrant watercolors that catch the excitement of a big city. In a charming nod to the 1939 movie version of The Wizard of Oz, Maxie's world is black-and-white until he passes through the door. The art, reminiscent of Richard Scarry's work, features endearing anthropomorphic animals and brims with details that will keep kids poring over the pictures. Adult readers will enjoy repeated readings thanks to tucked-in asides they can chuckle over. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (October 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593540019
• ISBN-13: 978-1593540012
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 12.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,314,099 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A children's fantasy, December 12, 2005

By 

D. Balfour "aunt dianne" (nyc) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Petropolis (Hardcover)

This is a story a child will want to hear over and over. It is a true child's fantasy.

5.0 out of 5 stars imagination, August 30, 2006

By 

David C. Miller (Tucson AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Petropolis (Hardcover)

One of the most creative innovative children's books on the market today. The illustrations and the concept story is good for both kids and adults.

5.0 out of 5 stars An engaging picturebook story, January 3, 2005

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Petropolis (Hardcover)

Ages 4-8 will find Petropolis an engaging picturebook story, with its drawings by Christopher Santoro supplementing the story of what pets do when their owners are away for the day. A magical pet door opens upon a vibrant city rather than a suburban backyard, inviting Max to explore a city populated entirely by pets. But how can Max get back home?