The Best Pet of All (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Hanako Wakiyama (Illustrator) "On Monday I asked my mother if I could have a dog..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2–A young boy is desperate to have a dog. When his mother meets his repeated requests with firmer and firmer refusals, he modulates his demand and asks for a pet dragon instead. Thinking she is safe, she agrees that if he can find one, he can keep it. Unfortunately for Mom, he eventually manages to locate one, but the creature is disruptive and untidy. It won't clean up after itself, eats spaghetti in the bathtub, and roasts hot dogs (with its own breath) in the living room. When the youngster points out to his mother that dragons are scared of dogs, she finally agrees to get one. Domestic happiness is restored and the unwanted beast slinks off. LaRochelle captures the essence of the relationship between mother and son with dry humor and laconic text. The child's unfailing optimism triumphs over practical realities and his mother's initial opposition. The simplicity of the language is ideal for beginning readers, while the subtext keeps everyone amused. Wakiyama's nostalgic gouache illustrations evoke the 1950s. Dressed in capris, Mom irons print tablecloths and does dishes by hand. The appliances and decor are of the period, and the dragon is found in an old-fashioned drugstore. The bright, witty artwork complements the story to perfection.–Jane Barrer, Washington Square Village Creative Steps, New York City
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* PreS-Gr. 1. Doesn't every child want a dog? A young boy keeps asking his mom for one, but she says dogs are too loud and too messy. So he asks if he can have a dragon; Mom says if he can find one, he can keep it. Surprise! There's one at the drugstore, reading a travel magazine. Unfortunately, the dragon is very loud and messy, roasting hot dogs in the living room and eating spaghetti in the bathtub. "Too bad we do not have a dog," the boy says. "Dragons do not like dogs." Mom agrees, and after posting a "Dog Wanted" sign in their window, it isn't long before a boxer comes knocking and the dragon is running scared--or is he? LaRochelle's prose is simple, repetitive, and wonderfully understated; it juxtaposes amusingly with the visuals of the dragon's out-there antics. The action pops to life in Wakiyama's stylized retro art with its candy-colored palette, clever use of thought bubbles, and comical touches (the dragon roasting hot dogs with his breath, or at the soda fountain, wearing shades and a porkpie hat). A happy wag of the kid-wants-dog tale, with guaranteed giggles. Karin Snelson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile (June 3, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525471294
• ISBN-13: 978-0525471295
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #601,203 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great fun!, June 22, 2004

By A Customer

I've had a ball reading this book to kids (and to myself). Having trouble convincing Mom to let you have a dog? Well, this little boy has it all figured out. The author has written an upbeat, warm story and the illustrator's additions make the pictures lots of fun to inspect. That is one cool dog substitute this boy invites home. Check it out. Sure to become a favorite at your house.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wagging the Dragon To Get the Dog, November 26, 2005

By	M. Allen Greenbaum (California) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

A staid but stylish 1950's setting complements this simple tale of a young boy who wants a dog but winds up with a dragon. Wearing his rolled-up, patched denim overalls, he repeatedly asks his culotted mom for a dog as she does household chores (of course, the father is nowhere in sight). Clearly, she doesn't want the extra work. However, this baby boomer is clever: When he asks his mom if he can have a pet dragon, she replies (thinking that SHE is the clever one)," "If you can find a dragon, you can keep it for a pet."

After some searching, he finds a beatnik dragon in a drugstore. The nonchalant dragon, decked out in a porkpie hat and shades, visits the boy's palm-lined suburban home, where he wrecks havoc that few dogs could match. The little green dragon messy, unhelpful, roasts hot dogs in midair, dances to "loud music all night long," eats spaghetti in the bathtub, and then refuses to leave. Boomer boy latches onto another scheme: He realizes that the dragons are scared of dogs (a plot device that one must simply accept), and now even his mom wants one. When Fido arrives, the Dharma dragon grabs his hat and hits the road-no problem for this wanderer--and the boy gets a dog and his mother's agreement that "A dog is a good pet."

This is a concise, easily read book, focusing briefly on the mother/son conflict before settling on the figure of the renegade, rebellious dragon. The scenes of bathtub spaghetti swilling and the gravity-defying weenie roast are sure to get laughs, and adults will enjoy illustrator Hanika Wakiyama's soft, vignetted illustrations. She captures the Fifties' with an unencumbered style, showing details like an old TV and period toys without overwhelming the story. Her eye even extends to the colors and designs of the household furnishings. The dragon is not at all scary, and kids and adults with identify with the emotional subtext.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant!, June 30, 2004

By	Tara Fraser "tpfraser" (San Rafael, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is the best children's book I have seen in a long time. I found it browsing in a bookstore for a child's birthday - and now I plan to give it as a gift many times over. The story is great and the illustrations are perfect. Bravo to David and Hanako!