or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
66 used & new from $0.01

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
Sorry!
The Best Pet of All
 
 
Tell the Publisher!
I’d like to read this book on Kindle

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

The Best Pet of All (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Hanako Wakiyama (Illustrator) "On Monday I asked my mother if I could have a dog..." (more)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)

List Price: $16.99
Price: $12.23 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $4.76 (28%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

28 new from $8.95 37 used from $0.01 1 collectible from $24.95

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
  Hardcover $12.23 $8.95 $0.01
  Paperback $6.99 $4.03 $7.90

Frequently Bought Together

The Best Pet of All + Wordsworth the Poet + The Boy Who Loved Words
Price For All Three: $34.71

Show availability and shipping details

  • This item: The Best Pet of All by David LaRochelle

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Wordsworth the Poet by Frances Kakugawa

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • The Boy Who Loved Words by Roni Schotter

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Basket Moon

The Basket Moon

by Mary Lyn Ray
Emma's Rug

Emma's Rug

by Allen Say
4.8 out of 5 stars (4)  $7.99
The Boy Who Loved Words

The Boy Who Loved Words

by Roni Schotter
3.9 out of 5 stars (12)  $11.53
Hey, Al

Hey, Al

by Arthur Yorinks
4.3 out of 5 stars (12)  $7.99
The Perfect Pet

The Perfect Pet

by Margie Palatini
4.7 out of 5 stars (6)  $6.99
Explore similar items

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

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)

More About the Author

David LaRochelle
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Visit Amazon's David LaRochelle Page

Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
On Monday I asked my mother if I could have a dog. Read the first page
New!
Concordance | Text Stats
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:

Citations (learn more)
1 book cites this book:

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Best Pet of All
88% buy the item featured on this page:
The Best Pet of All 4.6 out of 5 stars (12)
$12.23
Goldie Locks Has Chicken Pox
4% buy
Goldie Locks Has Chicken Pox 4.9 out of 5 stars (16)
$6.99
Good Night, Gorilla
3% buy
Good Night, Gorilla 4.7 out of 5 stars (198)
$7.99
Jamberry
3% buy
Jamberry 4.8 out of 5 stars (115)
$7.99

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

 

Customer Reviews

12 Reviews
5 star:
 (9)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
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.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
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
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.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
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!
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Cute book
I purchased this book for my 2 year old daughter with her Christmas money and she loves it. The day it came in the mail my daughter asked me to read it six times. Read more
Published 1 month ago by P. Parks

5.0 out of 5 stars Best BOOK of all!
Who cares if adults like this book? Kids love it, especially kids who've been told, "No dog!" LaRochelle's and Hanako's dragon is a marvelous villain, and it's somewhat... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Teach1

5.0 out of 5 stars I wish I'd bought this one already!
I don't know how I found this book, but I am so glad that I did. I think I may have searched for the subject of dragons at the library. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Brandy

5.0 out of 5 stars illustrations put this title over the top
Just about every kid I've ever known will sit still for at least 15 minutes for a story about a dog or cat. Read more
Published 12 months ago by J. Stout

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, creative, imaginative
This is my favorite illustrator who paints with a retro style that is fun, colorful, imaginative and really just beautiful. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Kristie Finnan

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Book of All
I received this book as a baby shower gift and we only recently started reading it to our almost 2 year old son. Read more
Published on October 22, 2007 by Stacie Couvillon

4.0 out of 5 stars A favorite
We read this book at bedtime with our son. He loves dogs. The book's hero is a boy who really wants a dog. He gets his wish with a little help from a dragon. Read more
Published on January 3, 2007 by Simon Bracken

4.0 out of 5 stars One of our favorites
A cute, fun to read book which entertains the little ones and even gives the adults a chuckle at the end. Definately a favorite in our home.
Published on December 7, 2006 by prtlndblnd

2.0 out of 5 stars Mom: 'We read it every night!'
This book has it all - for adults and children. It's an interesting story, told humorously, with beautiful illustrations. Best of all, my two year old loves it. Read more
Published on April 2, 2006 by Jacqueline

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   



So You'd Like to...


Create a guide

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject

 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.