October 4 – World Pet Day

Happy Pet Day!

Today is celebrated as World Animal Day, World Pet Day, and Blessings of the Pet Day as it falls on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. So in honor of the special bond between children and their pets, I am sharing some picture books about pets today. Enjoy them with your child and favorite critter!

Prudence Wants a Pet written by Cathleen Daly and illustrated by Stephen Michael King (2011)

Prudence’s parents say ‘NO’ to having a pet. But Prudence gets a pet anyway… a branch. Branch goes for walks and sleeps on the porch. But Branch trips Dad eight times, and Dad breaks Branch up into little piece and throws them in the woodpile. Now Prudence has a new pet, Twig. Twig is small and doesn’t need to sleep on the porch, but Twig gets lost in the rinse cycle. Prudence looks and looks for a new pet. She finds Formal Footwear, her baby brother Milo, a car tire named Mr. Round, and Sea Buddies that come in a dry package and look like pulp in a fish bowl. Finally, for her birthday, her parents give Prudence her very own kitten. She names him Branch.

What Pet to Get? written and illustrated by Emma Dodd (2006)

Jack wants a pet. His mother agrees, but doesn’t really like any of his initial ideas. A polar bear would be too hot in their house, an elephant would crush the roof of their car going for a ride, a tyrannosaurus rex is extinct, a crocodile is too snappy, a lion  has a huge appetite, and so on. Finally, Jack suggests a dog. “That’s an excellent idea, dear,” his mom said. “A lovely little puppy.” But Jack has other ideas.

My Pet Hamster written by Anne Rockwell and illustrated by Bernice Lum (2002)

The little girl in this story tells the reader about how she got her pet hamster and how she takes care of him. She also gives facts about hamsters and other rodents. And she talks a little bit about the difference between wild and tame animals.

I Want a Pet written and illustrated by Lauren Child (2000)

The girl in this story wants a pet. Her family talks her out of every idea she presents. Lions snack between meals, sheep are copycats, wolves howl and give Dad headaches, octopus leave eight footprints, boa constrictors squeeze too tightly, etc. Finally, the pet shop lady suggests a pet that doesn’t leave footprints, doesn’t eat, and doesn’t even move. The girl decides to take it, but no one knows for sure what kind of pet is is because it hasn’t hatched yet.