My Pet Book

by Bob Staake

Award-winning author-illustrator Bob Staake has created a rollicking picture book about a boy and his most unusual pet!

Most pets are cats and dogs, but what happens when a boy wants a different kind of pet, one that doesn't meow or bark? Bob Staake's exuberant tale of a little boy and the pet of his dreams will appeal to anyone whose best friends are . . . books!

Books make the perfect pets, the boy decides, and chooses a bright red one. When it goes missing, a lively adventure is in store for readers who love a happy ending.

Soon kids everywhere will wish for a pet book of their very own.

"Simply spectacular." - Time

"Visually delicious." - The Wall Street Journal

"Staake creates a fun, dynamic world reminiscent of Dr. Seuss."
- School Library Journal

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Books About Books, Storytime, Humor, Fiction, Animals

40 pages, Hardcover

First published July 8, 2014

About the author

Bob Staake has authored and/or illustrated more than forty-two books, including The Red Lemon, a New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Children’s Book of the Year. His work has graced the cover of The New Yorker a dozen times, and his November 17, 2008 Barack Obama victory cover was named Best Magazine Cover of the Year by Time magazine. He lives on Cape Cod, in Massachusetts.

Reviews

[Mischenko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute rhyming story about a boy and his pet book. Yes, his pet is a book!

Super colorful and easy to read.

4****

[Rossy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable book, lovely illustrations, I LOVED IT!
A little boy wants a pet and what's better than a book for a pet?
This was perfect <3

[Laura Harrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

It darn near kills me giving a Staake book a 3 star review. But it is what it is. Vibrant, glorious illustrations with a blah story. It could have been great. The premise is cute as heck. But the story becomes dull and uninspired pretty early on. The pictures can definitely hold a child's attention.

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, fun, rhyming story about a boy and his pet book.

[Gerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the idea of this book. What could beat having a book for a pet? Yes, we like cats and dogs but a book, that's so much more adorable. However the telling of the tale, in rhyme, doesn't quite cut the mustard for me. It left me slightly disappointed because the relationship between the boy and his book wasn't as strong as I thought it should have been ... he should have been much more passionate!

The little boy lived in Smartytown and when he decided that he wanted a book he visited the local bookstore and he spotted a 'frisky red hardcover' and that was the one he liked most so he bought the book and adopted it as his pet.

The beauty of the book was that it had no fleas, it never needed bathing and 'it didn't even poop!' He felt that a better pet he could never have and it never even made a sound. And when he read it he imagined that he was in every story. Then suddenly he returned home and the book was gone. He cried but when the maid told him what had happened he dashed round town looking for it.

After some disappointments he found the book in a most unusual place and he went to bed to dream all night as he cuddled his 'lost - and found - pet book'.

Bob Staake presents his usual brilliant illustrations that do enliven the tale and that would help make it more appealing to today's younger generation.

[Sara Grochowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bob Staake once again delights readers with his newest read aloud, MY PET BOOK. What kind of pet do you get when you don't care for puppy dogs and kittens make you sneezy? Why, a pet book of course! After all, pet books don't run away, they have no fleas, and they don't have to be fed. Inside, there are all sorts of tales sure to keep every owner occupied for hours. And, as our young book owner quickly learns, no matter how big or small, new or old, every book is a friend.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adorable children's book about a little boy who doesn't like cats or dogs because they are messy and make his sneeze, so he chooses a book for a pet. Any book-loving parent will giggle their way through reading this adorable story to their child, and children will love reading it as well. The illustrations are bright and bold and charming.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dream of a story for parents who are allergic to every possible pet option - and pretty cute regardless of that. Books *are* friends. Bob Staake gets it.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

The rhyme was cute and the idea not bad. I don't know who that maid thinks she is though. Seriously.

[Marcella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ik vind het idee van dit verhaal echt heel leuk. Maar helaas liet de uitwerking wat te wensen over: het rijm verliep stroef en ik kwam tijdens het voorlezen nooit echt in een fijn ritme. Kwam met de groep luisteraars echter wel tot een leuke discussie rondom het idee van een boek als huisdier.

[Mehsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The boy's mum gently asked him how a book could bring such joy.
"Because every book's a friend!" explained the yawning little boy.

I spotted this book and new it was a book I would really like. It turned out that I couldn't love it, due to some stuff, but most of the book was terrific so I really like it.

Why would you get a cat? Or a dog? Or even a goldfish? Those pets are so dull and so the same, what about a book for a pet? A pet that never sheds, never poops, never will get flees, and you can just sit down and read the stories that it contains inside. What more could one want? It was a really cute idea, and I totally agree, though I think that hamsters still win as a pet for me. :D
The boy's passion for his pet book was adorable and it made me all warm and glowy inside. So many books are about kids wanting to get a pet, but none would want a book for a pet. It is original and creative.

There were a few things I didn't like. For instance him dragging(?) the book with him on a leash, or that annoying maid that was a bit too dedicated to cleaning and apparently didn't care to ask the family she cleans for if stuff can be removed/cleaned. :| I would have fired her for a) throwing away stuff and not checking if they are meant to be thrown away. b) for throwing away something like that. :|

The ending was adorable and I was just awwwing at it all. I hope the boy and his book are together for a long time to come.

The art was really fun, and I liked that even though you read the text, you could still spend a long time looking at the illustrations and find all the things + more that the story had just told. I liked how colourful the art was, it really fit the happy nature of this book.

All in all, this is one book I would recommend to every booklover.

Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

The boy in this story has a book for a pet. It's not that his parents wouldn't allow a cat or a dog, but, that this boy really wanted a pet book. The premise is quirky and not without potential. For some readers, this one may prove completely charming.

My problem with the Pet Book was not the premise. I found the rhythm and rhyme to be a bit off or unnatural. The rhyming just didn't work for me. And it felt like it was the need to rhyme that was driving the book, the story. For example when the book "runs away," this is the rhyme we're "treated" to:

"He ran away! He ran away!" The boy began to bleat. "How could a pet book run away without a pair of feet?"

It continues,

The maid could hear the crying boy. (That sound was such a rarity.) "I think I know what happened..." (gulp) "I gave your book to...charity."

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Most pets, you know are cats and dogs, go out and take a look.
But there's a boy in Smartytown whose pet is ... a little book."

The boy wants a pet that's easy to take care of and decides that a book suits him best. He finds the perfect book "with a frisky red hardcover" at the book shop. The spend countless hours together. "The boy imagined as he read that he was in the story." But when he comes home from school one day, the book is missing. Oh No! The maid has taken the book to a thrift shop. And the mad search begins.

Such a great story about the joy of reading. When asked how a book could bring such joy the boy replies "It's cuz every book's a friend!

[Read Ribbet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bob Staake's geometric style that was so memorable in the wordless picture book Bluebird returns to tell the story of a young boy who opts for a book as a pet. Cleverly told, the tale becomes a cautionary tale when the book is missing and then we see how important it is to match a book and its owner. It would be a good title to integrate into lessons on urgency and choice.

[Melissa Rochelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I find rhyming books so much fun to read aloud. It's even better when the book is about a boy and his love for his pet book -- because not everyone is interested in or can have the furry kind of pet or a pet that poops or one you have to clean up after. However, even if it's just a pet book you have to be careful to not lose it.

[Megan Ivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is adorable. My girls absolutely loved the idea of a pet book, and that the boy had the book on a leash. The pictures are beautiful, bright, and bold. I will be taking this in to read to my Kindergarten class as well :-)

[Just a Girl Fighting Censorship · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think that maybe this one just wasn't my cup of tea. The illustrations were colorful but I thought that the rhythmic writing and plot were somewhat unimaginative. The concept seemed like a set up for a funny offbeat story but I didn't get the humor and was a little bored.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun for early elementary kids who can get the joke of a pet being a book that doesn't do normal pet things (like poop!) This book also show us why a book is so great. And bonus--the author rhymes rarity and charity!

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable book about a boy that doesn't want a typical pet. Instead, he decides to get a pet book. This book is so colorful and fun to read. Perfect for anyone who loves books and loves to read.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable. I read hundreds of picture books and don't usually review them on here but do give this one a look. Love that it also teaches kids book terminology.

[Toño Campos · Rating 5 out of 5]

HERMOSO!!! :D

[Kendall Hall]

Summary: The book titled My Pet Book by Bob Staake is about a young boy who does not want an actual pet like a cat or dog. He wants something that is easy to take care of. His parents suggest a pet book. The young boy and the book eventually turn out to be good friends and go on many fun adventures together but one day the pet book is gone. The maid had swept it up and turned it in with an old box of stuff. They eventually find the book hiding in a dog house where it can disappear and the young boy and the book turn out to be just fine.

Review: I personally loved this book and thought it was very unique and creative. I would have never thought of making up a pet book. That was a really clever idea to tie in books to something that we could own. I also loved the style of drawings throughout the book I thought that that was another unique way to tell the story. All in all, I thought that the book was very unique and different which I loved.

Connection to Profession: You could read this book to your students and encourage them to read more and to know that reading is actually cool and fun. It could potentially encourage young kids to want to get a book as a pet and they will actually start reading the book. This book would be great to read to young students because I do feel like it encourages reading and for kids to think that reading is cool, which it really is!

[jennyreadit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was this kid! A fun, rhyming text about a boy whose pet is a little book.Rather than going to the pet store, they go to the bookstore to choose" a pet that's easy." The storyline continues comparing all the things pets do ( like poop, having fleas, drinking from toilets etc..) to his book... until he returns one day to find the maid has given away his book. The story continues on with the mother questioning how can a book bring so much joy to which the child replies, "cuz every's book's a friend!" The characters are different colors, dad is blue, mom is yellow and child is pure white, the only obvious race is the maid. I would use this as an introduction to teaching children how to find books that suit their interests.... and use the analogy of it being a pet you want to care for and love. Storyline became a less interesting to me when the maid admits to sweeping up the books with junk and sending it to the thrift store, then maid and child go to thrift store to try to find it, guessing "where would a pet book hide?" I get the author was trying to relate the book to being like a pet, but this part was strained and seemed to slow down the fun theme of choosing a book and falling in love with it.

[Serena Wheatley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a boy whose parents didn't want him to get a pet dog or cat, or anything of the sort. So he decides that he is going to get a pet book. He finds a new shiny red book and falls in love with it, he takes it everywhere with him and he says that when he reads the book he gets taken on adventures and that's what he loves about his pet book. He eventually loses his book and has to go looking for it. He finds it and swears he is never going to lose it again and that it is the only pet book he can ever have.

I overall thought the pictures and ideas of the book were good, but it could have included a better story line. It seems like a basic put together book that wouldn't really keep kids interested endless they were examining the pictures very well. The story didn't flow well, the rhyme was off, the redeeming quality is the illustrations. The illustrations were colorful and set out over the entire page, the illustrations were also exactly connected to the text which is helpful with children who are just learning to read. The book isn't one that I would personally recommend for a classroom just because the story line isn't well-developed. The only thing I really enjoyed about this book was the illustrations.

[BiblioBickie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute rhyming book about a boy who gets a book as a pet (bonus! it doesn't drink from the toilet bowl or poop). The parents are teal blue and yellow; the "maid" (!) is pink; the boy is bright white. Other characters are a variety of colors including light pink, yellow, orange, red, green, dark and light grey, and beige. There are a LOT of characters who are colors that could stand in for "white," and very few if any who are colors that could stand in for BIPOC, such as brown. This seems like an odd choice.

The conflict in the book is that the maid donates the book to charity along with other "household things, like cups and plates and socks." They "race[d] downtown in hopes that they / ...find it on a shelf / just sitting there and waiting / near a dusty Christmas elf." Gratuitous mention of Christmas.

Not buying this one for my library.

[Michelle Adamo #EmptyNestReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful story of a young book-loving boy with a very special pet.

Rather than a puppy or a kitten, this boy wanted a pet that was easy, he wanted a pet book. The boy and his pet book go everywhere together. Then, one day the boy comes home from school only to discover that his pet book has gone missing! Where could his pet book be? How will they find it?

An unusual, but fun adventure story! Ages 3-7

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[Stefanie Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bright, silly rhyming book where a young boy wants a book as a pet as they are much less trouble than dogs or cats. He tells all the great things about having a book as a pet and all the reasons why a dog or cat is not a good pet. He loves his pet book until one day he arrives home to find it missing. Ahh! It's a funny story and I like the idea of a boy loving a book so much he wants it to be a pet. The rhyming is sometimes forced. If you are going to use the book as a read aloud, be sure to read it to yourself first to take note of the rhyming text and breaks in text. Sometimes the rhyming stanzas are broken up onto 2 different pages.

[The Campbell Family · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I'm not going to lie. I was grabbing a bunch of books by Staake and saw this one and hesitated. I didn't want to bring home a book about pets. My kids love animals, but we are a fur free household, and I didn't want to start up the puppy and kitten begging. I decided to grab it anyway, because we have been loving his other books.

SO GLAD I DID, since the PET in this book is a BOOK. Not a dog or a cat. A BOOK! This is a bibliophile's dream book to read to their children. Would make a great gift for the child of a book lover.

[Nicola · Rating 1 out of 5]

Miss 3 and I like to explore different books and authors at the library, sometimes around particular topics or themes. We try to get different ones out every week or so; it's fun for both of us to have the variety and to look at a mix of new & favourite authors.

This was one that I chose. I liked the idea of a pet book (as opposed to a cat or dog) but wasn't particularly fussed on the presentation and Miss 3 didn't like the book.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It imbues certain qualities of books and compares them to pets and how a pet book is better than an animal pet that was offbeat. Though one element that I liked was that it does mention the work that goes into having a pet and that not everyone wants, needs, can handle a pet so we turn to other things for companionship and company.

But then it went a little sideways again when the nanny threw the book away. Making a weird story a little weirder still. Chaotic for sure.