Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown

Brown, Peter. Children Make Terrible Pets. Little Brown and Co., 2010. $16.99. PICTURE BOOK.
Lucy is a bear who finds a cute critter in the forest and takes him home for a pet. Her mother is appalled and tells Lucy, “Children make terrible pets.” Lucy begs to keep him and her mother lets her on one condition—she must take care of him herself. At first everything goes well, they eat together, nap together, and played together. But her pet wouldn’t potty train, ruined the furniture, and then disappeared. Lucy catches his scent and finds her pet with a human family. She walks home dejected, but agreeing with her mother that children don’t make good pets. The book ends with Lucy spotting a new pet. The story is a humorous spin on children who find pets and take them home. The expressive cartoon illustrations and speech bubbles make this a visually enjoyable read. Pre-K, EL – ADVISABLE. Samantha, Public Librarian.