Picture Books
Lester's Dreadful Sweaters by K.G. Campbell
Lester's world is neat and under control, until Cousin Clara moves in and starts making him sweaters. Truly dreadful sweaters. Completely awful sweaters. Something must be done.
Target Readers:
- Creative Problem Solvers/Humor Fans: Wowsers did K.G. Campbell dream up some truly dreadful sweaters! I love the imaginative ends Lester dreams up for some of the sweaters. Great pick if you like silly reads.
- Ugly Sweater Party Hosts/Prep for Bad Gifts: This is THE perfect read for an ugly sweater party. Get inspired by Lester and dream up your own creative ends for the sweaters that attend. It’s also a great opportunity to stop and mentally prepare for how to deal with potentially horrendous gifts you’ll receive over the coming holidays. Can the giver take some honesty or do you need to practice a charming and grateful smile until you can do it even when you feel like you might throw up? (Ok, I hope no one gets a gift quite that bad. But you get what I mean.)
- Prediction Exercisers: I never saw the answer to Lester's problem coming. This would be a challenging one for making predictions.
Thank You, Panda by Steve Antony
Mr. Panda has decided to hand out presents. His poorly thought-out gifts are followed by his helpful lemur friend reminding everyone, "It's the thought that counts." The lemur also gets a present and Mr. Panda reminds him of what he's been telling everyone else.
Target Readers:
- Prep for Bad Gifts: Mr. Panda is that relative. Everyone has one in the extended family. That person who gives presents you've no idea what to do with until the next white elephant gift party or ugly sweat party comes around. Yeah. Those kinds of presents. If you need to prep kids for this kind of holiday gift receiving, Mr. Panda may be helpful. Or you can advise them to take the elephant's tactic (wait to open the gift till later without them present).
- Debaters: Kids can debate whether Mr. Panda does the bad gift-giving on purpose or just without really thinking.
- Animal Fans/Specifically Lemur & Octopus Fans: Mr. Antony gets bonus points for including a lemur and an octopus in the characters. Kids lit needs more lemurs and octopuses.
Caring for Your Lion by Tammi Sauer, ill. by Troy Cummings
A little boy orders a kitten but the company is fresh out of kittens so they send him a lion instead because they figure it is close enough. Thankfully, they send instructions for lion care with the new pet.
Target Readers:
- Humor Fans/Animal Fans/Those Wanting an Example of How Text & Illustrations Work Together: The contrast between the instructions (which are illustrated) and the real life way that works out provide the humor in this book along with just the crazy idea of feeding and caring for a lion as if it were a pet.
Don't Take Your Snake for a Stroll by Karin Ireland, ill. by David Catrow
A parade of unconventional pets is presented along with the hazards of taking them on outings. For example, your skunk might stink up the airplane or the waiter at the restaurant may think your frogs escaped from the chef.
Target Readers:
- Humor Fans/Animal Fans: The pictures are fanciful and captivating. Kids will love the hilarious illustrations and variety of animals.
- Would-Be Pet Owners: Use this to get the kids who think they want that unusual pet to think through all the needs and limitations of such an animal. Will it truly be able to be the pet they want? Will they be able to be a good pet owner?
Lizard from the Park by Mark Pett
Leonard find an unusual egg in the deepest part of the park forest. He takes it home and cares for the lizard that hatches from it. But as the lizard keeps growing and growing and growing, Leonard eventually realizes he needs to find a better home for his pet. A home where this lizard can be happy and won't scare anyone. With a very creative plan, Leonard moves his pet, and finds a place where he can still visit.
Target Readers:
- Would-Be Pet Owners: Leonard’s pet provides a cautionary reminder to would-be pet owners that that little thing will grow. Do you have enough room for this pet you want? Do you have the means to meet its needs? Good questions to think through before you bring the cute thing home.
- Dinosaur Fans: In case you didn’t guess, Leonard’s lizard is actually a dinosaur. A perfect read for every kid who has fantasized having their own pet dino.
- Fan Fic Writers: Continue the story and tell the further adventures of Leonard's pet in his new home.
You Don't Want a Unicorn by Ame Dyckman, ill. by Liz Climo
An ill-informed child wishes for a unicorn against the narrator's advice and suffers many of the hidden pitfalls of having a unicorn as a pet.
Target Readers:
- Unicorn Lovers/Humor Fans/Fantasy Fans: Oh dear. This appears to be a very important warning announcement. Who knew? As a fun compare/contrast, read this with Uni the Unicorn or some of the Phoebe and Her Unicorn series. (Phoebe might agree on some of these points, disagree on others, and have whole list of never explored before things to consider before unicorn ownership.) This is a fun "other side" to all of those unicorn books out there.
- Would-Be Pet Owners: A humorous cautionary tale to real life pet owners that it is wise to listen to others' advice and do your research before getting the pet.
Lower Grade Fiction
Princess Cora & the Crocodile by Laura Amy Schiltz, ill. by Brian Floca
Princess Cora's parents realize that someday she'll be running the country so they start training her the moment she's born. After several years of boring economics books with her mother, endless baths with nanny, and strict military exercise with her father Cora is a bit fed up with her boring, maxed out days. She sends a wish to her godmother for a pet dog and gets an answer in the form of a crocodile. A crocodile who takes her place for a day while she runs free and eats wild strawberries and gets gloriously muddy. But will her godmother's plan work long term?
Target Readers:
- Busy Kids: This is an important reminder to take a break and build some space into your schedule so you don’t get burnout. Cora and her family learn this lesson in a way readers will find funny.
- Fairytale Fans/Fantasy Fans/Humor Fans: A fun fairytale about a Princess who just needs a break with the most unusual fairy-sent representative. The cure has surprising results for all. I thought this was going to be a picture book, but it is actually a fully illustrated chapter book. Not a bad thing, it just surprised me. Kids should love the antics of the crocodile.
- Prep for Bad Gifts: Cora wishes for a dog. Her fairy godmother sends her a crocodile, but she makes the most of it. This is slightly different from the other bad gift preps on this list since the unwanted gift turns out to be an unexpectedly good thing. A good reminder to take a double look at that gift you weren’t happy with at first and to maybe trust that loving gift-giver a little more.
Graphic Novel
Puppy Love (Babymouse, #8) by Jennifer L. Holm, ill. by Matthew Holm
Babymouse’s latest fish has gone to the great fish bowl in the sky and it is time for a new pet. Babymouse would love a kitten or puppy, but her parents would like her to prove her pet owner skills with something less taxing first. And boy, does she fail epically! Somehow pet after pet after pet disappears quite quickly after arriving at Babymouse’s house. Eventually her mom draws the line and says no more, but when a lost dog shows up Babymouse gets one more chance. Babymouse quickly finds that taking care of a dog is no easy feat.
Target Readers:
- Graphic Novel Fans/Humor Fans/Animal Fans: Typical Babymouse fun with a good message. The secret backstory of what’s happening to Babymouse’s pets is quite funny. It was my favorite part of the book.
- Would-Be Pet Owners: This is a good one for kids who think they want a pet. Babymouse learns the hard way all that pet care involves and will give readers a good reality check. Of course, she eventually enjoys some of the perks too, so it is well-balanced.
Adult Nonficiton
The Birds of Pandemonium: Life among the Exotic and Endangered by Michele Raffin
What started as a rescue of a few unwanted or abandoned birds evolved over the years into a full-blown bird sanctuary with breeding programs for a few endangered species. Raffin relates how she accidentally meandered into the bird world, and how it grew and changed over the years, with stories of individual birds along the way.
Target Readers:
- Animal Lovers/Fans of Balanced Writing/Curious Readers: Sometimes these books by animal lovers can be a bit over-the-top, but Raffin still has her feet firmly planted on the ground. She relates her adventures in bird world but doesn't attribute them with any super powers, and even the talking birds she explains (with research backup) are at about a toddler's intelligence level. It was quite interesting to find out how a woman in the business world found herself managing a bird sanctuary. The book is highly readable, and I enjoyed learning about the birds, but I feel completely free of any urges to go out and get a feathered friend (and definitely not starting a bird sanctuary). I think that was refreshing as well. I can support those like Raffin who feel this calling, but I don't feel guilt tripped by her to become one of them.
- Those Considering Owning a Bird: Reading about abandoned bird after abandoned bird and all the hidden quirks of various species is a great dose of reality to get BEFORE you get that bird. If there’s one thing that Raffin would love for you to do, is to make sure you’re ready to be in it for the long haul before you get a pet bird!
The Medici Giraffe: and Other Tales of Exotic Animals of Power by Marina Belozerskaya
This book is as much a collection of obscure history as stories about animals. Ms Belozerskaya highlights eight different powerful people of history, tells their histories and how exotic animals played an important role in further establishing their authority or demonstrating it. As such, each chapter is a broader history on the life of each person to give the full setting of how exotic animals played this role.
Note: Some gore and violence.
Target Readers:
- Curious Readers/Obscure History Fans: This flows quite well, and many of the histories focused on people or aspects of people/time periods that are often not the focus of study in typical history classes or books. I feel like I learned a lot reading this.
- Those Who Think They Want an Exotic Pet: If you’ve ever fantasized about owning an exotic animal, this should provide a good dose of reality as to how bad an idea that is. Wild animals do not make good pets. Just read the chapter on Rudolf II’s lions who roamed his palace freely. They tended to chew on the visitors.
The Penguin Lessons by Tom Michell
Tom Michell was on holiday at the coast in Uruguay when he came across a host of animals washed up from an oil spill incident. Most of the animals were already dead, but when one penguin moved, Michell decided to do what he could for it. He cleaned it up best he could and then tried to set it free at a clean section of nearby beach. However, the penguin refused to leave him and Michell wasn't sure his feathers were still waterproof after the deep scrubbing. Since his holiday was ending, there was no local zoo, and he was due back at the international school he worked for the next day, Michell decided the best thing to do was take the penguin back to school in Argentina with him. Originally, Michell planned to drop off the penguin, now dubbed Juan Salvador, at the zoo or coast in Argentina. But after further investigation, Michell didn't have the heart to abandon Juan Salvador at the zoo where the penguins looked miserable, and the Argentinian coast was quite a ways away from the school. In the meantime, Juan Salvador seemed to be taking to the British boarding school life like a fish to water. He loved the boys, he had no end of people willing to fetch him fish, and he was getting healthier by the day. Recorded in this book are little stories from Juan Salvador's interactions with the students, other people and Michell, the ways he changed lives, and also stories from Michell's life as an expat in Argentina during the late 1970s. Overall, a this is a great multicultural experience, a touching pet story, a reminder to better care for our planet, and a fascinating biography.
Note: Some language and violence. Click on the title for more content details.
Target Readers:
- Penguin Lovers: Who can resist a story about a real, live Mr Popper?! I really enjoyed Michell's stories about Juan Salvador. They are cute and touching with just the right moments of humor. I like that he included his further understanding of why Juan Salvador refused to leave him at the beach in the epilogue (penguins need a pair to be re-released). My favorite part of the book was the story of how swimming with Juan Salvador helped one struggling boy at the school to come out of his shell and find his place. (Those of you who cry during Hallmark movies may need tissues for that chapter.)
- Those Who Think They Want a Penguin as a Pet: Though they are adorable and fun to watch, there’s a good dose of reality in here that penguins are not ideal pets and are best off in the wild. Because behind that cute exterior is a mean biter who wreaks of fish.
- Expat Story Fans: I found Michell's stories of his expat teaching experience fascinating. It's fun to compare notes. I'm in a different part of the world and in a different time period, but some expat experiences just don't change with time or location. Of course, there are things that have drastically changed. Reading about ridiculously expensive plane tickets (yikes!) and international phone calls made me extremely grateful for modern advances in those areas (Hooray for Skype & internet!). And no matter where you are, there's the challenge of understanding and respecting the cultures of your host country. I really liked that Michell got to know various local people and respected their ways of life, no matter how different. His stories of Maria and her family were especially touching (and sometimes humorous, but still respectful).
- Environmentally Friendly Book Fans: In the end, Michell shares a much later return visit to South America and what one organization is doing to help treat and prevent oil spills (this is where he learns why Juan Salvador wouldn't leave him). Though Michell obviously enjoyed his time with Juan Salvador, he regrets that the relationship was ever necessary (a very mature perspective) and uses this story to challenge people to help keep the oceans cleaner for other critters.
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