I Really Want a Pet by Jackie Hosking

Title: I Really Want a Pet

Author: Jackie Hosking

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Scholastic Australia

Published: 1^st May 2021

Format: Hardback

Pages: 24

Price: $17.99

Synopsis: A sweet and funny picture book about how to get the pet you want.

• ·  Playful rhyming verses with fun illustrations by Shane McGowan.
• ·  This little girl wants a pet. Has she found a clever way to get one?
• ·  Perfect for reading aloud.
• ·  Themes: pets, animals, humour, family.

Can I have a polar bear?
I really want a pet.
I’d love a laughing polar bear, I haven’t had one yet. Can I have a polar bear? They’re not that hard to get.

A polar bear? A crocodile? A dinosaur?! What kind of pet will this little girl get?

~*~

Who amongst us hasn’t ever wanted a pet of some kind? Usually, we get a cat or a dog, a fish or a hamster. But what happens when we ask for the outrageous, like a polar bear, or an elephant? Will the mother relent and get her daughter a pet? Well, you will just have to read on to find out!

Jackie Hosking uses rhymes to tell the story, that flow neatly and work to build reading confidence and the language development of young children whilst entertaining them as the requests for a pet, and the reasons why get wilder and wilder. This clever ploy is fun – and might just work, if you look closely at the illustrations throughout as each pet is asked for, there is a hint of what the result might be – but shh, no peeking ahead! Pay attention to the pictures if you want to find out. 

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The beauty of this book is in its delightful sing-song rhymes that like many picture books, work very well with the illustrations and leading up to the delightful conclusion. They also aim to teach children new concepts and language – and allow them to explore their world in a fun and vibrant way.

This is a great book for all readers – and might just work to bring a pet into your life. It is such a fun book, full of life, colour, humour and chances to learn new words, and would work well for ages three and up when building on vocabulary and animal recognition

Another fantastic picture book from Scholastic Australia.