I often spend time in my local library or book store where I am surrounded by mountains of good selections. But what gets me most excited is when I find a treasure in an unexpected place. I took a trip to my local Ollie's Bargain Outlet to get some things to redecorate the bedroom. Every time I go to Ollie's, I peek at the children's books. Usually I will see a few familiar classics, a lot of cool activity books, some mediocre stories, and every now and again I find a pretty cool gem like Jacob O'Reilly Wants a Pet. I've had the book for a little more than a week and I've already read it to my niece 5 times! Trust me, you won't be disappointed if you add this one to your library.
So, Jacob really wants a pet: "He asked for a dog but Dad didn't want fleas. He tried for a cat, but the fur made Mom sneeze. He went through a list of small rodents for sale, but the very idea turned Mom and Dad pale." Finally, he starts a pet sitting business and ends up with four dogs, five hamsters, six cats, one mouse, a python, two donkeys, five sheep , one horse, rabbits, hares, and zebra. You will be surprised at the pet Jacob finally chooses in the end!
Related Activities:
In the book Jake refers to some animals that may not make good pets (like a walrus and an emu). Make a list of animals and discuss why they would (or would not) make a good pet. Draw some funny pictures of how it would be to take care of some pets (like a walrus in the bathtub!).
Make a graph similar to this one and talk about the number and types of pets the students have.
Visit a local veterinarian's office.
Have children bring in photos of their pets and make a class collage.
Paint pet rocks.
Sort pets by herbivores and carnivores.
I've been holding on to this gem for about a year now and with summer in full swing, the time seems right to share it with you! Last summer while on a weekend getaway to beautiful St. Michaels, Maryland, I wandered into a little shop called Ophiuroidea. I was only momentarily distracted by the many interesting baubles, trinkets, and sea-themed items; I soon found myself tucked away in the back of the store mesmerized by this book that didn't have words. I've posted about my love of wordless books before but this one took my breath away; Nicole Fazio's illustrations are simply captivating. The story begins as a bottle falls into the ocean. Page after page follows the journey of the bottle and the images get more colorful and vivid as the story progresses. Nature, the ocean, and sea creatures all do their part to create a beautiful, polished, and shiny piece of sea glass. I left the store that day with the book, two pieces of sea glass, and the excitement of knowing that I'd share this book with you all one day soon. Today is that day! I hope you fall in love with this book the way I did.
