Are you allowed to have a polar bear as a pet? Take a good
look at the cover of this book: What Pet
to Get by Emma Dodd. What’s wrong with owning a polar bear? [Take a few answers.] You bet: your house
is too warm. Yeah: he might eat you, too. I understand. Fine, let’s get a
different pet.
[Show pages 3-4 or pp.
5-6.] Hey! Great idea! An elephant! And you’d fit nicely on top, right? You
look nervous. What’s wrong with owning an elephant? [Take a few answers.] Right: that’s what his mom said, too.
[Turn page to pp. 7-8:
the lion.] Okay, next pet idea. You still look nervous. What’s wrong with
owning a lion? I mean, the boy is feeding him, right? That cat food isn’t
enough? Well, maybe the postman in the window there will bring a pet catalog or
something.
[Turn to pp. 9-10:
lion eating the postman]. Oh, shoot! He ate the mailman?! I can’t believe
it. Okay, you were right: the lion was a very bad idea. I’m sorry.
This poor kid has had unbelievably bad luck with his ideas
for a pet. But you know, his mom did promise him a pet, and he seems determined
to get one.
What Pet to Get by
Emma Dodd. Unpaged. Scholastic, 2008. Booktalk to primary grades. Virginia
Readers’ Choice 2011-2012.
