Prudence
wants a pet. But her parents think they’re too expensive, too messy, too noisy.
So Prudence finds her own pet.
It’s a
branch.
She takes
Branch for a walk, she gives it some water (it doesn’t eat much) but it trips
up Dad one too many times.
Dad makes
twigs of Branch.
Prudence
finds a new pet. Its name is Twig. Twig lives in Prudence’s pocket but ends up
disappearing in the rinse cycle.
Prudence
finds several new pets – an old shoe named Formal Footwear, a tyre, a baby
brother (who doesn’t much like being fed grass). Poor Prudence. Will she ever
find a pet to love?
This is a
truly adorable book. I love the long landscape format and I go bananas over the
absolutely priceless illustrations, which combine comic hilarity with superlative
charm.
And I
absolutely love the witty writing by author Daly. Its rhythm and voice
is truly divine – faultless, actually – and the book is subsequently a joy to
read both silently and out loud.
One of my
new favourite books for 2011.
Title: Prudence Wants a Pet
Author: Cathleen Daly
Illustrator:
Stephen Michael
King
Publisher: Scholastic, $24.99
Publication
Date: September
2011
ISBN: 9781741699654
Format: Hard cover
For
ages: 3 – 8
Type: Picture Book
