I Wish I Had a Pet

by Maggie Rudy, Maggie Rudy (Illustrator)

Overview

Smartly dressed mice give sage advice on all elements of proper pet care in this photographic picture book.

Who hasn’t yearned for the perfect pet? The mice in this book—hand-sewn and inhabiting enchanting, diorama-style scenes—know all about critter care, and they’re here to share wise words about choosing and keeping animal companions.

Whimsical images of the mice with their own petite pets, including bumblebees, ladybugs, and butterflies, complement the warm humor of this extraordinary picture book that’s truly like no other!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442453326
Publisher:	Beach Lane Books
Publication date:	07/01/2014
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	218,553
Product dimensions:	9.60(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	AD280L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Maggie Rudy spent part of her childhood living in England, where she visited Beatrix Potter’s farm on a formative third-grade field trip. She has since been making mice and their worlds out of felt and scavenged materials for more than twenty years. Maggie lives in Portland, Oregon, and you can see more of her work at MousesHouses.blogspot.com.

Maggie Rudy spent part of her childhood living in England, where she visited Beatrix Potter’s farm on a formative third-grade field trip. She has since been making mice and their worlds out of felt and scavenged materials for more than twenty years. Maggie lives in Portland, Oregon, and you can see more of her work at MousesHouses.blogspot.com.

Editorial Reviews

★ 04/28/2014
This ordinary pet book is transformed by Rudy’s (The House That Mouse Built) beguiling handmade mice, which she poses and photographs in scenes made even more fetching with dozens of small props. That the pet-owners are small, pet-worthy mice is the source of many smiles. “Pick a pet that’s fun to care for,” Rudy advises, under a picture of a robin perched on a pencil eraser, its owner mouse holding a small pair of scissors to trim the bird’s claws. “Keep it clean,” she reminds readers as another mouse polishes the shell of its tortoise—with Turtle Wax, of course. “And when your pet makes a mess,” she continues, “clean up after it. Every time.” A full spread shows a small mouse holding its nose as it dashes after a caterpillar who’s leaving a trail of pellets behind. The layout is spare and elegant, and the typography clear and understated. With lots to look at on each page, readers have the chance to imagine what life would be like on an entirely different scale. Ages 4–8. Agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (July)

Publishers Weekly

"What makes this book stand apart from the pack are Rudy’s squeal-inducing photographs of the quirky dioramas she has created with mouse figurines, miniature props, and backdrops in the form of evocative collages of textbook pages, leaves, stamps, acorns, and more...readers will practically die that these play sets aren’t for sale.... It’s whole gobs of fun watching the mice react with shocked, studious, or satisfied expressions, which will likely be mirrored by readers."

May 2014 Booklist

"[S]nuggle up to I Wish I Had a Pet and revel in the world that Rudy has created. . . . Each spread is a marvel of a little mouse world where young children will want to explore all the details. Through these amazing scenes, Rudy offers wise advice about pet ownership. . . . It will be hard to resist the call for a pet after reading this treasure to your pet-starved youngster."

June 2014 BookPage

"Where you find children, there you will find pet owners—or at least children who aspire to have creatures all their own, which they double-triple swear they will take care of, promise! In "I Wish I Had a Pet". . . Maggie Rudy moves this familiar yearning from the human world to a hilarious series of photographed tableaux featuring felt-and-fabric mice so cunningly devised that they almost look real. . . . Ms. Rudy's narration emphasizes that pets require conscientious care and a certain amount of respect. . . . This sweet, visually detailed picture book would be ideal for a 3- to-7-year-old whose parents show signs of succumbing to a please-may-I-have-a-pet campaign."

June 2014 The Wall Street Journal

"Fashionably dressed mice give advice about owning a pet. . . . The book features adorable photographic images of the mice with their own pets such as bumblebees, ladybugs, and butterflies."

Library Media Connection

2014-03-17
Quirky dioramas illustrate this explication of pet care. Rudy's carefully composed scenes feature clever components and unexpected details, including felted figures, repurposed household objects, torn paper and objects from the natural world. The straightforward text begins by speaking directly to the small, pensive-looking mouse who appears on the first page: "Do you wish sometimes… / that you had a pet?" Many of the following spreads (a mix of single- and double-page) have only one or two simple declarative sentences or phrases, giving the text a staccato feel. All are useful suggestions: "Pick a pet that suits your style," or "Pick a pet you'll like to exercise." The illustrations, meanwhile, provide offbeat extensions of the simple text—a fuzzy yellow caterpillar worn like a feather boa or a pair of bees flying on leashes. Most scenes have an old-fashioned feel, featuring antique toys, fancy miniature furniture, bits of lace, old letters and postage stamps—details that will resonate more with adults than young listeners. The few instances of mild humor are also likely to go over children's heads. Despite the general-sounding advice, this is ultimately the very specific story of one young mouse's search for the perfect pet—and a demonstration of one artist's fascination with creating realistic rodents and placing them in charming domestic scenes. Whimsy in search of an audience. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews