BOOK MARKED
A Pet’s Life
12 (Tails) of Pet Adventures, Human
Companions and World Domination!
BY JENNIFER ROTHSCHILD, COLLECTION ENGAGEMENT LIBRARIAN,
ARLINGTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
Pets can be a valuable part of a family, or a cause of
tension between a child who wants one and parents who
don’t. Of course, in the world of books we get both types of
stories, as well as those about the interior lives of our pets,
about kids who can talk to their pets, and that offer guides
about choosing and caring for your real-life animal friends.

PICTURE BOOKS
“I’m Not Missing”
by Kashelle Gourley, illustrated by
Skylar Hogan
A dog on a missing poster explains that he ran away
voluntarily to explore his inner lone wolf—the
pressures of pet life were too much. He had to
perform silly tricks for treats, someone was always
watching when he went to the bathroom and trying
to be a good boy all the time is exhausting. But when
he sees his human with a different dog, he gets jeal-
ous and starts to rethink his lone wolf status. A fun
look at the pressures of being a pampered pet and
sly lesson in being careful what you wish for.

“The Pet Potato”
by Josh Lacey, illustrated by
Momoko Abe
Albert wants a pet, but his parents aren’t so sure.

In an ultimate “dad joke,” his dad gifts him a pet
potato. Albert’s used to ignoring such things, but
when he thinks the wrinkles in the potato’s skin
look like a sad and lonely face, he decides to
embrace his new pet potato with gusto. Together,
they go on walks, play in the park and even take a
bath. When Mom throws away the rotting tuber,
Albert discovers he can grow a whole new family
of pets to share the fun.

“Mister Kitty is LOST”
by Greg Pizzoli
Mister Kitty is lost and hiding somewhere in the
pages of the book. A young girl and her dog need the
reader to help them look, but each time they think
they’ve found the missing cat, a page turn reveals
28 Washington FAMILY MAY 2023
something else! Clever die cuts, bright colors,
unexpected animals and counting make this a fun
preschool hit.

EARLY READERS
“A Backyard Pet”
by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by
Stephen Gilpin
When searching for someone to play with, Sugar the
chick sees that all her siblings are taking care of their
pets in the backyard. Even though some of their pets
seem silly (Sugar’s not sure flowers can actually be
pets), she still wants one of her own, and sets off on
a search to find her own backyard pet.

“Cats and Kittens”
by Caryn Jenner
A great introduction to cats and kittens for beginning
readers. In addition to seeing photographs of adorable
felines, kids will learn all sorts of fascinating facts and
information about cats, different breeds and how to
care for them.

“April & Mae and the Animal Shelter”
by Megan Dowd Lambert, illustrated by
Briana Dengoue
April and Mae are best friends. Even though April
loves dogs and Mae loves cats, their pets are best
friends, too! When the new animal shelter needs
help, the girls each find a way to use their unique
talents. April writes a letter to the local newspaper
to urge people to adopt pets and Mae opens a
lemonade stand to raise money. A fun installment
in this early reader series that shows ways younger
kids can help make a difference.




BOOK MARKED
MIDDLE GRADE
TEEN “Hedge over Heels”
by Elise Ciotti-McMullen
Reyna’s mom is in the military, so she’s used to
moving frequently and always being the new girl
in school. When she starts at yet another school,
she doesn’t want to make new people friends,
knowing she’ll just leave soon, but she does want
a dog. What she gets is a hedgehog that’s just as
prickly as Reyna is. When her mom insists she
enter Spike into a pet talent show, Reyna might
learn to let some new people into her life.

“Cat Girl’s Day Off ”
by Kimberly Pauley
Everyone else in Nat’s family has amazing
supernatural talents—her sister has X-ray
vision and levitation! Nat can talk to cats.

But when a fi lm crew is in town to fi lm a
remake of “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off ,” the
cats tell Nat that a shapeshifter has kidnapped
the female lead and a celebrity blogger.

Along with her best human friends and
plenty of snarky cats, Nat has to take her
own day off from school to save the day.

“Pets and their People: The Ultimate
Guide to Pets—Whether You’ve Got
One or Not!”
by Jess French
Why do cats hiss? What do pet snakes eat?
Whether you’re interested in a pet dog, horse,
lizard, bird or something else, this book will
teach you all about their behavior, history and
how to take care of them. There are even ideas
for how to care for animals when you don’t have
a pet of your own.

“Fetching” by Kiera Stewart
Olivia and her friends are relentlessly bullied
and humiliated by the popular girls in their
middle school. Fed up with it, Olivia decides to
fi ght back using dog training techniques she’s
learned from her canine behavior expert
grandmother. Her plan works extremely well,
until everyone fi nds out about it in this pun-
fi lled look at middle school popularity. 1
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