Kid Konnection: What Pet Should I Get?

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week, I'm going to share with you a brand new picture book by none other than Dr. Seuss.

Summary: This never-ever-before-seen picture book by Dr. Seuss about making up one’s mind is the literary equivalent of buried treasure! What happens when a brother and sister visit a pet store to pick a pet? Naturally, they can’t choose just one! The tale captures a classic childhood moment—choosing a pet—and uses it to illuminate a life lesson: that it is hard to make up your mind, but sometimes you just have to do it!

Told in Dr. Seuss’s signature rhyming style, this is a must-have for Seuss fans and book collectors, and a perfect choice for the holidays, birthdays, and happy occasions of all kinds.

An Editor’s Note at the end discusses Dr. Seuss’s pets, his creative process, and the discovery of the manuscript and illustrations for What Pet Should I Get? -- Random House

There has been so much press about the publication of GO SET A WATCHMAN by Harper Lee, but there's another new book by a very famous author that's also been recently found. It's called WHAT PET SHOULD I GET? by Dr. Seuss, and it was discovered in 2013 in a box in Dr. Seuss' office. This is the first Dr. Seuss book published since OH, THE PLACES YOU'LL GO in 1990. How exciting is that?

There are some familiar characters in WHAT PET SHOULD I GET? -- the kids from ONE FISH TWO FISH RED FISH BLUE FISH; and in this book, they are given the opportunity to select a pet. They head to the pet store and discovers lots of potential pets; and naturally, they disagree on which pet to get. (Now I sound like a little like Dr. Seuss!)

It's a difficult decision for the kids to agree on just one pet, but they realize they have to make up their minds. It's definitely not an easy decision, but together they pick out the perfect pet! I had to wonder if maybe these two picked out the fish that starred in ONE FISH TWO FISH RED FISH BLUE FISH.

WHAT PET SHOULD I GET? is another great addition to the Dr. Seuss library. Of course, it's a fun book with a cute story; however, it also has an important message about making difficult choices. Kids and parents alike will also adore the colorful illustrations and the catchy rhyming cadence that are trademark Dr. Seuss.

I especially appreciated the last few pages of the book. There are notes from the publisher about WHAT PET SHOULD I GET? There is an explanation about the discovery of the manuscript in addition to some fun facts about Dr. Seuss' life, writing, and his art. There are also some words of advice about adopting a pet since the kids went to a pet store in this book instead of a shelter or rescue organization.

Needless to say I was very excited to receive a copy of WHAT PET SHOULD I GET?, and things got even better a few days later when I opened the audiobook version of the book. The audiobook includes both WHAT PET SHOULD I GET? read by Rainn Wilson and ONE FISH TWO FISH RED FISH BLUE FISH read by David Hyde Pierce. I enjoyed listening to both of these books and found both narrators to be entertaining. The audiobook is another great way to share Dr. Seuss with your little ones.

Dr. Seuss fans, and I know there are tons of you out there, might enjoy this website which is dedicated to all things Dr. Seuss. Seussville.com has more information on WHAT PET SHOULD I GET? along with all of Dr. Seuss' books. There are also games, activities, videos and more... including resources for educators!

How can I not recommend both the print and audio versions of WHAT PET SHOULD I GET? It's classic Dr. Seuss and it doesn't get much better than that!

Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of this book.

If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!