Reviews

The Perfect Pet


Midwest Book Review - October 2013

"The Perfect Pet" is a great story about a child deciding upon a pet selection by asking "Which animal will be the best pet?" The answer comes through a journey to Kingdom Animalia, from vertebrates to invertebrates, learning animal classification and habitat needs of different animals. A humorous, versed narrative and realistic paintings of many animals decorate the pages of "The Perfect Pet." the light approach appeals to children of all ages, and "The Perfect Pet" covers Common Core, Next Generation Science Standards, and social studies education for grades K-3. Fortunately a realistic Mom tells the future pet owner that specific responsibility, daily care and supervision tasks are expected of all good pet owners. This leads the child to consider investigating adopting a member from the Kingdom Plantae. Further educational activities about animal classifications are suggested in the final pages of "The Perfect Pet," along with a Kingdom Animalia classification outline, and color coded sidebars of the five major classes of vertebrates. Comparing and contrasting the animals teaches scientific observation and literacy skills. "The Perfect Pet" (also available in Spanish, in paperback, and in eBook format) is an excellent educational and recreational experience for young readers and pet owners.

Spanglish Baby - September 2013

Many of us remember the time we asked for a pet when we were little. In La mascota perfecta (A Perfect Pet in English), author Samantha Bell takes us through some unexpected options as a little boy is trying to find the ‘perfect pet.’ The author cleverly weaves high academic vocabulary with a catchy story line. And by using plenty of colorful and well-drawn illustrations, she makes sure children are engaged while learning the different animal kingdoms such as: reptiles, invertebrates, mammals and carnivores, among others.

I personally put this book to the test in my own classroom and read it the first week of school to my fourth grade students. As the story line progressed, the more intrigued my students were. The best part? Everyone thought they knew how the book was going to end, but it was a big surprise to us all. My students loved it!

Heck of a Bunch-September 2013

With words in poetic verse, The Perfect Pet tells of a child exploring a store for the perfect pet. The ending has a delightful surprise. There are a few words, mostly animal classifications, in the book a child may not be able to pronounce but it does a good job of showing how animals group into classes by different characteristics. The 'For Creative Minds' section in the back of the book further educates with explanations on Animal Classifications, teaches the five major classes of vertebrates, and gives children the chance to compare and contrast animals.

Feathered Quill Book Review - October 2013

This is a humorous story in rhyme that will delight any youngster who’s in search of that perfect pet. The verse definitely has charm and the flow of the story is perfect as animal classification is covered as a child's imagination thinks about the “perfect pet.” Naturally, a child’s notion of the perfect pet can greatly differ from one looked at from an adult perspective. The full-color, full-page illustrations are vibrant and lend a lot to the pet-appeal of the story. Newly independent readers can tackle this beginning nonfiction book with a bit of assistance with unusual terms such as Canis lupus familiaris. In the back of the book are several activities, including some that can be downloaded and printed from the publisher’s website. This would be an excellent book to read and discuss in the homeschool or classroom setting.

Home School Book Review - November 2013

This humorous story in rhyme is nicely illustrated by author Samantha Bell with colorful drawings of many different animals and accomplishes a couple of beneficial goals. First, it introduces children to the general idea of animal classification with kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species (when I was in seventh grade, our mnemonic device for remembering this was “Killer Pat Can Out Fight Giant Sam”), and to the main classes of vertebrates. Second, it emphasizes that with any pet come regular responsibilities that must be fulfilled. The four pages of “For Creative Minds” learning activities in the back of the book and the additional free activities online at the publisher’s website make this a great complement to both science and social studies lessons in either the classroom or homeschool.

So Cal City Kids - November 2013

This is a fun and entertaining story for children ages 5-8. My son and I enjoyed finding out what the child in the story would do! As usual, with the Arbordale Publishing Books there is a great section For Creative Minds and this one includes Animal Classification and Compare and Contrast the Animals activities.

Books for Kids - December 2013

My kids are working toward getting their first pet, so this book is perfect for them. Personal stuff aside, the book is pretty good. A child wants to get a pet and their mother finally said yes. So they start the process of finding the perfect pet. It's a lot harder that it seems!

The book goes through many different classes of animals and talks about the different species in them. It also talks about the responsibilities that come with owning a pet.

It is written in rhyme, which I tend to love or hate depending on how well it's done. This book is generally well done, with only a few lines that cause some stumbling. The illustrations are also generally pretty good.

ACS Reader's Haven Reviews-December 2014

Engagingly written, the book will delight the child and hold his or her interest for repeated readings. The child will learn well from the actual story and illustrations. However, the back of the book has several pages of information that explain animal classification, explain the five major classes of vertebrates, and Compare and Contrast the Animals so the educational aspect of the book is more complete. This is a book I can recommend for the home library, schools, and public libraries.

Happy Little Homemaker - January 2014

This book contains a light introduction to taxonomy (kingdom, phylum, class, etc.).  This was really a delightfully written story by Samantha Bell and a hit for her SD debut.

Tif Talks Books - March 2014

Bell explores the process of finding the perfect pet, starting with the Animalia kingdom and working downward through the phyla.  It's a fun read-aloud and a great way to kick off the discussion of categorization and in particular, taxonomy.  And, the end may even bring the reader a little surprise!

Learning Table Reviews - June 2014

The Perfect Pet by Samantha Bell is a fun book about animal classification. As a homeschool mom, Samantha Bell wanted to find a way to make learning animal classification easy and memorable. The Perfect Pet follows a child's search for a pet that his or her mother will approve of. Having to search through the different classes of animals and considering habitat needs, will the child ever find the perfect one?