A Pet for Petunia (CA, JP, US, INT)Written and Illustrated by: Paul Schmid
Published by: HarperCollins
Published on: January 25, 2011
Ages: 3+
Kids love things just because. Not because they are practical, or fit in with their family, or there is space for them. Just because.
For her birthday, my daughter was convinced she was going to get a sheep. That's what she wanted, not a stuffed sheep, but a real live sheep. I'm afraid this was my fault, I've been reading her Ten Wishing Stars, Sheep in a Jeep and Marvin Wanted More! and other books featuring super-cute sheep. I'm afraid her vision of sheep was a little unrealistic. We brought her to a nearby farm and she saw the sheep. She ran from the sheep. She couldn't even touch the sheep. But in the car on the way home all she talked about was those sheep.
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| Escaping from scary sheep |
As her parents point out, however, skunks stink. Not even this deters little Petunia, and she sets out to find out for herself.
My kids love this book. Any book that includes the word Stink is going to jump the favourites queue anyway, but if you add in the adorableness of Petunia, the skunk, and the porcupine who makes a cameo appearance you have a winner.
I love the limited palette and the control with which Schmid draws expressions. It's never too much, always just right.
Of course, that porcupine now has her own book so we have to order Hugs from Pearl. Oh, how horrible would it be to love hugs but be a porcupine!
Paul Schmid joins our family favourite illustrators like Matthew Forsythe and Isabelle Arsenault in making adorable books we will buy no matter what the subject.
Your girl. What a sweetie. A funny animal to fall in love with!
ReplyDeleteI once heard an interview with M. Atwood in which she was talking about a children's book she wrote, and she argued that the letter P is the most hilarious letter in the alphabet and that characters whose names begin with P are extra inviting because of that. I happen to agree. Petunia. Ha.
I could totally see P being hilarious. We have a book in which she uses R for alliteration to hilarious results. Will have to get that review on the blog!
DeleteIf your kids are into books about stinky things, have you read "Walter the Farting Dog" by William Kotzwinkle? My stepbrother LOVED Walter. And, of course, Robert Munsch's "Good Families Don't."
ReplyDeleteAnother friend recommended Walter this week, how funny! I just ordered it. That's one of the only Robert Munsch books we don't have, I'll have to rectify that.
Delete"Good Families Don't" and "Mortimer" are my favourite Munsch books to read aloud - so much fun!
DeleteMortimer is great...but my fave is Up, Up, Down. My kids love it when I have to turn the book around!
Delete"Up Up Down"? That's a new one to me! Ooooh! I am going to have fun when I have a reason to buy (and read) kids books!!
DeleteSpeaking of uncommon Munsch books, have you read "Murmel Murmel Murmel"? I think it was an early one. I had it as a kid but I haven't seen it recently (it and "Subway Blackberry Jam")...
Wonderful that she wanted an actual sheep for her birthday!!! It's so true, that's just how kids are. We have a ridiculous amount of animals (including sheep) still my son is constantly begging for a pet of his own ( even though he has several ). That book looks wonderful, I hope my library has a copy.
ReplyDeleteMore more more, right? ;) What kind of animal does he want? Something exotic maybe?
DeleteAck! Scary sheep!! ... So cute!!
ReplyDeleteGotta look up this book.
They were the nicest sheep in the world though! But when you are 30lbs soaking wet giant sheep would be pretty scary.
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