by Dr. Seuss
Random House, 2015. Picture Book.
No, that publication date is not a typo – What Pet Should I Get? is a brand-new
book by Dr. Seuss! Discovered among his hundreds of notes and sketches, this
story is carefully restored to match the quality found in the rest of Dr. Seuss's beloved work.
The story features a boy and a girl whose father tells them
that they may have a pet. The pair visit a pet store and quickly become
overwhelmed by the possibilities of pet ownership. In typical Seuss fashion,
those possibilities spiral from simple puppies and kittens to wild and wacky
fantasy creatures. The book exclaims, “MAKE UP YOUR MIND,” a message that can
surely be useful to both parent and child readers. Ultimately, the boy and girl
leave with a pet, but just which kind of animal they chose is left up to the
reader.
What Pet Should I Get?
fits the mold of classic Dr. Seuss picture books, though it is slight
enough that a beginning reader may be able to read it aloud. As a story that
was left unfinished, this book doesn’t quite reach the heights of Seuss’s
greatest – but what could? Any new work from one of literature’s foremost
geniuses is a true gift. Make up your own mind and borrow this book.
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