Skip to main content

What Pet Should I Get?



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.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

If You Like...KPop Demon Hunters

KPop Demon Hunters has been one of the most talked-about movies of the summer. If you loved this movie as much as I did, you don't want the magic (or the music) to stop. Try reading these books that touch on some of the same topics and themes as the animated hit! Brick Dust and Bones By M. R. Fournet New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2023. Fiction. 247 pages. Orphaned Marius works in the family business--as their cemetery's ghost caretaker. However, Marius also moonlights as a monster hunter in order to earn the costly Mystic currency he needs to bring his mother back from the dead. As the window to bring his mother back begins to close, Marius's exploits get more and more dangerous, and he may have set his sights on a monster too big to handle on his own. Like Mira, Marius longs for familial connection, and his work as a monster hunter will satisfy the thrill of demon hunting for fans the movie. Where's Halmoni? By Julie J. Kim Seattle, WA: Little Bigfoot, 2017. Comics. W...

Five Faves: New Dragon Chapter Books for Middle Grade

As a kid I was OBSESSED (all caps!) with dragons.  Dragons can be scary, majestic, loyal, greedy, but what they all have in common is how fun they are to read about!  Check out the dragon books below for some fun new reads! Dad Rock Dragon Quest Written by Joan Reardon New York : Aladdin, 2025. Fiction. 342 pgs. Dad Rock Dragon Quest follows 12-year-old aspiring rockstar Zadie Drake, whose summer plans to bond with her super cool, if sometimes absent, daredevil park ranger dad get complicated when her mom’s boring new boyfriend tags along. After they arrive at her dad’s cabin, a poacher kidnaps her dad’s ice-breathing dragon, revealing her dad's secret role protecting magical creatures and thrusting the family into a high-stakes rescue mission. Along the way, Zadie begins to rethink her relationships with both her father and her mom’s boyfriend.  Dragonborn Written by Struan Murrya New York, NY : Dutton Children's Books, 2025. Fiction. 320 pgs. Dragonborn  follows 1...

Review: Just Shine!

Just Shine! Written by Sonia Sotomayor Illustrated by Jacqueline Alcantara New York, NY : Philomel, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2025. Picture Book. At the beginning of each new year, a lot of people like to set goals for themselves. Often, these tend to be number-oriented: a specified number of minutes reading, a certain number of steps walked each day, or even goals related to saving money. I have often felt very intimidated by number-oriented goals, and shy away from making them. In recent conversations with friends and family, we have talked about goals that are more skill-related or focused on bringing joy into the world and our personal lives. In line with that way of thinking, I am recommending this book to everyone! This book would be amazing for discussing goals with people who prefer to have goals that are different from traditional "number-oriented" ones. The cover and the artwork left me feeling happy and very invested in the story the author wanted to ...