A little girl loves bugs in this beginning reader.

A 2020 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book Meet Flubby--the lovably lazy feline who prefers a purr-fectly laid-back lifestyle! Flubby is a large, sleepy cat who refuses to do the things that other pets do. He won't sing, catch, or even jump! But when a scary situation brings Flubby and his owner together, they realize they really do need each other--and that makes Flubby a good pet after all. The charming illustrations, simple text, and comic-like panels by J. E. Morris, author-illustrator of the Maud the Koala books, make this a unique format with a narrative style perfect for storytime and progressing readers.

Publisher Description

Filled with inspiring stories and photographs, this heartfelt tribute to the pit bull celebrates one of America’s most popular yet misunderstood dogs. Perhaps more than any other breed, the pit bull has been dogged by negative stereotypes. In truth, pit bulls are innately wonderful family pets, as capable of love and good deeds as any other type of dog. Setting the record straight, Ken Foster sings the praises of pit bulls in I’m a Good Dog, a gorgeously illustrated, tenderly written tribute to this most misunderstood of canines. Founder of the Sula Foundation, which promotes responsible pit bull ownership in New Orleans, and the author of two acclaimed books about abandoned dogs, Foster has made it his mission to bring overlooked canines into the limelight. I’m a Good Dog traces the fascinating history of this particularly maligned breed. A century ago, the pit bull was considered a family dog, featured in family photos and trusted as loving companions for children. More recently, pit bulls have been portrayed by the media as stereotypes of everything they are not. Foster shatters that reputation through moving profiles of pit bulls that serve as therapy dogs, athletic heroes, search-and-rescue dogs, and educators, not to mention as loving pets. Foster also profiles many pit bull lovers, from Helen Keller and Dr. Seuss to actor Todd Cerveris, who took his pit bull on tour with him for the musical Spring Awakening. Proving that there’s much to love and nothing to fear, I’m a Good Dog restores the pit bull to its rightful place as friend, family member, athlete and entertainer.

Entertaining and informative, Pets in America is a portrait of Americans' relationships with the cats, dogs, birds, fishes, rodents, and other animals we call our own. More than 60 percent of U.S. households have pets, and America grows more pet-friendly every day. But as Katherine C. Grier demonstrates, the ways we talk about and treat our pets--as companions, as children, and as objects of beauty, status, or pleasure--have their origins long ago. Grier begins with a natural history of animals as pets, then discusses the changing role of pets in family life, new standards of animal welfare, the problems presented by borderline cases such as livestock pets, and the marketing of both animals and pet products. She focuses particularly on the period between 1840 and 1940, when the emotional, behavioral, and commercial characteristics of contemporary pet keeping were established. The story is filled with the warmth and humor of anecdotes from period diaries, letters, catalogs, and newspapers. Filled with illustrations reflecting the whimsy, the devotion, and the commerce that have shaped centuries of American pet keeping, Pets in America ultimately shows how the history of pets has evolved alongside changing ideas about human nature, child development, and community life. This book accompanies a museum exhibit, "Pets in America," which opens at the McKissick Museum in Columbia, South Carolina, in December 2005 and will travel to five other cities from May 2006 through May 2008.

Whether a rescue or a show dog, a pedigree or a mutt, you can't help falling in love with Randal Ford's dog portraits, as each evokes the unparalleled bond we feel for our greatest companions. Randal Ford now focuses his portraiture lens on the one species that has been by our side for millennia: our best friend. Good Dog captures the warmth, humor, and unconditional love that is at the heart of every dog. From mutts beaming with charisma and charm to show dogs exuding grace and elegance, Ford's 150 dog portraits bring out the dog lover in all of us. With a compelling essay by W. Bruce Cameron, this warm, tender, playful, and heartfelt collection of dog portraits gives us a beautiful look into the lives of our most cherished companions. Proceeds from the sale of this book will benefit Emancipet. Since 1999, Emancipet has been on a mission to make veterinary care affordable and accessible for everyone. They have spayed or neutered more than 350,000 dogs and cats, and in 2019 cared for more than 170,000 pets.

Every Child Can be a Reading Star What kind of animal makes a good pet? A child considers typical, and not so typical animals for their new friend. A Good Pet is part of the Reading Stars series. Reading Star books are for kids at the very beginning of a lifetime love of reading. Each book features less than 50 words and uses repetition to build confidence. A Good Pet is 28 pages long and features 44 different words for your child to master. The words are: a, an, are, bunnies, bunny, calm, cat, cats, crazy, dog, dogs, friendly, get, giraffe, giraffes, good, I, is, mice, mouse, not, octopus, octopuses, panda, pandas, pet, pig, pigs, playful, should, sleepy, slippery, small, snake, snakes, soft, squirrel, squirrels, stinky, tall, too, want, what, will