Story Time with Sara: I Want a Dog and I Want a Cat by Darcy Pattison

           

I Want a Dog and I Want a Cat
written by Darcy Pattison
published by Mims House, 2014

find I Want a Dog here: (affiliate links) Barnes & Noble, Amazon

find I Want a Cat here: (affiliate links) Barnes & Noble, Amazon

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copies of these books in exchange for an honest review.

Did I enjoy this book: Both my son and I enjoyed these books. When we finished the first one and I asked him if he liked it, his response was, “AGAIN AGAIN AGAIN!!!” Both I Want a Dog and I Want a Cat are great books for a couple of reasons:

The first thing I enjoyed about them is that they interested my child. My three-year-old had a grand time looking at the pictures of different breeds of dogs and cats and talking about what characteristics the animals can have.

Second, I enjoyed the fact that they were teaching my small child critical thinking skills. The children in the story (Mellie & Dennis) knew that they wanted pets, so they analyzed the possible characteristics of each breed of animal to determine if it would be a fit for their lifestyle. You surely wouldn’t want a loud dog or cat when you have a new baby at home! This introduced the reader not only to critical decision making but also opposites. I just love children’s books that sneak in learning . . .

In each of the books the child writes an essay for school describing the animal that would be best for their situation using the criteria they had previously discussed. This was cool! Way to go, Ms Pattinson! You just made a school essay interesting to my 3-year-old . . . don’t know how you did it, but I’m impressed!

When I read through the stories ahead of time, I was honestly skeptical about whether or not my tyke would enjoy them, but I was pleasantly surprised. Despite my son’s enthusiastic love of these two stories, they were still not my favorites to read, hence the 4 stars instead of 5.

The illustrations were fun and fanciful while still representing the breed of dog or cat in question. I thought it was a particularly nice touch that the text of the books was written in the child’s handwriting as though they were writing in their own little journal. The pictures and text surely finished off the fun experience!

Would I recommend it: If your family is trying to decide what breed of cat or dog to bring home, these books are a great fit! While I said they aren’t my favorite, I can’t for the life of me pin down the reason, and my kid thought they were awesome, so . . . I guess I will say YES!

About I Want a Dog – from Amazon: Hurrah for Essays! All writing lessons should be this much fun. When cousins Dennis and Mellie decide to get a dog, they consider carefully what breed would be best for each family. For example, Dennis wants a big dog, but Mellie wants tiny. He has no other pets, but she has other pets that a dog must get along with. They consider different dog personalities, family situations, and personal preferences. Dennis writes an opinion essay for his teacher, Mrs. Shirky. But will his essay convince his parents to get the dog of his dreams?

This story takes a popular subject–kids getting a pet–and adds dogs of all sizes and shapes: all writing lessons should be this much fun. In the end, it’s cousins and the dogs that keep a reader turning the page. What kind of dog will Dennis choose? Will Mellie want the same kind of dog?
This story hits many notes:

• A family story about cousins, Dennis and Mellie
• Information on dog breeds
• Responsible dog ownership
• Mentor-text for teaching writing
• Model opinion essay for elementary students
• Models the writing process, especially the importance of pre-writing or planning before you write
• Completes the writing process by showing the results of Dennis’s essay

I WANT A DOG almost makes opinion essays look too easy.

About I Want a Cat – from Amazon: When cousins Mellie and Dennis decide to get a cat, they consider carefully what breed would be best for each family. For example, Mellie wants a cat that pounces, but Dennis wants a lazy cat, like his lazy dog, Clark Kent. Mellie wants a lap cat, but Dennis just wants a warm body BESIDE him. They consider different cat personalities, family situations, and personal preferences.

Mellie writes an opinion essay for her teacher, Mr. Eagle. But will her essay convince her parents to get the cat of her dreams?

This story takes a popular subject—kids getting a pet—and adds cats of all sizes and shapes: all writing lessons should be this much fun. In the end, it’s the cousins and the cats that keep a reader turning the page. What kind of cat will Mellie choose? Will Dennis want the same kind of cat?