Care for a puppy

Gr 3-6-These are pet-care books with a difference. They stress that the care-or at least the proof of it-starts before the animal arrives and that proof of maturity and responsibility may take some time to establish. The books open with reasons for acquiring the featured animal and handy answers to common parental objections. They are also upfront about the drawbacks involved. Some are obvious. For instance, fun, cuddly puppies eventually grow into dogs-sometimes large ones. Some downsides might never have crossed prospective owners' minds, such as the fact that a parrot could conceivably outlive them. The authors do a fine job of spelling out how much care is required to not only meet the animals' health needs, but their happiness needs as well. Color photographs reinforce the desirability of these animals as pets, even if the care required can seem daunting. These titles are solid resources for children who know that they, and not their parents, will be in charge of pet care.-Kara Schaff Dean, Walpole Public Library, MA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.