A Beginner’s Guide to Choosing the Perfect Pet is advice in the form of a light-hearted picture book, narrated by an unnamed young girl who clearly loves animals.
Animals of all kinds are presented in vibrant colour and active poses, with information about their potential suitability to different personalities, or not.
Tigers, for example, are cuddly and love playing hide-and-seek. While rhinos are very handy, with their horn making a great hanger for hats and bags.
Regular pets like puppies, kittens, budgies, rabbits and guinea pigs have their disadvantages, especially if you’re hankering after something more exotic like a crocodile.
In the narrator’s case, the best place to find the perfect pet is the animal shelter, which is filled with unusual creatures. It’s where she found her polar bear after all, even if he does seem rather mischieveous!
Ali Rutstein’s story and Tommy Doyle’s illustrations are packed with humour that's both laugh out loud and tongue-in-cheek. The characters are expressive, and there’s subtext which could provide interesting conversation for children and adults alike.
Title: A Beginner’s Guide to Choosing the Perfect Pet
Author: Ali Rutstein
Illustrator: Tommy Doyle
Publisher: Allen & Unwin, $19.99
Publication Date: October 2024
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781761180903
For ages: 3+
Type: Picture Book
