KIRKUS REVIEW
A fresh, funny take on a popular topic—the perfect pet.
Gilbert is a happy, happy goldfish, except for one very important thing. He desperately wants a pet. Not surprisingly, when a dog arrives and befriends Gilbert, the little fish is over the moon. That is, until all that barking begins to irritate his nerves. Gilbert is happy when the yappy dog departs, but he still wants a pet. Next to come by is a mouse. Gilbert thinks she will make the perfect pet, but she disappears once she realizes that though he is orange, Gilbert is not, in fact, a piece of cheese. Gilbert next meets a fly, but that relationship quickly ends with the unceremonious “Thwack!” of a fly-swatter. Poor Gilbert. Will he ever find the perfect pet? Shea’s bright, cartoonlike illustrations place the emphasis on Gilbert’s emotional rollercoaster. His excitement and disappointment as he gets to know each possible pet are palpable, with swift digital semicircles charting his ups and downs.
Pair with Emma Dodd’s What Pet to Get (2008) or Fiona Robertson’s Wanted: The Perfect Pet (2010) for surefire pet-centric fun. (Picture book. 4-8)
