NOT INSIDE THIS HOUSE

Young Livingstone Columbus Magellan Crouse is intent on exploring the great outdoors—and adopting a pet in the process.

When his mother refuses to let him keep some insects inside their home (“Livingstone Columbus Magellan Crouse, / I’ll have no bugs inside this house! / I’ll say it once. Won’t say it twice. / To speak again will not suffice!”), he moves on to bigger and progressively less appropriate choices of animal. Will his mother ever say yes? Jaunty, rhyming text along with colorful and appealing illustrations describe the boy's efforts as he attempts to bring home a succession of animals, including a mouse, a pig, a moose, an elephant and even a whale, all accompanied by humorously horrified reactions from his increasingly shell-shocked mother. Perhaps a bug won't be such a bad pet after all! While the rhymes are sometimes a bit predictable and bumpy, the text still saunters along, accompanying the charming digitally enhanced ink-and-paint illustrations.

A fine choice for any child who would like a pet, with a crafty lesson about the power of perseverance. (Picture book. 4-7)