The Pet Shop (Funnybones) - Hardcover

Allan Ahlberg, a former teacher, postman, plumber's mate and grave digger, is in the super-league of children's writers. He has published over 100 children's books and, with his late wife Janet, created such award winning picture books as EACH PEACH PEAR PLUM and THE JOLLY POSTMAN - both winners of the Kate Greenaway Medal. He has also written prize-winning poetry and fiction and lives in Bath.

Grade 1-3-- "In a dark dark town, on a cold cold night, under a starry starry sky . . . a little skeleton is sliding." Originally featured in Funnybones (Greenwillow, 1981), the big skeleton, little skeleton, and their skeleton dog return for a pair of midnight adventures. In The Black Cat , they go sledding. Both skeletons lose a leg ("A white leg in snow is hard to find") and must make a trip to the boneyard to replace the missing part. In The Pet Shop , the skeletons decide to trade in their yappy dog for a quieter pet, but all of their selections prove unsuitable. Not at all scary, these creatures are fully fleshed-out and slightly goofy-looking. Bright colors contrast sharply with a midnight black background, creating a cheerful mood. Cartoonlike layout, repetitive language, and situational humor make these a good choice for beginning readers. --Ruth Smith, Chicago Public Library
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.