Books for Independent Reading
VERY EASY
- One Little Kitten
- by Tana Hoban
Greenwillow 1979 (24p)
Mulberry paper 1992
A kitten explores its home.
- My Dog
- by Heidi Goennel
Orchard 1989 (32p)
A little girl names the kinds of dogs
she likes.
- Wag Wag Wag
- by Peter Hansard
Candlewick 1994 (32p)
Dogs and puppies romp together in a
park.
- Emma's Pet
- by David McPhail
Dutton 1985 (24p)
A young bear searches for a cuddly pet.
- Where Is Jake?
- by Mary Packard
Childrens 1990 (28p) paper
Two children search the house to find
their dog. Available in Spanish as
¿Dónde está Jake.
EASY
- Kittens Are Like That!
- by Jan Pfloog
(Science/Health)
Random 1976 (32p) paper
Characteristics of kittens are described.
Available in Spanish as¡Así son
los gatitos.
- Just Me and My Puppy
- by Mercer Mayer
Golden 1985 (24p); also paper
Little Critter learns to care for his new
puppy.
- Claude Has a Picnic
- by Dick Gackenbach
Clarion 1993 (32p)
Claude solves his neighbors' problems
and brings them together for a picnic.
- Go Away, Dog
- by Joan L. Nodset
Harper 1993 (32p)
Charmed by a persuasive pup, a boy
who dislikes dogs has a change of
heart.
- Pet Show
- by Ezra Jack Keats
(Multicultural)
Macmillan 1972 (32p); also paper
Archie's cat disappears before the pet
show, but quick thinking wins him a
ribbon.
- Whistle for Willie
- by Ezra Jack Keats
(Multicultural)
Viking 1964 (32p); Puffin paper
Willie wants to learn to whistle so he
can call his dog. Available in
Spanish asSílbale a Willie.
- See How They Grow: Puppy
- by Jane Burton
(Science/Health)
Lodestar 1991 (18p)
A litter of puppies grows up.
AVERAGE
- Lucy Comes to Stay
- by Rosemary Wells
Dial 1994 (32p)
A young girl learns that puppies
require lots of care and understanding.
- Poonam's Pets
- by Andrew and Diana Davies
(Multicultural)
Viking 1990 (26p)
A young girl brings her six lions to
the school pet assembly.
- I Love My Buzzard
- by Tres Seymour
Orchard 1994 (32p)
A boy loves his strange pets, but his
mother does not like them at all.
- Arthur's New Puppy
- by Marc Brown
Little 1993 (32p)
Arthur learns all about training his
mischievous puppy Pal.
- How I Captured a Dinosaur
- by Henry Schwartz
Orchard 1989 (32p); also paper
A family vacation results in an unusual
pet for eight-year-old Liz.
- Martha Speaks
- by Susan Meddaugh
Houghton 1992 (32p)
Martha the dog learns to speak after
eating alphabet soup.
- Whistling Dixie
- by Marcia Vaughn
Harper 1995 (32p)
Dixie comes whistling home with a
succession of preposterous pets.
- Furry
- by Holly Keller
Greenwillow 1992 (32p)
Laura is allergic to fur and feathers,
but her brother brings her the perfect
pet.
- Let's Get a Pet
- by Harriet Ziefert
(Science/Health)
Viking 1993 (32p)
A how-to book provides basic
information on choosing a pet.
- Harry the Dirty Dog
- by Gene Zion
Harper 1956 (32p); also paper
The classic and well-loved tale about a
dog, some dirt, and a bath.
- High-Wire Henry
- by Mary Calhoun
Morrow 1991 (32p)
After learning to walk a tight-rope,
Henry the cat rescues a puppy in
trouble.
- Tom's Fish
- by Nancy Coffelt
Harcourt 1994 (32p)
A pet fish who swims upside down
teaches Tom to appreciate differences in
others.
- Henry and Mudge Take the Big Test
- by Cynthia Rylant
Bradbury 1991 (40p)
Henry takes his exhuberant dog Mudge
to obedience class.
- Not So Rotten Ralph
- by Jack Gantos
Houghton 1994 (32p)
Sarah sends her cat Ralph to school to
improve his bad manners.
- A Bicycle for Rosaura
- by Daniel Barbot
(Multicultural)
Kane/Miller 1991 (32p)
Senõra Amelia has a special bicycle
built for her hen Rosaura's birthday.
Available in Spanish asRosaura
en bicicleta.
- A Plant Called Spot
- by Nancy J. Peteraf
Doubleday 1994 (32p)
Teddy learns how to care for animal
pets by first caring for a pet plant.
- My Hen Is Dancing
- by Karen Wallace
(Science/Health)
Candlewick 1994 (32p)
A boy tells all about his pet hen.
CHALLENGING
- The Outside Dog
- by Charlotte Pomerantz
(Multicultural)
Harper 1993 (64p)
Marisol and Abuelito, her grandfather,
adopt a stray mutt.
- Taking My Dog to the Vet
- by Susan Kuklin
(Science/Health)
Bradley 1988 (32p)
A girl takes her dog to the vet and
participates in the examination.
- Island Baby
- by Holly Keller
(Multicultural)
Greenwillow 1992 (32p)
Simon helps his grandfather care for
injured birds at his bird hospital.
- The Mysterious Tadpole
- by Steven Kellogg
Dial 1977 (32p); also paper
Louis's tadpole Alphonse unexpectedly
turns into a rare Loch Ness monster.
- Ginger Jumps
- by Lisa Campbell Ernst
Bradbury 1990 (32p)
Ginger the circus dog longs for
someone to love her.
- Esmeralda and the Pet Parade
- by Cecile Schoberle
(Multicultural)
Simon 1990 (32p)
Juan's rambunctious pet goat Esmeralda
turns the annual Santa Fe Pet Parade
topsy-turvy.
Books for Teachers to Read Aloud
- “Leave That Cricket Be Alan Lee”
- by Barbara Ann Porte
(Multicultural)
Greenwillow 1993 (32p)
Alan Lee tries to catch the cricket
singing in his house for a pet.
- The Mousehole Cat
- by Antonia Barber
Macmillan 1990 (32p)
A fisherman and his cat sail out in a
storm to save their village from
starvation. Available in Spanish as
La gata gatona.
- The Three-Legged Cat
- by Margaret Mahy
Viking 1993 (26p)
A funny mix-up results in a happy cat-owner and a happy hat-owner.
- Posy Bates, Again!
- by Helen Cressell
Macmillan 1994 (112p)
A girl tries hard to persuade her mother
to let her keep a stray dog.
Books for Shared Reading
- Millions of Cats
- by Wanda Gag
Putnam 1977 (32p) paper
The classic tale of a man and a woman
who find the prettiest kitten among
millions of cats.
- The Little Old Woman and the Hungry Cat
- by Nancy Polette
Mulberry 1994 (24p) paper
A clever old woman tricks a hungry cat
in this cumulative story.
- I Had a Cat
- by Mona Rabun Reeves
Bradbury 1989 (32p)
One girl and dozens of animals frolic
through her house.
- Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy
- by Lynley Dodd
Stevens 1988 (38p) paper
Hairy Maclary and his canine
companions explore their
neighborhood.