Gilbert Goldfish Wants a Pet
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
Gilbert has almost everything his fishy heart could desire: a castle, a chest filled with treasure, and food that falls from the sky. But there's one BIG thing missing from his life: a pet. And so begins Gilbert's harrowing search for the perfect fishbowl companion - a search filled with loud barking, quiet buzzing, and one giant whiskered surprise!
With snappy, rhythmic text and the most irresistible goldfish in picture book history, this tale of fish woe and triumph will make readers long for a pet as lovable as Gilbert.
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PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The well-worn premise of longing for the ideal pet gets a quirky tweak in DiPucchio's (Grace for President) story, which plays out humorously in Shea's (Dinosaur vs. the Potty) free-wheeling digital illustrations. Limited to his fishbowl, Gilbert can't do any searching, but he eagerly watches as potential pets approach. The arrival of a friendly, barking dog initially delights Gilbert (his owners appear to be dog-sitting), but he "never dreamed his pet would be so noisy." Next, a mouse appears and excitedly sniffs at the bowl, thinking Gilbert is a chunk of cheddar, then runs off when she realizes her error. Kids with a dark sense of humor will appreciate the second half of the book: another candidate an amiable fly has an unfortunate encounter with a fly swatter, and DiPucchio builds tension regarding the identity of the final "pet," which has a "long tail and wiry whiskers" and is slyly pictured in silhouette at first. Shea's bright, high-contrast artwork has a TV cartoon vibe and is in playful sync with the tale, which ends happily for all (except for the fly). Ages 3 5.
