My Pet Book

Buy This Book * More books by Bob Staake

Most pets are cats and dogs, but what do you do if you want a different kind of pet, one that doesn’t meow or bark? Bob Staake’s exuberant tale of a little boy and the pet of his dreams will appeal to anyone whose best friends are… books! Books make the perfect pets, the boy decides, and chooses a bright red one. When it goes missing, a lively adventure is in store for readers who love a happy ending. Soon kids everywhere will wish for a pet book of their very own.

Teaching Ideas and Resources:

English

• Write some instructions to teach others how to look after a pet book.
• Make a wishlist of books that you would like to read… or a list of your favourite books.
• Visit your local bookshop / library and find out the most popular types of books that people read.
• Make a list of similarities / differences between a pet dog / cat and a pet book.
• Make your own collection of rhyming words using the examples in the story.
• Write one of the stories that the boy imagines as he reads his pet book.
• Make a ‘Missing’ poster to inform people that the boy has lost his pet book.
• Write about a new adventure that the boy and his pet book have together.
• Retell the story from the boy’s point of view.

Maths

• Carry out a survey to find out the different types of pets that belong to your friends.
• Look at the illustrations. How many people / animals / books can you count on each page? Could you use the results from different pages for data handling activities?

Science

• What do dogs, cats and other pets need to stay alive?
• Make a table that shows things that are alive, were alive or have never been alive. You could use this resource to help.

Computing

• Design the cover of your own pet book.
• Record your own video review of the book. Look at this example for inspiration:

Design Technology

• Find out how books are made / published. Could you make your own?

Art

• Create some new illustrations for the boy’s pet book.

Geography

• Create a map of Smartytown and add labels to show the different parts of the story that take place in each location.

History

• Find out about the history of books. When were they first made? How has the production process changed?

PSHE

• At one point in the story, the boy loses his pet book. Have you ever lost something? How did this make you feel?