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Buy This Book * More books by Dr. Seuss
A brother and sister visit a pet shop to pick a pet, but can’t decide which one to go for. Sometimes making a choice can seem impossible to a child, and What Pet…? explores how it is hard to make up your mind, but sometimes you just have to do it! The cliffhanger ending will also fire children’s imaginations and provoke discussion about their own choices.
Teaching Ideas and Resources:
English
- Create a biography about Dr. Seuss.
- Read the information about Dr. Seuss and his pets at the back of the book. Think of some questions that you would like to ask him if he was still alive today.
- Make a list of all of the rhyming words used in this story. Can you create your own rhyming dictionary and use it to make other rhyming stories?
- Make a set of instructions to teach others how to look after a pet.
- Make a persuasive poster to encourage people to support animal charities and rescue shelters.
- Retell the story from Kay’s point of view.
- Write a letter to your teacher to ask for a class pet.
- Write a sequel to this story that describes what happens to the children when they take their pet home for the first time.
- Make a list of similarities and differences between different kinds of pets.
- Make a list of for and against arguments for owning a pet.
- Write a story about a pair of children who own an unusual pet.
- Make lists of words and phrases that can be used to describe different pets.
Maths
- How many animals did the children see in total? How many eyes did they have altogether? How many legs? How many tails?
- Create a survey to find out the favourite pet of your friends / family.
Science
- Choose an animal that people often keep as a pet. Can you create a report about it?
- Write a report about one of the unusual animals shown in the illustrations.
Computing
- Make a video to advertise a pet rescue centre.
- Make a branching database to help people identify different pets.
- Record your own retelling of the story and add music and sound effects.
Design Technology
- Design a shelter (or a toy) for the children’s new pet.
Art
- Look at images of different pets and use them as the starting point for your own artwork.
Languages
- Can you find out the words for popular pets in different languages?
PSHE
- Owning a pet is a big ‘responsibility’. What does this mean?
- Think of a time when you had a big decision to make. What happened? How did you make the choice?