No. That’s all you ever hear. Mom says no, but you hope that’s not the end of it. All you want is a pet. A dog or cat you could call your very own. Something warm to snuggle every night.
No. That’s all you ever hear. Mom says no, but you hope that’s not the end of it.
All you want is a pet. A dog or cat you could call your very own. Something warm to snuggle every night. Someone who would be glad to see you when you came home from school. You’d even settle for a guinea pig or a hamster, or…
But Mom said no. So you try even harder.
You promised to clean up after it. You said you’d take care of it. But nothing works and you’re almost ready to take matters into your own hands.
Before you do, read “C’mere, Boy!” by Sharon Jennings, illustrated by Ashley Spires, and see what happens when a different kind of boy wants a different kind of pet and it almost ends in disaster.
More than anything in the world, Dog wanted a boy. His boy could sleep on his bed. He would walk his boy and play with him. Dog told his mama that he would clean up after his boy and that she’d never have to worry about him.
Mama said maybe. “But remember, a boy is hard to train.”
But Dog wasn’t about to give up. On Monday, when he wrote “BOY FOOD” on the grocery list, Mama pointed out that he didn’t have a boy yet. That’s when Dog promised to feed his boy himself.
On Tuesday, when Dog came home with a leash, Mama reminded him that he didn’t have a boy yet. That’s when Dog promised again to walk his boy every day.
On Wednesday, when Dog went to sign up for obedience lessons, someone asked why he was there. “You don’t have a boy,” the teacher said.
On Thursday, the lady at The Posh Pooch Spa sent Dog away. Sadly, Dog realized that he couldn’t do anything fun until he got a boy. It was time to try something different.
So on Friday morning, Dog told his mama that he was going shopping. He was absolutely not coming home until he had a dog.
But a sign at the mall said “NO DOGS ALLOWED.” Dog was kicked out of the park because he didn’t have a leash. All the boys he saw were somehow wrong for him.
Sadly, Dog headed home, boy-less. Would he ever have a boy of his own?
It’s been said that kids and dogs belong together. “C’mere, Boy!” just reinforces that.
Author Sharon Jennings gives the old “I want a puppy” argument a new twist in this book, and kids will love the parallel. I loved the story’s boy-and-dog meeting. Who knew that a boy could be so obedient?
Add in sparely-colored illustrations by Ashley Spires and you’ve got a book that young dog-lovers (and future dog owners) will want to hear again and again.
If your 3-to-7-year-old is actively lobbying for a pet – or even if there’s already one in the house – you’ll want to fetch this book. “C’mere, Boy!” is one they’ll want to get their paws on.
• The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer. Terri has been reading since she was 3 years old and she never goes anywhere without a book.
