Who Wants Broccoli? - Hardcover

Jones, Val

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0062303511 ISBN 13: 9780062303516

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2015

Synopsis

Broccoli is a lovable but rambunctious dog who wants to find a home in this fetchingly fun picture book! Broccoli lives at Beezley’s Animal Shelter and loves to show off his bowl-tossing and tail-chasing skills—and especially his great big BARK!  He dreams of playing in a yard with a boy. But when a boy named Oscar comes looking for his perfect pet, Broccoli is hidden away. Will Broccoli find his perfect home?

About this title

About the Author:

Val Jones was inspired to write Broccoli's story by her adopted Labradoodle, Fergus, whose foibles were a sure deterrent from being picked as a perfect pet by some, but not by her.

Val studied art at Hussian School of Art in Philadelphia, and after freelancing as an illustrator, followed by a career in the corporate world, Val was finally free to pursue her dream of writing and illustrating picture books. Val lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, Bob, their dog, Fergus, and Pity the kitty.

Val Jones was inspired to write Broccoli's story by her adopted Labradoodle, Fergus, whose foibles were a sure deterrent from being picked as a perfect pet by some, but not by her.

Val studied art at Hussian School of Art in Philadelphia, and after freelancing as an illustrator, followed by a career in the corporate world, Val was finally free to pursue her dream of writing and illustrating picture books. Val lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, Bob, their dog, Fergus, and Pity the kitty.

From School Library Journal:

PreS-Gr 2—Broccoli is a big, boisterous dog at Beezley's Animal Shelter. Despite his best efforts to show off by catching his bowl on his head, chasing his tail around, and barking loudly, he has never been picked as a "perfect pet." When he sees that a boy playing with a ball has moved in across the street, Broccoli's excited, gregarious antics lead Mr. Beezley to move his cage into the storeroom. This means that Oscar doesn't see Broccoli when he visits the shelter, and he is not interested in the small, well-behaved animals that Mrs. Beezley offers. Luckily, Oscar leaves his ball behind and when he returns, Broccoli uses his loud bark to save the day and Oscar finds his "perfect pet." The watercolor and pencil illustrations are bright and lighthearted. Some pages are fully covered and others employ a generous amount of white space, but there are opportunities to find humorous details in many scenes. Broccoli's over-the-top behaviors are likely to elicit giggles, and Mrs. Beezley's message that "there's a lid for every pot and a pot for every lid" could promote discussions around pet ownership, acceptance, family, and friendship. VERDICT A cute and quick pet story recommended for additional purchase.—Whitney LeBlanc, Staten Island Academy, NY

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 0062303511
• ISBN 13: 9780062303516
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 40
• Illustrator: Jones Val