Wild Times at the Bed and Biscuit - Softcover

Carris, Joan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0763652946 ISBN 13: 9780763652944

Publisher: Candlewick, 2011

Synopsis

The Bed and Biscuit is going wild! Kids will laugh at — and learn from — this new adventure, as Grampa takes in some ailing critters who are anything but tame. (Ages 6-10)

Ever since Grampa Bender opened his doors (and veterinary skills) to a despondent Canada goose, a cranky muskrat, and two tiny but rebellious fox kits, his animal boarding house has been turned upside down. Luckily, Ernest the mini-pig is on hand to marshal the other animals into being good hosts — but since wild things are, well, wild by nature, it has been trickier than he imagined. Plus Ernest is trying to train Sir Walter, the Scottish terrier puppy who is the newest addition to the family. But what if Sir Walter doesn’t want to be told what to do and decides that running wild like a fox sounds like lots of fun?

About this title

About the Author:

Joan Carris has published more than a dozen books for children. She also teaches graduate-level writing at Duke University. She lives in Beaufort, North Carolina.

Noah Z. Jones is the illustrator of NOT NORMAN by Kelly Bennett and THE MONSTER IN THE BACKPACK by Lisa Moser. He lives in Camden, Maine.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 1–4—Part James Herriot, and part Dick King-Smith, this endearing sequel to Welcome to the Bed & Biscuit (Candlewick, 2006) explores the intricate connection between wild and domesticated animals with a trim plot attached. The wildlife shelter is having some new pens built, so veterinarian Grandpa Bender is enlisted to take in a Canada goose with an arrow through its neck, a muskrat with an infected foot, and a pair of orphaned fox kits. The narrator and main character is a mini-pig named Ernest, who tries to watch the other animals that reside with the vet: a Vietnamese hill mynah, a Maine coon cat, and a Scottie pup. The animals all communicate with each other, and the bird actually speaks to humans as well. The charming black-and-white illustrations are reminiscent of Garth Williams's work. This story's messages speak to children's interest in wild animals. The dominant theme involves a kindly veterinarian successfully rehabilitating animals and releasing them to the wild. A secondary theme speaks to the responsibility of hunters to bag their prey, not leaving wounded animals to die slowly. And a subtle plotline addresses the relationship of dogs to their wild cousins, the foxes. The story unfolds without preaching, but aptly hits on these issues. It would make a great read-aloud for the primary grades and is sure to be a hit with competent easy-chapter-book readers.—Debbie Whitbeck, West Ottawa Public Schools, Holland, MI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About this edition

• Publisher: Candlewick
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0763652946
• ISBN 13: 9780763652944
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 128
• Illustrator: Jones Noah Z.