The House of a Million Pets - Softcover

Hodgman, Ann

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1250068150 ISBN 13: 9781250068156

Publisher: Square Fish, 2015

Synopsis

A hilarious memoir in short stories from an author who has had almost every kind of pet imaginable

Ann Hodgman's basement is home to three guinea pigs, a cage full of birds, a big gray rabbit, a prairie dog, a bulbul (look it up), two little rabbits, a hamster, and twenty-six pygmy mice. And that's just the basement. Would your parents ever let you have that many pets at once?

If Ann Hodgman were your parents, she'd let you.

The House of a Million Pets, with illustrations by award-winning illustrator Eugene Yelchin, is the true story of what it's like to live in her barnyard―er, house―with more animals than you'll be able to keep track of.

Any kid (or adult) who has ever owned or wanted a pet will love these furry, feathered, slimy, and scaly stories.

The House of a Million Pets is a 2008 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

“Hodgman may not have had a dragon like Hagrid, but her tales are equally engaging, truthful and funny to readers of all ages. She's a James Herriot for the 21st century.” ―Kirkus Reviews

“Through careful observation [Hodgman's] able to create a distinct personality for most of her pets, and Eugene Yelchin's black-and-white illustrations add a note of whimsy.... By the end of the book, you realize Hodgman is one Crazy Pet Lady. 'Good' crazy, though.” ―The New York Times

About this title

About the Author

ANN HODGMAN is the author of many books for children, but The House of a Million Pets is the first one she has written about her own life and her own pets. She lives in Washington, Connecticut.

EUGENE YELCHIN is a Newbery Honor-winning author (Breaking Stalin's Nose) and illustrator who studied art and theater design at the Leningrad Institute of Theater Arts. He lives in California.

From Publishers Weekly

Animal lover Hodgman ushers readers into her basement barnyard, home to finches and canaries, three guinea pigs, a large three-legged rabbit and two smaller bunnies (one of whom growls), a prairie dog, a hamster and 26 pygmy mice. Also in residence are two miniature dachshunds (one's breath smells like thousands of dead lobsters) and three cats. After introducing her menagerie, the author offers a hodgepodge of anecdotes about past and present pets, plus tips on caring for an assortment of animals. Some of the information shows a light touch: she lists the worst things my dogs have eaten (including a boxed, wrapped and hidden handmade Christmas ornament; underpants; and the head of a dead mouse), discusses names her pets have been given (relatives object to her daughter's naming a hamster Mary) and offers tongue-in-cheek directions for cutting a rabbit's nails in thirteen impossible steps. But only hardcore enthusiasts will be interested in the author's details of cleaning out her mice's cage and ailments of various pets and their treatments by the vet. Those who do share Hodgman's devotion to animals, however, will be swept up by her breezy style (Ducks do not belong inside a house. Most people probably know this already. But it took me six ducklings' worth of training before I learned it myself); for these readers, the book will be a ticket to, er, hog heaven. Ages 8-up. (Sept.)
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About this edition

• Publisher: Square Fish
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1250068150
• ISBN 13: 9781250068156
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 272
• Illustrator: Yelchin Eugene