My Pet Human (My Pet Human, 1) - Softcover

Surovec, Yasmine

Softcover

ISBN 10: 125008492X ISBN 13: 9781250084927

Publisher: Square Fish, 2016

Synopsis

From queen cat lady Yasmine Surovec, this is a cuddly chapter book series about a cat in need of a pet human.

Oliver is an independent kitty. He has the run of his neighborhood and looks at his animal friends with their fussing humans with pity. But when a freckle-faced girl moves to town, Oliver sees the opportunity to train a human to provide him with a few creature comforts. And if he can help her adjust to her life and make a new friend, that's just all in a day's work. The real surprise comes, however, when Oliver needs Freckles just as much as she needs him. Not a comic book and not a traditional illustrated chapter book, My Pet Human is truly a hybrid of text and art that could only come from the whimsical and brilliant mind of Yasmine Surovec.

About this title

About the Author:

Yasmine Surovec loves kitties. She is the artist behind the popular comic blog and book Cat vs. Human and the picture books I See Kitty and A Bed for Kitty. Originally from Manila, Philippines, she now lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with her husband and their puppy and three kitties.

From School Library Journal:

Gr 2–4—Sweet stray cat Oliver enjoys his nomadic life about town. He has a few rules for keeping his existence carefree and happy, which include knowing where to get free food, having a good hiding spot, and keeping a few close friends. Oliver is an endearing protagonist, having learned that he can visit the Twirling Fork restaurant and give his doe-eyed "look" to anyone at the back door in order to receive a plate of free spaghetti. He enjoys visiting friends with forever homes, including Ben, a fluffy dog in a family full of kids; Farrah, a prissy kitty with a penchant for the best treats life has to offer; and George, an indeterminate gerbil or mouselike creature who is perpetually sealed in a rolling ball. Oliver is content to stay on his own in an abandoned home—especially when he needs a hiding place from the animal control truck that periodically patrols the neighborhood. When a little human and her mother move into the abandoned house, Oliver thinks he can use his "look" to score some free food without getting emotionally attached, but he is surprised when he finds himself caring for the girl. Though Oliver remains nameless for the entirety of the book, his new human friend dubs him Oliver after he develops a taste for olives. Surovec's cheerful illustrations pepper every page with hilariously endearing portraits of Oliver and the animals in his life, along with the humans in his world. Fans of James Kochalka's "Dragon Puncher" (Top Shelf) books will find My Pet Human similarly entertaining and slightly more challenging, and readers of Tom Watson's "Stick Dog" (HarperCollins) will find a great read-alike. VERDICT A sweet story for animal lovers and emergent readers, too.—Amy M. Laughlin, Darien Library, CT

About this edition

• Publisher: Square Fish
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 125008492X
• ISBN 13: 9781250084927
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 128