PETS AND THEIR FAMOUS HUMANS, by Ana Gallo and Katherine Quinn, Prestel Junior, March 19, 2020, Hardcover, $17.95 (ages 7-10)
Pets are integral parts of people’s families. In Pets and Their Famous Humans, Ana Gallo and Katherine Quinn introduce readers to scientists, artists, writers, and musicians and their beloved animals.
Did you know that Mozart’s pet starling was the inspiration for his Piano Concerto No. 17? Or that writer Dorothy Parker loved animals so much she let a pair of alligators swim in her bathtub? These are just a couple of the stories in this delightful and surprising collection that profiles the strong bond between humans and their pets. Some of these stories are touching: Frida Kahlo memorialized her pet deer Granizo in her painting The Wounded Deer. Some are a little quirky: Albert Einstein, convinced that his parrot, Bibo, was sad, told bad jokes to cheer the bird up. —Synopsis provided by Prestel Junior
Pets and Their Famous Humans is a fun introduction to historical figures. Somehow pets make the people more relatable. Each figure gets their own spread with informative text and whimsical illustrations.
The book’s design encourages readers to focus on one figure at a time. Readers can jump around or read from front to back depending on their interests. Its setup is almost a picture book version of a chapter book. The suggested age range on this one is 7-10.
Pets and Their Famous Humans is a great jumping off point for further study and discussion.
