PET-A-PALOOZA

Buddy’s question for a visiting author sparks a pet-focused confab among the second grade Whirligigs.

Buddy and his classmates, including his best friend, Joey, and outspoken Bea, discover that among them they have many pets, from Buddy’s irascible cat, Sunshine, to Joey’s new puppy, Frisbee, to Bea’s mysterious cat, who likes to sleep on top of cans. The members of the class—named the Whirligigs “because whirligigs were maple seeds. And their teacher’s name was Ms. Maple”—engage in some enthusiastic cataloging of the variety of pets in their homes. The kids start to wonder if Bea really has a cat. Meanwhile, Buddy’s reluctant to reveal details about Sunshine, such as her habit of playing with her poop, until Frisbee has an accident while visiting the class. Carr includes a variety of classroom lessons, such as sorting and tallying, that incorporate this age group’s particular interests and concerns. She convincingly captures the way young elementary schoolers latch on to a new idea and carry out related activities. The students and their concerns will feel familiar to many, from earnest, sometimes worried Buddy to irrepressible Bea, whose pet turns out to be one of the neighborhood bodega cats. The cheerful cartoon art depicts a lively, diverse school. Buddy is Asian, Joey is Black, Bea is light-skinned, and a previous book established that Ms. Maple is of Filipina descent.

Another winning adventure with this charming elementary school class.