Learning to Care for Fish Learning to Care for Small Mammals

Gr 2—4—These volumes make a nice transition between books that assume that adults will actually be caring for their child's pet, such as the "Pet Care for Kids Series" (Child's World), and independent children who are taking complete responsibility for an animal, as in the "How to Convince Your Parents You Can Care for..." series (Mitchell Lane). While the intended audience of these books is youngsters, and parental help is not specified, readers are encouraged to seek advice from a variety of sources: experts, veterinarians, and even the local library. In the first book, the author describes fish as easy pets to keep because they do not require a lot of attention, but she also stresses the importance of maintaining the fish's environment, and a preadoption research trip is highly recommended. Small Mammals focuses more on the type of pet a child might want, which would consequently influence the animal they select, e.g., if they want friendly and playful, they should choose a rat; for a quiet, stoic companion, pick a hamster. Both books provide history about keeping the specific animal as pets, common ailments to look out for, and average life span. The pictures are colorful and engaging, with a no-fuss layout. The text is easy to follow, pitched at just the right level for the audience and refreshingly free of "fact boxes."—Kara Schaff Dean, Walpole Public Library, MA