The Grumpy Pets

by Kristine A. Lombardi

Billy’s not like the other kids. He’s a bit moody, a bit cranky, a bit . . . grumpy. In hopes of cheering him up, his mom takes him and his sister to the animal rescue one Saturday morning. All the animals are cute and playful, but they’re a little too happy for Billy’s taste. When Billy wanders into another section of the store, however, he stumbles across a different group of animals awaiting adoption. These pets are grouchy and scruffy. In fact, they seem downright grumpy—just like Billy! He catches the eye of a particularly grumpy pup—could this be the friend Billy has been looking for?
 

Grumpy Pets shows that there’s a perfect match for everyone, if you stay true to yourself.

Genres: Picture Books, Storytime, Animals, Childrens, Dogs, Fiction, Emotion

32 pages, Hardcover

First published April 5, 2016

Reviews

[Christiane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Billy is grumpy, and being taken to see a bunch of cute, way too happy animals at the Perfect Pet animal rescue is not making him feel more cheerful. Until, there in the back, he stumbles upon the grumpy pets! Loved this book, which shows that there really is a special pet for everyone. I also love that the family goes to a rescue, not a pet store. Warning…this book may make you tear up at the reference desk!

[else fine · Rating 5 out of 5]

The grumpy pets steal the show here in their mangly ill-tempered glory, but I also love the disgustingly saccharine treatment of the way too happy pets. A tribute to grumps human and otherwise. Keep that frown pointed down, friends.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Billy was a grumpy boy. When his mother took him to the pet shelter to find an animal companion, he was not at all impressed with the many cheerful dogs and cuddly cats. Then he found some grumpy pets at the back, and met a dog every bit as grouchy and despondent as himself. The rest, as they say, was history...

An engaging picture-book examination of finding the perfect animal companion, The Grumpy Pets highlights the fact that, much like people, not every animal has an upbeat personality. Those animals - the eponymous 'grumpy pets' - also need a home, just as grumpy children need their companionship. Recommended to young grouches, and to anyone looking for children's stories about shelter animals, and how important it is to give all of them (even the less-than-cute ones) a home.

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

The hilarious expressions on almost every character, human or animal, on nearly every spread are worth the price of admission alone.

Also, massive props to the author/illustrator for spotlighting shelter pets and animal rescue.

[Knitcookwrite · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book and the fact that it is ok to be grumpy. One needn't change but can find others who accept you as you are.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pet book for me!

I think I'm going to do a "grumpy" storytime eventually.

[Lauren Kramer-Theuerkauf · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The Grumpy Pets by Kristine A. Lombardi, Billy is on the quest to find the perfect pet. His search begins at Perfect Pets Animal Rescue. He sees tons of adorable dogs and cats but they are all too....happy.

Billy unhappily watches as the other children meet and adopt their perfect pets. He is ready to give up when he hears a noise from a back room at the shelter. Upon entering the room, Billy discovers that it is filled with...grumpy pets! Could one of these animals be Billy's perfect match?

I found this story to be a very entertaining read. The illustrations are simplistic, yet charming. I especially love how Lombardi puts so much emphasis on the facial expressions of both the humans and the animals. My absolute favorite illustration is where Lombardi has made the pets to look like their owners. Hilarious!

This story has captured my heart for many reasons. I love that Lombardi made Perfect Pets an animal rescue instead of a pet store. Being a huge animal advocate/rescuer, I am thrilled that she is shedding light on the importance of adopting from local animal rescue groups and shelters.

I found the characters in the story very easy to relate to. We all know a person like Sara, that perpetual optimist that refuses to see anything but the bright side. And we all have our Billy days when we just cannot shake a case of the grumps.

What I loved most about the story is the dual theme of being misunderstood. Not only was Billy viewed as being "grumpy," so were the pets at the back of the shelter. Often times, rescued animals have had very difficult lives with heartbreaking stories of abuse and neglect. They become fearful of humans and are labeled as "unadoptable." What these animals need most is love, kindness and understanding.

Through the pure heart of a child, Billy was able to see through the facade of the grumpy pets to the very soul of these broken creatures. In reading the story, I began to wonder if Billy might have some form of Autism. Children with Autism are often misunderstood, which can be quite frustrating for the affected child. Pets are a fantastic way of bringing people of all ages out of their shells. From therapy to service dogs, these pooches are making huge differences in lives around the world.

This is a fantastic read that is sure to please children and animal lovers of all ages.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's a pet for everyone, even if you're grumpy. The process of finding just the right pet is put on display in this picture book and adds the challenge of matching a grumpy personality to a pet with the same temperament.

The text is perfect for reading aloud and the mixed media illustrations add humor and a cuteness overload in the form of mutts upon mutts upon mutts.

This book is everything I wanted it to be and is great for sharing with PreK-2, especially any child preparing for pet ownership.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

When mom takes her little boy and little girl to the pet store too pick a pet each she's not sure that there will be a pet to suit her little boy who's naturally grumpy. All the pets are just too cheerful. Until he finds the area they keep the grumpy pets in; will he find a new friend to help him smile? Great for talking about how different people have different personalities.

[Aliza Werner · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a perfect pet for everyone. I wish the first sentence had added the words "animal rescue" so that it was clear they were adopting a shelter pet, not at a pet store. I love that they rescued some animals for their family!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grumpy Billy might need some cheering up -- or he might not! When his mom takes him to the pet store, he is annoyed by all of the cheerfulness...until he finds his tribe, the grumpy pets in the back of the store.

[N · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like that it's just okay for Billy to be grumpy. And I LOVE the "grumpy pets section" of the store.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5.

[Dena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would be great for a storytime about emotions, or being crabby

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes grumps just need each other! Pair with "Grumpypants" for a storytime about emotions.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute little story. Check it out from the library for some fun.

[Sharie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm glad there is an everyone for everyone, regardless of how wonderfully advertised you are!

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good reminder "that there's a perfect match for everyone, if you stay true to yourself."

[Heather Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

megan spring reading 2016, children's book, picture book, pets, grumpy, humor, prek, kindergarten, first grade

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Billy and his sister are headed to the pet store to pick out pets but Billy is grumpy and doesn't want a happy pet. Will he find his perfect pet? Cute and simple enough for toddlers.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated how this book showcased the fact that, no matter how different people and animals can be from one another, there is a person and an animal that are meant to be together.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, easy read aloud.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Rebecca Light]

This is the short story of a grumpy boy named Billy who is taken to the pet store. All the other kids, including his sister, seem overjoyed and are finding their perfect pet matches. Billy thinks all the pets are too happy and that none of them are for him. He then hears a bunch of growling and noise coming from the back of the store. Billy follows the noise and comes across a bunch of very grumpy looking pets. One dog in particular catches his eye, and he tells the pet store worker he wants him. When the grumpy dog is placed in Billy's arms, they realize they are a perfect match and make each other happy. They are happy that they can now be grumpy together. The book ends by showing all the different looking kids that found pets that are perfect matches and look similar to them.

I liked reading this book and thought it was a cute story, but I wasn't overly impressed. There wasn't anything I didn't like about it, but I just think there could have been more to it. I liked the concept of finding a pet that matches your physical looks and personality, but I was wondering whether or not this book would have kids thinking it's okay to be a grumpy person. Kids are able to feel and experience different emotions, but this book almost says that it's okay to always be grumpy and angry if you're being yourself.

I don't know if I would use this book in a classroom. Although it's a cute story and picking out pets can be something fun for kids to read about, I didn't like the underlying encouragement towards being a grumpy person and finding others (including pets) to be grumpy with you. If Billy and his dog would have been happy after meeting each other, that would have brought different lessons. Yes, they were happy, but then they continued to be grumpy together. I don't want my students thinking it's cute or acceptable to be a grumpy person or that it's okay to choose to be that way always. There's a difference between being grumpy every once and a while, and being grumpy at all times. If I were to use this book in class, I'd want my students to understand that. I would also have them make two drawings, one of their face, and one of a pet they think matches their personality. We would then display them side by side somewhere in the class or the hall.

[Susannah Stein]

The Grumpy Pets by Kristine A. Lombardi follows the story of a child, Billy, with a different personality than the other children his age. He likes to be "grumpy" as apposed to the other children who are happy and carefree. When he goes to the pet store, he feels discouraged that he cannot find a pet that he can connect to. Billy ends up finding a section of misfit puppies in the back of the store that nobody wanted. He instantly fell in love with a "grumpy" pet, and both of them were happy they found somebody to connect with.
Overall, I really liked the book. I liked the fact that it showed that although not everybody has the same personality, there is still a friend for everyone. You do not have to change yourself for anyone. I thought that the illustrations in this book were good. However, some of the pages focused on one color, which made it hard to make out the pictures and words.
I would introduce this book in my classroom to begin conversations of friendship. I would have the children list their personality traits and then what traits they look for in a friend. I think that it is important for students to understand that they do not have to change themselves in order to make friendships.

[Molly Wilson]

The grumpy pets is a book about a boy named Billy. He is a bit moody and cranky but mostly grumpy. Billy's mom takes him and his sister to a pet store to see if he can find a pet that can cheer him up. Billy walks through the store to see a grumpy part of the pet store. He finds a perfect pet that is a little like him, grumpy.
This book is an excellent way to show that everyone can find happiness and the perfect someone. I liked this book because it hits home for me. I am like Billy's sister, happy and always smiling, while my brother is cranky. The students can relate to this or even see that the mom just wanted Billy to smile.
I definitely would read this book to my students because it could have a double meaning. On the first page, the mom was worried about BIlly because he was so unhappy, so she brought him on a memorable trip to see if he could smile. The mom saw that Billy wasn't happy and wanted to change that. I feel like some students do not notice what the parents do for the children's mental health. I can ask the students to give me a time when they felt like there was a moment where they thought their parents did this. And then provide them with a task, see what they can do to help their parents smile.

[Cara Noles · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story starts out with a boy, his mother, and sister going to the animal shelter to get a dog. Everybody is loving on the happy animals in the front of the story. Billy did not enjoy any of the pets in the front of the story, but Billy is not like most kids because he is constantly grumpy. Then in the back he saw where the shelter keeps the grumpy pets, grumpy just like him.
I think this is a cute story, and I am a big fan of any story with animals. This story is easy to follow along and the drawings are very enjoyable. I loved the story of friendship that came from Billy and his dog. I love how this story lets readers know that they're not alone.
I would use this picture book to show students that they are not alone and show the power of friendship. Before reading the class could talk about emotions and friendships. I would read the story and help make connections with the students. After reading the students could a few sentences about their friendships or their pets.

[Concetta Seidler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading The Grumpy Pets. This is a great book for children of all ages. Kristine A. Lombardi does a great job of bringing the story alive through text and illustration. The story starts out with Billy, who is a main character, being a grumpy boy. His mom wants this to change for him so decides to take him to a pet store because who doesn't smile when they see pets?! Well, Billy proves all the readers wrong and still is grumpy after seeing all the animals. As the story continues, Billy explores the pet stores and finds the section of grumpy pets. Billy really clicks with these grumpy animals. He then spots a grey, grumpy looking dog that he falls in love with. Surprisingly, this is the dog that makes him smile! I loved how Lombardi twists the story around with Billy falling in love with one of the grumpy pets instead of the first pets he see.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this story about a grumpy pet for a grumpy boy, kids can learn how there is the right someone for everyone. When Billy goes to the local shelter, his cheerful sister easily finds a bunch of happy pets that suit her. But this grates at the perpetually frowning young boy. These pets are just too pleasant. That's when he wanders into the back where all the grumpy pets are kept. Immediately he spots a dog with a similar disposition, and the two hit it off, even becoming a bit happier by being together. While it can be a bit upsetting to see only the grumpy pets locked up, the message itself holds true. There are different personalities out there, and sometimes it takes someone with a similar one to understand each other. The roundish figures and crayon-like medium give the whole a softer feel, even with so many frowns; making this a sweet story.