What do you think?
Rate this book
Books make good pets
An uplifting and funny celebration of the magic of books by John Agard, winner of the Queens Gold Medal for Poetry.Books make good pets and don't need going to the vet. You don't have to keep them on a lead or throw them a stick. They'll wag their words whenever you flick their dog-eared pages.Even howl an ancient tale for the inward-listening ear. Did you know that a book can take you anywhere? You only need to turn the pages of a story, and in a moment, you and your book could be crossing the waves in a pirate ship... or diving with mermaids... or even snoozing with a dragon. Books really DO make good pets! Why don't you peep inside this one, and take your mind on an adventure?This delightful original picture book poem is the perfect gift for anyone who delights in the magic of a good book. Agard's evocative, lyrical style is perfectly complemented with illustrations by Momoko Abe, whose colourful visuals add character, transporting the reader into an enchanting world of imagination.
27 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2020
72 people want to read
About the author
John Agard
115 books37 followersJohn Agard was born in Guyana and emigrated to Britain in 1977. He has worked as an actor and a performer with a jazz group and spent several years as a lecturer for the Commonwealth Institute, travelling all over Britain giving talks, performances and workshops. He has visited literally thousands of schools and enjoys the live contact and the joy of children responding although it can be hard work.
John Agard started writing poems when he was about 16 - some of these early efforts were published in his school magazine. Many of his poems now are composed while looking out of train windows.
"Try the best with what you have right now
If you don't have horse, then ride cow."
It is in his poetry that John Agard makes his greatest contribution to children's literature. Like the best authors, he brings something unique to children's experience - a view of the world tempered by his own childhood, a feeling for the rhythms and cadences of its language, and a sophisticated understanding of the advantages and limitations of several forms of English. That he can make the "standard" forms work superbly is evident from many of his poems for adults. For children, with whom he communicates more directly, the lyrical Guyanese forms serve his purposes to perfection.
Agard is not a literary poet but also a performing poet and has a strong sense of his audience. When he writes for children, he seems to see them sitting at his feet. He is more interested in the ideas and words he is delivering to them than in the creation of complex fictional characters with whom his readers might engage. He lives in Sussex and is married to Grace Nichols, a respected Caribbean poet and co-author of a collection of Caribbean nursery rhymes, NO HICKORY, NO DICKORY, NO DOCK.
John Agard started writing poems when he was about 16 - some of these early efforts were published in his school magazine. Many of his poems now are composed while looking out of train windows.
"Try the best with what you have right now
If you don't have horse, then ride cow."
It is in his poetry that John Agard makes his greatest contribution to children's literature. Like the best authors, he brings something unique to children's experience - a view of the world tempered by his own childhood, a feeling for the rhythms and cadences of its language, and a sophisticated understanding of the advantages and limitations of several forms of English. That he can make the "standard" forms work superbly is evident from many of his poems for adults. For children, with whom he communicates more directly, the lyrical Guyanese forms serve his purposes to perfection.
Agard is not a literary poet but also a performing poet and has a strong sense of his audience. When he writes for children, he seems to see them sitting at his feet. He is more interested in the ideas and words he is delivering to them than in the creation of complex fictional characters with whom his readers might engage. He lives in Sussex and is married to Grace Nichols, a respected Caribbean poet and co-author of a collection of Caribbean nursery rhymes, NO HICKORY, NO DICKORY, NO DOCK.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 8, 2021
Even though this book is for children I thoroughly enjoyed it.
October 1, 2024
Ernie liked that there were a lot of books, he especially liked the crabby book.
I originally chose this book because I love Momoko Abe's illustrations, but the poetry was also excellent.
I originally chose this book because I love Momoko Abe's illustrations, but the poetry was also excellent.
February 26, 2022
This is the worst type of children’s book and should be avoided at all costs. It’s a bad collision of hipster simplistic irony and what reads like a masters grad’s attempt at unleashing their untapped poetic potential. We get the idea they were going for but this horribly misses. This is clumsily executed to serve knowing adult readers first and child listeners dead last.
November 28, 2022
Author: John Agard
Illustrator: Momoko Abe
Age Recommendation: Pre-School/Kinder
Topic/ Theme: Reading, Pets
Setting: Blank Space
First up this is a must-have for public library and Pre-School collections. I would also this is a fantastic gifting book. It is beautiful and sends a fantastic message advocating a lifelong love of reading. If it works for even one child that enters that room and picks up that book the expense is worth it. This is just a great book to read out loud, I can hear a performance of a skilled reader as it is. I can see the activities that a professional or even an experienced paraprofessional could draw from it. There is just so much to see and look for in this one book. Momoko Abe is a very good illustrator and works well with the rhythm John Agard uses in his writing. Momoko creates words for each of the potential pets people might have and Agard explains why books are superior pets. The best are the pirate cats (also the blurb) and the surprise visit from a book dragon. There is also the joy of a mix of protagonists.
I picked this up because of Momoko Abe (also I'm a librarian 📚) and I'm so glad I did. This is a sweet book that I think more children need to read.
November 18, 2020
This is a really great picture poem book! We believe that books can take you to places in your imagination that you might never be able to visit (or might not even exist) in real life!
The illustrations by Momoko Abe are really well matched. She has drawn wonderful scenes to match each of the animal themed verses. Her illustrations are bright and exciting.
There are circus pups and performing books in the big top or pirate cats and blood-thirsty books on a ship in the ocean! Books really can take you anywhere you can imagine!
I have read some other poems by John Agard and like the rhythm of his writing. This one has a repeating phrase between each verse… "Books make good pets and don’t need going to the vet."
I agree with what the poet says. Books are good pets. You can have a whole collection of books that won’t pee on your carpet, get hair on your clothes or eat your homework. Books actually help with the homework! They keep you company, keep you busy, cheer you up when you’re sad and drag you off on crazy adventures like a dog chasing a rabbit.
Everyone should get a book pet!
The illustrations by Momoko Abe are really well matched. She has drawn wonderful scenes to match each of the animal themed verses. Her illustrations are bright and exciting.
There are circus pups and performing books in the big top or pirate cats and blood-thirsty books on a ship in the ocean! Books really can take you anywhere you can imagine!
I have read some other poems by John Agard and like the rhythm of his writing. This one has a repeating phrase between each verse… "Books make good pets and don’t need going to the vet."
I agree with what the poet says. Books are good pets. You can have a whole collection of books that won’t pee on your carpet, get hair on your clothes or eat your homework. Books actually help with the homework! They keep you company, keep you busy, cheer you up when you’re sad and drag you off on crazy adventures like a dog chasing a rabbit.
Everyone should get a book pet!
February 24, 2022
Books Make Good Pets is a book about books and how they'd be great pets and are perfect for expanding your imagination and immersing yourself in the story.
This is a nice idea for a story but we didn't really enjoy it much at all. The writing in the story is difficult to read as although it rhymes sometimes it doesn't flow to read and the repetitive aspect gets a bit boring after a while. The children and I love repetitiveness in books as it helps them get involved in the storytelling but this one just didn't seem right in the book.
I did like how it showed how great books are and that they are so much more than just a book as they're full of imagination. The imagination in this book is shown beautifully in the lovely illustrations that take you to a new story scene on each page. The children enjoyed the uniqueness of this and particularly liked seeing the pirates and mermaids.
This isn't a book we'd rush to pick up again, the pictures are great but the story lets the book down.
This is a nice idea for a story but we didn't really enjoy it much at all. The writing in the story is difficult to read as although it rhymes sometimes it doesn't flow to read and the repetitive aspect gets a bit boring after a while. The children and I love repetitiveness in books as it helps them get involved in the storytelling but this one just didn't seem right in the book.
I did like how it showed how great books are and that they are so much more than just a book as they're full of imagination. The imagination in this book is shown beautifully in the lovely illustrations that take you to a new story scene on each page. The children enjoyed the uniqueness of this and particularly liked seeing the pirates and mermaids.
This isn't a book we'd rush to pick up again, the pictures are great but the story lets the book down.
December 1, 2021
Dan: Well this book is an absolute delight! John Agard’s excellent poetic text provides structure and rhythm throughout with a simple repeating refrain, which is then interspersed with some excellent use of some sophisticated language and metaphors to capture the wonder and delight that books contain. There is a real sense of playfulness throughout the entire text and it is absolutely crying out to be read aloud with children! The bright vibrant pictures by Momoko Abe really add to the text and the playfulness, as does the placement of the text on the page. An absolute delight to be treasured and read and re-read!
March 11, 2023
The artwork is nice but that's about it. I'm not sure who this is for, to be honest. Amazon recommends 3-6 year olds, but I think the younger end of that would find such as "howl an ancient tale for the inward-listening ear" to be incomprehensible, and the older end would find the constant repetition boring.
October 3, 2025
Even though this book is an ode to books and is catered to little ones, the language and poetry is advanced for the age group. Adults might enjoy but the repetition of books don’t need to be taken to vets bored me to death.
August 23, 2021
My kids loved this tonight. Really engaged their imaginations.
March 26, 2022
A cute import from the UK, just wish they would publish them in HC, much better for libraries to carry
November 14, 2023
Incoherent.
The illustrations are okay.
The illustrations are okay.
August 1, 2022
"Books make good pets and don't need going to the vet.
They'll burrow their way through the dusty reaches of your mind to nibble at old ideas and let in the new."
Illustrations by Momoko Abe perfectly match the images conjured up by Agard's language.
They'll burrow their way through the dusty reaches of your mind to nibble at old ideas and let in the new."
Illustrations by Momoko Abe perfectly match the images conjured up by Agard's language.
June 26, 2023
Great premise and fun colourful engaging illustrations. I found the scattering of rhyming and not rhyming verse difficult to read.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews