Gilbert Goldfish Wants a Pet

By Kelly DiPucchio

Illustrated by Bob Shea

Dial Books, 2011

$16.99, ages 3-5, 32 pages

Gilbert has almost everything an aquarium fish could want.

A stone castle to swim through, a treasure chest that bubbles, even food flakes that fall from the sky.

Now if he could just have a pet to care for and love, he'd be the happiest little goldfish in a bowl.

The problem is, every creature that peers into his bowl isn't quite right.

A dog comes by and licks his bowl hello and bounds around it in circles. At first it's fun to follow him, but then he barks too much and laps up Gilbert's water.

Next, a small gray mouse sniffs at the glass and Gilbert's heart goes "pitter-patter-swish." Finally. A quiet pet.

But as soon as the mouse realizes Gilbert isn't a chunk of cheese, he scampers away. And Gilbert's heart goes plop.

Hopper and Wilson

Written & illustrated by Maria van Lieshout

Philomel, 2011

 $16.99, ages 3-7, 40 pages

Two stuffed pals set sail in a paper hat to see what's at the end of the world and discover that the best place of all isn't as far as they thought.

As Wilson and Hopper wave goodbye to their potted cactus on the edge of a vast ocean, the wind gently tugs at Hopper's red balloon and anything seems possible.

Wilson, a yellow mouse, imagines they'll find a staircase to the moon while Hopper, a blue elephant, pictures a place with lots of lemonade.

That night Wilson and Hopper fall asleep on the brim of the newspaper-folded boat under a sky of stars without a cloud in sight.

But as morning comes, rain pelts down and the sea grows choppy. Suddenly their boat begins to rise under a giant wave and in a frightening moment, envelops them.