ALA Booklist (Thu Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2018)

In this book about a comically expanding family of pets, a boy campaigns to convince his mother to get him a puppy. After much wheedling, the mother finally gives in, and the boy gets what he wants: "something to take care of. Something of his very own." But after the boy and puppy have such a wonderful time, the puppy, too, wants a pet: a kitten. And pretty soon that kitten wants a bird. And the bird, a worm. And the worm, a flea! The story functions by this principle of addition, in a way similar to "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly," except here, each animal gets smaller. (And there's a happy ending.) Barclay's ink-and-watercolor illustrations are jaunty and cartoonlike, reminiscent of the work of Richard Scarry, with all characters o-legged, four-legged, or no-legged ving a fantastic time playing and chasing each other. Except for the mother, that is, though the boy finds a nifty way to resolve that dilemma. Great comedy throughout, with an inspiring closer.

Kirkus Reviews

From Broach and Barclay comes a story about the affection that grows between living beings who care for one another.A boy looks out the window of his brownstone home at the people walking and driving with their dogs. He begs his mother for "something to take care of," until finally she says yes. They walk home, the boy with a puppy on a leash and the mother struggling with large bags filled with pet supplies. The boy and his puppy love each other and have so much fun together that one day, the puppy decides that he also wants a pet. The boy's mother thinks this is a terrible idea. But the boy cannot refuse the puppy, who chooses a kitten as his pet. They love each other and have so much fun together that—guess what? The kitten wants a pet. And the cycle continues, until the pet's pet's pet's pet's pet has a pet. But the mother grows so unhappy that the boy has to find a solution to make her happy too. The charming pen-and-watercolor illustrations add to the humor and fun of this adorable book, investing each of the pets with its own personality (the worm in a beret is a special treat). The boy is brown-skinned with tightly curled black hair, and his mother is tan with straight brown hair. A sweet choice for a simple story that parents and children will enjoy laughing at together. (Picture book. 4-8)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

A familiar conceit-a child begs a parent for a pet-takes a humorously absurd turn when that pet, a frisky puppy, wants (and gets) a pet of his own, an orange kitten. -Truth be told, the boy was surprised at this choice,- writes Broach (The Wolf Keeper). ---Dogs chase cats,- he told the puppy.- Before long, the kitten decides she also wants -something of her very own- to take care of, and adopts a bird, who then takes in a worm that gets a pet flea. By this point, the boy-s mother, who has begrudgingly acquiesced to each new creature, is out of patience: -That flea is the pet of the pet of the pet of the pet of your pet!- Barclay-s simple, cheery ink-and-watercolor