‘A Pet for Miss Wright’ is just right

Imagine if you went to school and you were the only kid in class.

You'd have to read to yourself and play games alone. There'd be nobody to practice spelling with. Nobody to draw or color with. Nobody to laugh at your stupid jokes.

Going to school all alone would be weird. And it would be no fun.

Miss Wright hates to work all alone, so she decided that she needs company. In the new book "A Pet for Miss Wright" by Judy Young, illustrated by Andrea Wesson, she searches and searches. Will she ever find the right office-mate?

Miss Wright was an author.

People who write books usually write them alone, which is what Miss Wright did. Every day, she sat at her desk and typed. Words filled her computer screen, and her characters had wonderful, exciting adventures, but Miss Wright sat all by herself and made that happen.

Except for the clickety-click of her keyboard, it was toooooooo quiet in her office, so Miss Wright decided that she needed company. She went to the pet store and brought home a mynah bird, but the bird didn't say anything. Miss Wright took it back and got a monkey.

But the monkey made a mess of things, so Miss Wright returned it to the pet store and got a fish.

A fish was too relaxing, and nothing ever got done. So Miss Wright took it back and brought home a hamster. Surely a hamster would be better.

But the hamster went round and round in its wheel, and that made Miss Wright dizzy, so she brought home a cat. And that wasn't quite right, so she took the cat back. She said there would be no more pets, but the pet store man insisted that she try a dog.

A dog? Miss Wright was sure that a dog wouldn't be any better than the other pets. But she was surprised that the dog rested quietly on the floor as she typed. She decided that he could stay another day. And another day. And another day.

Did Miss Wright finally find the right writing companion?

So your child has been begging for a dog, but you're resisting? Beware, this adorable book won't help your resolve; in fact, "A Pet for Miss Wright" may result in a pet for you, too.

Animal lovers, authors and budding novelists of all ages will love this book and the gently funny story of a lonely writer and her quest for companionship, but when you close the back cover of the book, you may be torn. Do you like Young's story more, or are the illustrations by Wesson the better part of this wonderful book?

You and your child may have to read "A Pet for Miss Wright" again (and again) before you decide, which won't be a chore for either of you because this is one really cute book. For parents and for kids 4 to 8, "A Pet for Miss Wright" is just right.

Terri Schlichenmeyer's children's book reviews appear weekly in View.