The House of a Million Pets

by Hodgman, Ann; Yelchin, Eugene

• ISBN13: 9780805079746
• ISBN10: 0805079742
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-09-04
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

Summary

Ann Hodgman's basement is home to three guinea pigs, a cage full of birds, a big gray rabbit, a prairie dog, a bulbul (look it up), two little rabbits, a hamster, and twenty-six pygmy mice. And that's just the basement.Would your parents ever let you have that many pets at once?If Ann Hodgman were your parents, she'd let you.Here is the true story of what it's like to live in her barnyard-er, house-with more animals than you'll be able to keep track of.Any kid (or adult) who has ever owned or wanted a pet will love these furry, feathered, slimy, and scaly stories.

Author Biography

ANN HODGMAN is the author of many books for children, but this is the first one she has written about her own life and her own pets. She lives in Washington, Connecticut.

EUGENE YELCHIN studied art and theater design at the Leningrad Institute of Theater Arts. He lives in California.

Table of Contents

I put the owl into a cardboard box and brought him into the kitchen. Then the kids and I bent over to look at him more closely.

If a bird can't “clench” its toes, that often means its leg or its back are broken. To test the owl's reflexes, I stuck my finger under his foot. To my surprise, his claws—very thick, strong talons for such a small guy—curled tightly around my finger. I tried the other foot—same thing. Encouraged, I stretched out each of his wings, which still had their baby feathers. Pecky tucked them back neatly against his sides as soon as I let go. So his wings were okay, too.

I scratched the top of his head a little, and he opened his eyes and stared up at me. His eyes were round and yellow and blind-looking. He blinked a few times. Then he clumsily struggled to his feet.

 

What was I supposed to do now?

Excerpts

I put the owl into a cardboard box and brought him into the kitchen. Then the kids and I bent over to look at him more closely.

If a bird can’t “clench” its toes, that often means its leg or its back are broken. To test the owl’s reflexes, I stuck my finger under his foot. To my surprise, his claws—very thick, strong talons for such a small guy—curled tightly around my finger. I tried the other foot—same thing. Encouraged, I stretched out each of his wings, which still had their baby feathers. Pecky tucked them back neatly against his sides as soon as I let go. So his wings were okay, too.

I scratched the top of his head a little, and he opened his eyes and stared up at me. His eyes were round and yellow and blind-looking. He blinked a few times. Then he clumsily struggled to his feet.  What was I supposed to do now?

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Excerpted from The House of a Million Pets by Ann Hodgman
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.