Ian’s Pet (1991)

 Ian’s Pet (1991) by Delores Lowe Friedman is a clever way to teach a popular lesson, the transformation of a tadpole into a frog. I’m willing to guess you didn’t infer this surprise from the title. If you looked closely enough, you may have guessed it from the cover art. The story begins with a common theme, a child wants a pet. Ian’s class is writing, drawing, and talking about pets. Since Ian doesn’t own a pet, he writes, draws, and talks about the dinosaur he would like to have as a pet. Pretty standard fare so far. We’re still on autopilot when Ian catches a tiny fish from a pond and puts it into a bowl. He writes, draws, and talks about his fish. It’s a satisfying read when his fish turns out not to be a fish after all. Pictures by Susan Magurn are just right, especially Ian’s many drawings of his fish that grows legs.