Pet: Cautionary Tales for Children and Grown-ups
A laugh-out-loud cautionary tale (for children and grown-ups) written by Catherine Emmett and illustrated by David Tazzyman, bestselling illustrator of the Mr Gum series and You Can't Take an Elephant on a Bus.
Shortlisted for Oscar's Book Prize 2022
Digby David slammed the door,
and dumped his bag upon the floor.
"Daddy! I DEMAND a pet,
Why have I not got one yet?"
Digby David wants a pet, but not just any pet - it has to be TWICE as big as Reuben's guinea pig and even better than Lily Jean's cat. Digby David's Daddy does what he's told, and soon Digby has a guinea pig, which he loves with all his heart... for half a day. Digby demands bigger and better, Daddy's hair gets greyer and greyer, and when Digby's dog gets boring too, he insists Daddy buy him... a gorilla!
A hilarious tale with a 'be careful what you wish for' message, especially if you wish for a gorilla and don't look after it properly.
Catherine Emmett grew up in Newcastle and spent her childhood reading books. When she grew up, she spent fourteen years making spreadsheets in London. After advising a group of young girls to find a career they loved, she decided to take her own advice, and packed up her husband and three sons, moving to rural Essex where she started writing picture books. Her first story is called King of the Swamp, and is illustrated by Ben Mantle.
David Tazzyman is an internationally acclaimed award-winning illustrator. Born and raised in Leicester, David wanted to be an artist since the age of five. He graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University in 1993 then travelled around Asia with sketchbooks for three years, before moving to London in 1997. He illustrated Andy Stanton’s Mr Gum series, which went on to win numerous awards including the first Roald Dahl Funny Prize, and he has illustrated many children's picture books, including You Can't Take an Elephant on a Bus and The Truth According to Arthur. He lives in Leicestershire with his partner and three children.