The Perfect Pet

A funny book to share with kids who really, really, REALLY want a pet

Elizabeth really wants a pet. She'd like a horse, a dog, a cat, or even a turtle. But her parents do not want a pet. Instead they give her a cactus. Even though Elizabeth's new plant proves to be a good listener, Elizabeth still really wants a pet.

While Elizabeth campaigns to find the right pet, her family imagines some hair-raising possibilities, until Doug comes along. Doug is, without a doubt, the most unusual, perfect pet of all. Doug is a bug He's not big like a horse or loud like a dog. He doesn't scratch, or shed, or jump on furniture. And he hardly eats a thing.

Margie Palatini and Bruce Whatley have created a hiarious picture book that handles a topic every parent and child will relate to--choosing that perfect pet.

Margie Palatini is the author of many outrageously funny books for children, including Piggie Pie!, illustrated by Howard Fine; Moosetache, Mooseltoe, and the Bad Boys series, all illustrated by Henry Cole; The Cheese, illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher; No Biting, Louise, illustrated by Matthew Reinhart; and Gorgonzola, illustrated by Tim Bowers. She lives with her family in New Jersey.

Bruce Whatley is one of Australia's most highly regarded and talented authors and illustrators for children, both here and internationally. Bruce started his working life in advertising as an art director and illustrator and since then he has created over 60 picture books. Many of his books have won awards both in Australia and overseas, including The Ugliest Dog in the World, Looking for Crabs, Tails from Grandad's Attic and Detective Donut and the Wild Goose Chase.

Bruce has co-written a number of award-winning books with his wife Rosie Smith (Whatley's Quest, Detective Donut and the Wild Goose Chase and Little White Dogs Can't Jump) and his son Ben Smith Whatley (Zoobots).

In 2002 Bruce paired with author Jackie French and illustrated Diary of a Wombat - an iconic picture book that has become an international best-seller with foreign sales to nine territories. Diary of Wombat was the start of an extraordinary artistic collaboration that sparked the publication of Pete the Sheep, Josephine Wants to Dance, Shaggy Gully Times, Baby Wombat's Week, Christmas Wombat and Wombat Goes to School. Plus two delightful books about Queen Victoria, being Queen Victoria's Underpants and Queen Victoria's Christmas.

One of the most remarkable aspects of Bruce's talent is the breadth of his artistic ability, which includes an appealing cartoon style to realistic representations using mediums ranging from coloured pencils, watercolour, acrylic and oils, and more recently, 3D digital software.

And accompanying that talent is an intellectual depth and curiosity that sees Bruce taking on large and complex projects, such as The Beach They Called Gallipoli, which is being co-created with Jackie French and will be published in 2014 to coincide with the centenary of WW1.

In 2008 Bruce completed his PhD titled Left Hand Right Hand: implications of ambidextrous image making. In his thesis Bruce looked at the image making of the non-dominant hand, making the fascinating discovery that in most people the ability to draw lies in the use of the 'other' hand.