One of the best things about kids is their imagination – and if you’re lucky, you get to go on an adventure through that imagination. Do Not Wish For a Pet Ostrich is a silly, rhyming romp through the mind of a little girl who very much wants to make the right decision on the pet for her – and things go a little crazy! Accompanied by sweet, bubble-gum tinted illustrations, this book is a lighthearted bedtime read that will have everyone giggling.

The narrator of the story, a little girl with strawberry blond hair, wants to make sure chooses just the right pet, since she knows other friends whose pets chew shoes, sleep all day, or make too much noise. She finally settles on an ostrich, and as luck would have it, gets her wish! Though the ostrich is fun, there are a lot of unexpected hiccups, like when it gets seventy eight apples stuck in its long neck! After chasing her new pet through one mishap after another, she realizes she’s gotten much more than she bargained for, and manages to wish him back on a shooting star. It was exciting, but not quite what she’d pictured!

Kids love when we enter the worlds they create, and this book lets both kids and adults imagine just what it might be like if you got your wish for a crazy pet. It’s the perfect reason to snuggle up and experience some fun together. Do Not Wish for a Pet Ostrich encourages early literacy with its rhymes, and helps kids practice problem solving, particularly as they watch the narrator decide what exactly to do next. Despite the goofy story, it’s a great intro to let kids think about the consequences of what they want, and can even spark conversations on how to make good decisions!