About This Book:
A lockdown bestseller and high spirited story about an enterprising only child and a single-father’s juggle to work from home.
Mika’s father works from home and he’s very busy! He can never find time for the promised swimming trip. So Dad allows Mika to choose a pet from the store while he finishes the project—something quiet like a mouse. And so begins a wonderfully turbulent story in which Mika brings home one animal after another… The mouse gets lost so they need a dog to find it. The dog is followed by a seal, the seal a penguin. One pet for Mika leads to another and another. How many animals can come to stay before a harassed father notices?
A relatable, cheerful and wild picture book for families during lockdown, with a single-parent juggling working from home and childcare. Celebrating Mika’s initiative and creativity, this is a fun and absurd story ideal for 5-7 year olds to read independently or together. Featuring a single dad working from home and gender neutral child, Mika, this picture book allows young readers of all ages to identify with diverse characters.
*Review Contributed by Olivia Farr, Staff Reviewer*
What I loved: This is an overall charming buildable story in the vein of The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly and If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. One thing just leads to another until you have quite a bit more than you expected. The pets definitely bring some humor, like the penguin who likes to watch TV and the parrot who is a bit cheeky. Children are sure to giggle at some of the mistakes and the way that Mika decides to try to fix them.
The length of the story would work better for older picture book readers, who will also get all the jokes along the way, considering pet abilities. There is quite a lot of text on some pages, which makes them turn slowly and works better for elementary school aged picture book readers.
What left me wanting more: I had mixed feelings about the father and his work that seem to leave Mika neglected. I think there is a nice balance that could be shown with a parent who needs to work, but also notices that there is a whole zoo in their house for several days (he is surprised at the end when he finally finishes his work).
Final verdict: A charming buildable story about a menagerie of pets, SEAHORSES ARE SOLD OUT is a silly picture book that is sure to make readers giggle.
*Find More Info & Buy This Book HERE!*
