Sparky

2014 Schwartz Wade Books; 2015 Charlotte Zolotow Award for Outstanding Picture Book

"My mother said no to the bird.

No to the bunny.

No, no, no to the trained seal.

I asked her every day for a month, until she finally said, "You can have any pet you want as long as it doesn't need to walked or bathed or fed."

I made her promise."

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Jenny Offill

Offill is a novelist and nonfiction author who also writes essays and books for children. Her second novel, Dept. of Speculation, was named one of NYTimes 10 Best Books of 2014 and shortlisted for the UK Folio Prize.  Offill received the Guggenheim Fellowship in 2016.

She is also the author of one of the funniest children's books I've ever read - 17 Things I Am Not Allowed To Do Anymore.

Chris Appelhans

Appelhans is an artist and illustrator for animated feature films including Coraline, The Princess and the Frog, and City of Ember. He is also the writer and director of the upcoming Wish Dragon produced by Sony Pictures and Jackie Chan's Beijing Sparkle Roll Media Corporation among others.

Appelhans also illustrated A Greyhound, A Groundhog by Emily Jenkins.

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Book Synopsis

The Girl wants a pet, begging her mother for one everyday for a month. But when her friend, Mary Potts, is dismissive of Sparky's pet potential, the Girl discovers his true worth.

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Picture book, 40 pages. Sparky, a sloth, doesn't offer much in the way of traditional pets, but there's a heart-tugging connection with the Girl.

Learning Options

Family Read Aloud Time
A wonderfully reassuring story to read when your own pet has caused mayhem and disappointment.

Classroom Resource
Sparky is a sweet, funny book and appropriate for use in Kindergarten and primary classrooms.

Learning at Home
Learning about endangered animals is also a good way to develop our empathy muscles. As an introduction to sloths, PBS offers Sloths in Their Ecosystems. Treehugger also has some great background on sloths in Are Sloths Endangered? Current Status of 6 Sloth Species.

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