Author – Sarina Siebenaler, Illustrator – Gabby Correia
Self Published by Sarina Siebenaler, 2020
Hardcover, 46 Page Picture Book
Sally has been told that she can pick out a new pet, but which one would be best? After discarding the idea of a dog, cat, or parrot, she finally gets the brilliant idea that an ostrich is exactly right…. Or is it?
One magical wish upon a shooting star can have hilarious consequences!
Sally wishes on a star for that ostrich and the next morning she woke up and there it was! Now she had to figure out what to feed it, and apples were the wrong choice. A vet had to be called because the ostrich ate seventy-eight of them and they got stuck in his neck! When taking it for a walk she soon learns that ostriches generally don’t walk, but run very fast and attract a LOT of attention. Her adventures continue at the beach where her new pet sticks his head in the sand and she has to wait and wait and wait and before she knows it that ostrich is running again!
The rhyming in this book is excellent, lyrical, and moves the story along without a hitch. A shining example of pure entertainment it’s a great reminder that not all books have to have a message. For those who feel a message is primary, perhaps one could argue for the value of making good choices. However, humor and laughter go a long way to spark the imagination and rhyming helps to create language skills at the same time. This book is also good for early readers as the language is simple and direct. Some of the illustrations are hilarious, especially the ostrich at the beach with his floaty, sunglasses, and flip-flops. I can’t erase the image of the ostrich smiling for a camera with a beak full of teeth!
There are discussion questions at the back, but they’re a bonus rather than a necessity. The printing and binding is lovely, and the paper quality is excellent. This book stands on its own!
Do Not Wish For A Pet Ostrich by Sarina Siebenaler gets 5 stars from this reviewer.