A New Pet In the Family
By
Dad
David,
Here it is the new member of our family!
Cat’s name is Goober, and it’s all yours.
Smashwords Edition
Copyright © 2011 by John H. Carroll
Copyright © 2011 by Claudia Mendoza
Smashwords Edition License Notes
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Thomas, you probably don’t know, but I’ve recently been visited by different creatures.
“Can I be Thomas’s pet?” a little dragon asked me a few weeks ago, its eyes wide with hope.
“No, little dragon. You’re very cute with all your scales and those very sharp teeth, but you breathe fire and would burn down the house,” I told it.
A hippopotamus visited me and asked, “May I be Thomas’s pet?”
“Hippopotamuses are very expensive to feed,” I told it. “Plus it’s a lot of work to give you a bath.”
“May we please be Thomas’s minions?” a bunch of cute little creatures with four eyes, goggles and balloon hands asked me a few days ago. They jumped up and down the whole time.
“No, little minions. It’s my understanding that minions eat toes,” I told them.
Now I have this wonderful animal asking the same question, Thomas. It’s not a dragon, hippopotamus, or minion, but it would like very much to be your pet. Having a pet can be an adventure, Thomas, but it is also a very big responsibility.
It’s important to know how to take care of Goober. Be sure to give him food and drink everyday. Please remember that peanut butter, chocolate and soda are not good for a cat, though they taste yummy to little boys.
I imagine Goober will jump on mommy's kitchen counters to find the secret stash of cookies. Don’t be surprised if mommy chases him with a spoon. You'll probably tell her, “But Mommy, Goober just wants to help you cook.”
If you are sad, or sick, Thomas, Goober will sit in your lap and purr for you until you feel better. That’s one of the best things about cats.
It is your responsibility to clean the litter box, Thomas. Please don’t bring it to me and say, “Look daddy, Goober went poop!”
Your friend Bobby is not allowed to tie a blanket to Goober, pretend it’s a parachute, and throw him off the roof. When you say, “But Daddy, he’s a pilot.” I’ll explain that it’s never okay to throw an animal off the roof. Then I’ll go see how many more grey hairs I have. I know that all will be forgiven when I find you and Goober asleep on the floor later in the day.
When you and Goober come inside soaking wet, I’ll ask “Were you playing in a puddle?” I imagine you’ll tell me, “It’s not a puddle, Daddy; it’s a magical ocean to faraway lands and we were pirates.”.
Your sister will scream, “Get your cat off of my bed! He's getting fur all over it!” at least once a day. Then she'll stomp back into her room and slam the door after glaring at the two of you.
Your brother Albert will most likely try to pull Goober's tail. Hitting Albert is not the way to solve this. Please come to me and I’ll have a talk with him.
I know you’re probably going to dress Goober up for Halloween. Perhaps you’ll wrap him up in a sheet with holes for the eyes. “Look Daddy, Goober’s a ghost.” Just remember that cats get sick if they eat candy.
“Cats don’t like to be dressed up as elves,” I’ll tell you at Christmas. It’ll be hard to keep a straight face when I see Goober in that little elf hat though. Remind me and we’ll be sure to get him a present under the tree; a toy for him to play with.
I imagine you and Goober will watch Harry the Hamster run in his little wheel. The two of you will start to spin in circles and when I ask what you’re doing, you’ll say, “We’re at the carnival, Daddy. Can’t you tell?”
At night, I’ll turn out the light at night and take a look at Goober sleeping at your feet. You won’t see it, but I’ll smile, knowing you’re happy.
And when you and Goober wake up each morning, there will be many more adventures to be had.
Publisher’s notes
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Aimed for readers aged five to ten, Bookata’s books allow the users (parents and children alike) to change in a few minutes the whole content from illustrations to text. “Because our stories are meant to be a reflection of the child’s complex environment, the user can choose from hundred of drawings variations offered by our illustrators and can adapt the text accordingly,” comments Stefan Maier, main media contact and company’s CFO. “If this is not enough, the user can upload their own text and illustrations,” he added.
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About the Illustrator:
Claudia Mendoza lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she was born and raised. A professional kindergarten storyteller, a graphic artist, a Hindu dancer and a violin player, she is also slightly warped by the pets that enchanted and transformed her life. Particularly her cat, Salvador.
You can find her work at:
http://www.claudiamendoza.blogspot.com/
http://claudiamendoza.foliohd.com/all
About the Author:
John H. Carroll was the youngest of seven children and was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1970. He grew up in the company of pets in an attempt to avoid people and as a result became slightly warped in their universe. There's a good chance that many of the pet episodes presented in this book actually happened to him, but he's not talking.
You can find his work at: