Who Wants Broccoli?

by Val Jones, Val Jones (Illustrator)

Overview

Broccoli is a lovable but rambunctious dog who wants to find a home in this fetchingly fun picture book! Broccoli lives at Beezley’s Animal Shelter and loves to show off his bowl-tossing and tail-chasing skills—and especially his great big BARK!  He dreams of playing in a yard with a boy. But when a boy named Oscar comes looking for his perfect pet, Broccoli is hidden away. Will Broccoli find his perfect home?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062303516
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	06/16/2015
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 10.30(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Val Jones was inspired to write Broccoli's story by her adopted Labradoodle, Fergus, whose foibles were a sure deterrent from being picked as a perfect pet by some, but not by her.

Val studied art at Hussian School of Art in Philadelphia, and after freelancing as an illustrator, followed by a career in the corporate world, Val was finally free to pursue her dream of writing and illustrating picture books. Val lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, Bob, their dog, Fergus, and Pity the kitty.

Val Jones was inspired to write Broccoli's story by her adopted Labradoodle, Fergus, whose foibles were a sure deterrent from being picked as a perfect pet by some, but not by her.

Val studied art at Hussian School of Art in Philadelphia, and after freelancing as an illustrator, followed by a career in the corporate world, Val was finally free to pursue her dream of writing and illustrating picture books. Val lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, Bob, their dog, Fergus, and Pity the kitty.

Editorial Reviews

Broccoli’s over-the-top behaviors are likely to elicit giggles, and Mrs. Beezley’s message that “there’s a lid for every pot and a pot for every lid” could promote discussions around pet ownership, acceptance, family, and friendship. — School Library Journal

From the Publisher

06/01/2015
PreS-Gr 2—Broccoli is a big, boisterous dog at Beezley's Animal Shelter. Despite his best efforts to show off by catching his bowl on his head, chasing his tail around, and barking loudly, he has never been picked as a "perfect pet." When he sees that a boy playing with a ball has moved in across the street, Broccoli's excited, gregarious antics lead Mr. Beezley to move his cage into the storeroom. This means that Oscar doesn't see Broccoli when he visits the shelter, and he is not interested in the small, well-behaved animals that Mrs. Beezley offers. Luckily, Oscar leaves his ball behind and when he returns, Broccoli uses his loud bark to save the day and Oscar finds his "perfect pet." The watercolor and pencil illustrations are bright and lighthearted. Some pages are fully covered and others employ a generous amount of white space, but there are opportunities to find humorous details in many scenes. Broccoli's over-the-top behaviors are likely to elicit giggles, and Mrs. Beezley's message that "there's a lid for every pot and a pot for every lid" could promote discussions around pet ownership, acceptance, family, and friendship. VERDICT A cute and quick pet story recommended for additional purchase.—Whitney LeBlanc, Staten Island Academy, NY

School Library Journal

2015-03-03
The tricks that make a dog unadoptable in some people's eyes are just the ticket home for Broccoli. Broccoli's lived at Beezley's Animal Shelter for most of his life, alongside fluffy and adorable bunnies, hamsters, and kittens, all under the care of the kind, elderly Beezleys. Mrs. Beezley lovingly brushes each animal before opening, pronouncing, "There's a lid for every pot and a pot for every lid." But Mr. Beezley isn't so sure about the lid for messy Broccoli's pot. The dog's tricks include tossing his water-filled dish in the air and catching it on his head, playing high-speed games of chase with his tail, and giving "warnings" with his deep and large bark. When he soaks the entire shop, Mr. Beezley puts him in the storeroom...but will the pot that is Broccoli and the lid that is the little boy longing for a dog miss each other because of this? The despondent dog finally rallies when he spies the little boy's lost ball on a storeroom shelf. His antics get both him and the ball noticed, and Broccoli's finally found his lid (in more ways than one). Jones nicely builds suspense, and readers will be rooting for the dog by the end. Everyone is round-headed and rosy-cheeked (and most are Caucasian) in her watercolor-and-colored-pencil illustrations. Readers longing for a lid to their own pots, or with similarly challenging behaviors, will find comfort in Broccoli's tale. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews