The Best Pet YetElectronic book published by ipicturebooks.com24 W. 25th St. New York, NY 10011 www.ipicturebooks.comAll rights reserved. Copyright 1998 by The Millbrook Press, Inc.Real Kids Readers and the Real Kids Readers logo are trademarks of The Millbrook Press, Inc.No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. For John Vitellaro, my first storyteller L. V. T.e-ISBN 1-58824-457-1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataTidd, Louise Vitellaro.The best pet yet / by Louise Vitellaro Tidd ; photography by Dorothy Handelman.p. cm. (Real kids readers. Level 2)Summary: At the pet shop to select his first pet, a boy finally settles on a rabbit.ISBN 0-7613-2006-7 (lib. bdg.). ISBN 0-7613-2081-8 (pbk.)1. Pets Fiction. 2. Pet Shops Fiction. I. Handelman, Dorothy, ill. II. Title. III. Series. PZ7.T43458n 1998 Edc21The Best Pet Yet Louise Vitellaro TiddPhotographs by Dorothy HandelmanToday is a great day for Jay. Today he gets his first pet. But what kind of pet will he get? Mom, Dad, and Jay go to the pet store to choose.45First Jay sees a cute brown dog. It has a short tail and big round eyes. Will Jay get a dog?6A dog can be a lot of fun. This dog likes to play tug-of-war. He pulls one way. Jay pulls back.7Jay tells Mom that this is the pet he wants. But Mom tells him no.8She says the dog is cute. But it is too noisy for their home. Jay will not get this dog.9Next Jay sees a tan-and-white cat With bright blue eyes. Will Jay get a cat?10A cat makes a great pet. Jay likes to hug this cat. He likes to pet its soft fur.11Jay tells Dad that this is the pet he wants. But Dad tells him no. Dad says that cats make his eyes itch. They make his nose run. Jay will not get a cat.12Then Jay hears a loud HELLO. He looks up. A big bird is talking to him.14A bird might be a good pet. Jay could teach it tricks. He could even teach it to say his name.15Jay tells the pet store man that this is the pet he wants. But the man tells him no.16He says this bird is his own pet. It is not for sale. Jay will not get this bird.Jay cannot get a dog or cat. He cannot get a bird. Maybe he can get some fish.18Jay watches the fish swim in their big tank. They are nice to look at.Mom and Dad say that fish are fine. The pet store man says that the fish are for sale. Will Jay get some fish?20This time Jay says no. He cannot play with fish. He cannot hug them or teach them tricks.22Jay asks the pet store man for help. Does the man know which pet he should get?The man says Jay should choose. He tells Jay to pick a pet that will make him happy.23Jay thinks hard. He wants a pet he can hug. He wants to play with it and teach it tricks. So what pet should he get?24Then Jay sees a new pet. This is the best pet yet! It is not too noisy for Jays home. It does not make Dads eyes itch.26It lives in its own cage. It is soft and white and small. It has long ears. And it is for sale!Jay is very happy. A bunny is the best pet yet! He can hug it and play with it and teach it tricks.But Jay will not get a pet today.29He will get two!3031Phonic Guidelines Use the following guidelines to help your child read the words in The Best Pet Yet.Short Vowels When two consonants surround a vowel, the sound of the vowel is usually short. This means you pronounce a as in apple, e as in egg, i as in igloo, o as in octopus, and u as in umbrella. Short-vowel words in this story include: big, can, cat, Dad, dog, fun, gets, hug, Mom, not, pet, tan, tug.Short-Vowel words with Consonant Blends When two or more different consonants are side by side, they usually blend to make a combined sound. In this story, words with consonant blends include: best, help, long, next, soft, swim, tank.Double Consonants When two identical consonants appear side by side, one of them is silent. Double- consonant words in this story include: pulls, tells, will.R-Controlled Vowels When a vowel is followed by the letter r, its sound is changed by the r. In this story, words with r-controlled vowels include: bird, for, fur, hard, war.Long Vowel and Silent E If a word has a vowel and ends with an e, usually the vowel is long and the e is silent. Long vowels are pronounced the same way as their alphabet names. In this story, words with a long vowel and silent e include: cage, cute, fine, home, like, make, name, nice, nose, sale.Double Vowels When two vowels are side by side, usually the first vowel is long and the second vowel is silent. Double-vowel words in this story include: day, Jay, play, sees, tail, teach.Diphthongs Sometimes when two vowels (or a vowel and a consonant) are side by side, they combine to make a diphthonga sound that is different from long or short vowel sounds. Diphthongs are: au, aw, ew, oi, oy, ou, ow. In this story, words with diphthongs include: