Children Make Terrible Pets

Written by: Peter Brown

First line: One morning, Lucy was practicing her twirls when she noticed she was being watched.

Why you should read this book: A bear in a tutu attempts to adopt a human child, despite her mother's misgivings. Although the boy is, at times, delightful, he resists Lucy's attempts to train him, and eventually Lucy realizes that he belongs in his own world. Short, sweet, tongue-in-cheek, of great appeal to little kids.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You like to take small animals from the wild for your own selfish purposes.