All Pets Allowed: Blackberry Farm 2

by Adele Griffin

LeUyen Pham (Illustrator)

New dog, no tricks! Becket Branch has one birthday wish—a dog! Dogs are outgoing and friendly, and they live life loud, just like Becket. Becket’s twin, Nicholas, wants a pet more like him—a peaceful, quiet indoor cat. When their parents take them to the shelter to choose a dog and a cat, it should be Becket’s biggest BEAUTIFUL ALERT ever. But Becket’s dream dog, Dibs, turns out to be a super-shy scaredy-pooch. Meanwhile, Nicholas’s kitty, Given, loves being the center of attention and greeting visitors to Blackberry Farm. Can Becket and Nicholas learn how to love Dibs and Given as they are—even if they aren’t exactly the pets the twins dreamed of? With black-and-white drawings throughout by award-winning illustrator LeUyen Pham (Real Friends), this second volume of the Blackberry Farm series offers a gentle message about embracing new friends who may not match preconceived expectations.

• ISBN10: 1643750739
• ISBN13: 9781643750736
• Publish Date: 31 August 2021
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 10 January 2023
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Algonquin Young Readers
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 192
• Language: English

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

All Pets Allowed: Blackberry Farm 2, written by Adele Griffin and illustrated by LeUyen Pham, is an enchanting middle-grade novel, one that thrilled the pet-loving child within my heart.

All Becket Branch has ever wanted was a dog. Ideally, she'd like to get that dog for her tenth birthday. Meanwhile, her brother, Nicholas, has only ever wanted a cat. Who will get their birthday wish?

As it turns out, both children will be getting the pet of their dreams for their tenth birthday. Better yet, they'll be selecting their new forever friend from the local animal shelter. But will the pets be everything they imagined?

All Pets Allowed: Blackberry Farm 2 is undoubtedly one of the most charming novels I've read in quite some time. I loved everything about this story, from the kids and their parents to the endearing animals they picked out at the shelter.

Speaking of – I love that message woven into the narrative. In fact, many good lessons are being taught in All Pets Allowed: Blackberry Farm 2. Both kids went into the pet parent life with specific expectations – and they had to learn that life (and living creatures) don't always go or behave as planned.

LeUyen Pham illustrations help enhance the whole story for me, bringing the children, their pets, and their adventures to life. It was a sweet touch, and I'm certain that had I read this novel as a child, it would have quickly become one of my favorites.

Thanks to Algonquin Young Readers and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Check out more reviews at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks