Fiction - Entertainment & The Arts, Fiction - Games & Activities, Fiction - Animals - Birds, Fiction - Occupations, Fiction - Family Life

Ava and the Real Lucille

Name: Ava and the Real Lucille
Author: Cari Best
ISBN: 9780374399030

by Cari Best, Madeline Valentine (Illustrator)

Write a review

Overview

When Ava and her sister Arlie see the "Write a Poem / Win a Pet" sign in Mr. Noah's pet shop window, Ava is sure the prize is going to be a dog and convinces Arlie to enter the contest with her. The girls write the best poem they can, and while waiting and hoping to win, they decide that "Lucille" would be the perfect name for a dog. But when Mr. Noah finally announces that they have won, Ava is so disappointed when she sees the prize, a parakeet, that she says, "You're not the real Lucille!" Ava must discover for herself that with a little patience, a little imagination, and a lot of love, her new pet will be every bit as much fun as a dog—and a fine friend besides.

Synopsis

About the Author, Cari Best

CARI BEST has written many award-winning picture books, including Sally Jean, the Bicycle Queen, a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year; Are You Going to be Good?, a Parents’ Choice Award Winner; and most recently, Easy as Pie. Ms. Best lives in Weston, Connecticut.

MADELINE VALENTINE is the illustrator of Albertine’s Got Talent by Shena Power. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Reviews

There are no reviews yet. Log in to write one.

Editorials

Publishers Weekly

There's a new member in the club of disappointing pets that cajole their way into their reluctant owners' hearts: the parakeet Lucille. Her owner, Ava, is especially disheartened because she went to all the trouble of composing a special poem about the pet she really wanted—"A dog, a dog/ A big brown dog"—to enter into a local pet shop's contest (the prize was never specified beyond "Win a Pet"). But Lucille's winsome ways (like balancing on Ava's pencil while she does math homework), coupled with a minor health crisis (a seed gets stuck in Lucille's throat), bond her to Ava and even inspire a new poetic tribute: "She runs and jumps/ And kisses, too/ She's ALMOST like a dog/ And not a dumb old bird." Best (Easy as Pie) doesn't hurry her storytelling, but as readers get used to the novelistic pacing, they'll also develop a soft spot for Valentine's (Albertine's Got Talent!) potato-faced characters, whose dot eyes and stubby little noses become increasingly endearing as the pages go by. Ages 4–8. Illustrator's agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (Sept.)

From the Publisher

“Many kids will relate to Ava’s craving for a canine…”--BCCB "Endearing.”—Publishers Weekly "Lucille is the real deal." —Kirkus

"Reads aloud well . . . A warm story with its own quirky charm." -- Booklist

Children's Literature - Carrie Hane Hung

Ava along with her sister Arlie enter a poetry contest at Mr. Noah's Pet Shop. The contest prize is a pet. Ava sees the contest as a way for her to get a pet dog that she wants. She already selected Lucille as the name for the dog and hopes that the dog would be just like Feebee who is Mr. Alley's dog that lives next door. Arlie cautions Ava that they may not win the contest and the pet may not be a dog; she points out that the contest poster did not indicate the type of pet as the prize. However, Ava continues to have hope during the weeks that pass. Mr. Noah calls and informs the sisters that they have won first prize in the pet contest. When Mr. Noah arrives with Lucille, Ava is in for a surprise and disappointment. The illustrations have a warm, yellow cast to them and the pictures support the plot of the story. The story concludes with a warm-hearted ending as Ava resolves her pet issues. A point of discussion after the story may be about what Ava really wanted in a pet and what changed her feelings about Lucille. Reviewer: Carrie Hane Hung

Kirkus Reviews

Ava and her little sister, Arlie, win first prize in a poetry contest at their local pet store, with an unspecified pet as the prize. But instead of a longed-for dog, the pet turns out to be a parakeet--not what Ava had in mind at all. The girls had planned to name their prize-dog Lucille, so the parakeet is awarded the name instead and welcomed into the family by Arlie and the girls' mother. Ava resists, glaring at the bird and making snide, often hilarious comments. Gradually the girls come to understand their new pet, and bit by bit, the bird wins them over, leading Ava to proclaim the parakeet as "the real Lucille" in a concluding poem. The parakeet's minor illness adds drama and solidifies her importance to the family. The story unfolds gracefully with just the right amount of text, incorporating subtle humor, natural dialogue and interesting tidbits of information about parakeets. Softly shaded illustrations convey a nostalgic air, full of cozy details of the pleasant home shared by the mother, her daughters and little Lucille. A quiet, warm story with real emotions and a real plot. As a pet, Lucille is the real deal. (Picture book. 3-7)