One of the favorite studies in our Head Start curriculum is the pet study. Some children may already be familiar with Pet Show! by Ezra Jack Keats, a classic book about children and their beloved pets.

In the story, neighborhood children bring their pets to a pet show with the hope of winning the grand prize. This is a good book to use to talk about what animals would make good pets and which ones may not be so good.

Our pet study includes discussions like that and books like Keats’. We also often end our study with a pet show – either with live family pets or stuffed animals.

After reading, head over to the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation online to play Pet Show Shuffle!, which will help with visual discrimination and fine motor skills. While there, explore many of Keats’ other works, including animated read alouds and more fun games!

Pet Show Game