My Animal Friends

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

“These are my animal friends. They wake up with me and I wake up with
them. One says ‘Cock-a-doodle-doo, cock-a-doodle-doo.’ So what is
it—a rooster or a kangaroo?”

Elegant simplicity is the charm of this lovely picture book aimed at
the preschool set. The story is about a small child surrounded by live
and stuffed animals. The reader watches as the main character wakes up,
plays, does chores on a farm, wanders through a forest, and finally goes
to bed. In each stage of the story, the main character encounters a
different group of animals, ranging from a dog, a stuffed rabbit, and a
rooster to a bear, a moose, and a bluebird. The reader is then given an
animal sound and asked what kind of animal makes that noise. All the
critters, as drawn by veteran children’s book illustrator Kathryn
Shoemaker, have a dreamlike, non-threatening demeanor that will
instantly set youngsters at ease. The text, by R. David Stephens, can be
sung to sheet music printed on the front and back inside covers. This is
a terrific book for infants and adults to read together. Highly
recommended.