Sadiq and the Pet Problem

Sadiq is excited when his teacher says his class can get a pet. But which one should they choose? Hamsters, bearded dragons and rabbits all have their drawbacks. The class set out to find the pet which is best for them.

Sadiq is a relatable little boy who has everyday experiences that children will identify with. He is from Somalia, and the book includes two pages of information about his home country, including a list of Somali words. Somali children will see themselves reflected as welcome, normal members of society, and other children will learn interesting facts. It is refreshing to see a book for young readers where ethnic diversity is included without it being the main topic of the story.

The illustrations are bright and appealing and designed to help with comprehension. The format is small and manageable for children’s hands while the font is large and well-spaced enough to make reading easy. There are also discussion, comprehension and writing activities at the back of the book to help tease out the themes further.

This book is the first in a series and would be a great choice for a classroom library in Years 1 to 3.