A review by bookgirl4ever
A Pocketful of Cricket by Rebecca Caudill

4.0

Jay lives on a farm. He likes to explore the farm, picking up little treasures he finds along the way. By the cow path, Jay finds a cricket. He decides to keep the cricket as a pet and makes a small cage for the cricket. He feeds the cricket, finds that it chirps when it is dark, and becomes attached to the little critter. Soon school starts and Jay wants to bring the cricket to school with him. But the inside of his pocket is dark, so the cricket chirps all the way to school, causing the kids on the bus to go crazy. Jay is a little embarrased but loves his pet. His teacher is understanding and lets Jay tell about his pet during show and tell. The kids come to respect him and can't wait for Jay to bring more cool things to class.

Descriptive prose and simple illustrations (I'm not sure what today's kids think about this style of art). This a good story for kids who like to explore the outdoors or are budding scientists. Jay reminds me of my brother.

Caldecott Honor.

K-2nd.