Jon Goodell

A mouse in a pet shop runs through the qualities of the other animals in a pet shop as he pushes his pro-mice agenda on potential pet adopters.

My daughter liked the peppy rhymes and all the puppies, cats, and other critters scattered through the pages when she was three, but I was not persuaded to like mice or this book.

FOR REFERENCE:

Rated "Indifferent" in our old book database by Rod; rated "Good" by Adelia.

Being young, sometimes we end up in places we do not want to be. This is true for Little Salt Lick because he works as the Second Assistant Rotisserie Turner. All day long he has to sweat over turning the rotisserie, and after that, he is chased by big dogs that like to lick the salt off of him. Little Salt Lick would escape to the stables to hide out for a while from the dogs that would chase him. That is where he found the King's lost dog which would change his status. The King named him show more the First Assistant Bearer of the King's Dog. Therefore, sometimes it is better that we are patient and tolerate of the small things that we have to do even though we do not like doing it because in the end, things will work out for you. For example, if Little Salt Lick did not work as a Second Assistant Rotisserie Turner, he would not have regularly went to the stables to hide from the dogs that would chase him, and; therefore, he would have not found the King's dog and benefited from that experience. show less

Summary: In the palace of Versailles there is a young boy named Paul whose only job is to turn the rotisserie of meats in the kitchen. Because he is always in the kitchen by the hot ovens, he always has salt on his arms. This attracts the dogs and will often chase the boy in order to lick his arms. He hates his purpose in the palace and longs for something new and exciting. When King Louis looses his precious dog in the palace, Paul discovers the dog when it is attracted to his salt tasted show more arms. This gains Paul the position as the official dog bearer for the king’s dog.
Critique: This realistic fiction shows how it might have been like for a small boy to work in the palace of Versailles. Even though this particular story is not true, the events and settings could be partially true. Versailles is a real place and King Louis was the king living in that palace. The book also portrays many servants that worked in the palace. This too was also true back during this time. The setting in this book strongly portrays the realism of what Versailles must have looked like. It helps build the story and create and actual picture of events.
Teacher Use: A teacher could use this book to teach children about some of the histories of Versailles and what it might have been like for a servant to work in a palace. A teacher could also use this book to teach children about doing things we don’t like to do. We may not like all the things we have to do, but we must press on and do them cause there will be other things we do like doing.
Media: Oil paints show less

Paul is also known as Salt Lick because the dogs like the salt off of his arms. He works as an assistant rotisire turner at a Palace of Versailles. He hates his job very much. One day the Sun King comes by with his dog to visit the palace. Later on in the day the dog goes missing and Paul finds her. The Sun King is so happy that he gives him the job of dog sitter.