Pets are highly entertaining, but there can be a scary side to owning them. Sometimes they run away, frequently through human error. I like that there were so many pets at the school for the children to take care of, because it shows them that different creatures have different needs. Willow is a sweet girl, devastated when Maria the class pet goes missing. That was tragic - the pain was all too real for me as due to my error I've lost one of my zebra finches, Aeris, out my window that way: as far as I'm concerned she lived happily ever after with a kind pigeon who took her in. The reality is too awful to contemplate.

Thankfully that train of thought isn't lingered on for Maria's disappearance, Willow ends up with her own pet rabbit who she loves ever so much. It's not all plain sailing, and Willow does a very kind act with her new pet, something which warmed my heart. She puts the joy of others before her own, something we can all learn from.

I really liked the idea behind the book but the original story sort of gets "lost'...and I was left wondering what on earth happened to the original bunny at the beginning of the book. I think overall this story needed a bit more editing to keep the point clear.

This was an ok story but I don't understand why the little girl would want to give away her pet rabbit to school after they had lost the previous one - and why did her parents let that happen??

I have had a lot of pets and would never at any age have dreamt of leaving them at school - our school had two chinchillas that lived in a science classroom, they always looked sad and I wouldn't willingly leave a pet in a darkened classroom with no heating overnight.

It had the potential to be nice story and I get that she wanted to share her pet with her friends but they could see it at her home if/when they came to visit. I think its a good book about owning your own first pet and the care it needs, just not 100% happy with the ending for me.

This is a cute book about owning a pet and sharing it with your friends. Willow's third grade class gets to spend time in the pet corner at their school. They love the little bunny and Willow names it Maria. One day the bunny is scared and it escapes. Willow is very sad. Her parents get her a little bunny for her own and she names it Maria. She takes good care of Maria and invites her friends over to play with them. The story shows various ways things that Willow does to take care of Maria and keep her safe. She eventually takes Maria to school so all her friends can spend time with her. A cute story with cute pictures. A nice story to share with children who love animals or who are asking for their own pet so they know about the care and commitment.

Nice enough story about pet ownership for kids. Illustrations looked wonderful- bold and I am sure colorful (I only have a Kindle) but it troubles me that the classroom rabbit running off was never resolved! Was it found?? Why would Willow donate her own rabbit, with the same name as the missing classroom rabbit, no less, to her class?!? Maybe the kids reading the story won't care...

*thank you to NetGalley and BookBuzz.net for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

3 stars.
Firstly, I really like this cover. The colours, the image, its definitely quite appealing for little girls. This little picture book is about the love for animals and having your own pet. Willow's third grade class has its own Petting area where the children get to spend time with the animals (which is so cool, I wish my primary school had this!) Along the way you will meet a little bunny called Maria. The pictures are really well coloured which I think is just as important as the story. Definitely recommend this for children who love animals