Book picks similar to
Come Back, Ben by Ann Hassett


picture-books
picture-book
childrens
easy-reader

The Best Pet Ever


Victoria Roberts - 2010
    A rock, a glove, a candy wrapper and even a balloon all serve as substitutes! Until, one day, she carefully opens a box to find a real kitten--and he is the best pet in the WORLD!

Shampoodle (Step into Reading, Step 2)


Joan Holub - 2009
    But before the first photo can be taken, an exuberant pack of pups needs a bit of grooming. So they’re off to Shampoodle, the local pet salon, where the eager dogs simply cannot sit still. And when some curious cats stop by, things go from messy to mayhem.

Where Bear?


Sophy Henn - 2014
    But over time the bear cub grew . . . and grew . . . and GREW! And did things that bears do . . . and do . . . and DO! One day the boy looked at the bear and realized he was just too big and bearish to be living in a house. "I think it's time we found you a new place to live where you can be bearish and big," said the boy. "But where, bear?"From the only two-time World Book Illustrator Sophy Henn, here is a delightful journey that reminds us that even when best friends are apart, they always stay together.Praise for WHERE BEAR? * "[N]othing short of magnificent. Each page is absolutely charming and begs to be looked at again and again."–Library Media Connection, starred review "[A] winsome debut . . . The catchy refrain, 'Then where, bear?,'and Henn’s sophisticated matte-toned illustrations make for a zippy take on the 'finding your place' genre."–New York Times Book Review   "This gentle tale about friendship and home will give early readers and their grown-ups plenty of food for discussion."–Kirkus Reviews"Simple illustrations in bold colors allow the bear’s repertoire of expressions — chagrin, boredom, and terror — to take center stage."–Boston Globe"[C]hildren will gravitate to the rhythmic repetition and the graphic design. A notable debut."–Booklist

Shy Willow


Cat Min - 2021
    VERY shy.Her home is in an abandoned mailbox, and she'd rather stay put. Outside kids scream and soccer balls collide, trees look like monsters, and rain is noisy in a scary kind of way. It's much nicer to stay inside, drawing. But then a young boy drops a letter in Willow's mailbox: it's a note to the moon asking for a special favor. Willow knows that if she doesn't brave the world outside, the letter will never be delivered, and the boy will be heartbroken. Should she try? Can she?Cat Min delivers a breathtakingly illustrated story about shyness, the power of empathy, and what it means to make a friend.