Ladybug Nominee Profile

The Man Who Didn't Like Animals by Deborah Underwood and LeUyen Pham (Clarion Books, 2024)

There once was a man who loved his tidy home and who didn’t like animals. Then, one day, a cat appeared. The man and the cat both liked napping and watching the rain and eating dinner precisely at six.

Well, maybe this one animal could stay.

Next came a dog . . .

This bighearted and funny tale with delightful artwork from Caldecott Honor artist LeUyen Pham celebrates the joy of embracing new perspectives.

About Deborah Underwood

Deborah Underwood is the author of  New York Times bestsellers The Quiet Book, The Loud Book, Here Comes the Easter Cat and Outside In. Deborah grew up in Walla Walla, Washington, but now lives in Northern California with her cat Bella. Her website is: https://www.deborahunderwoodbooks.com/

About LeUyen Pham

LeUyen Pham is a children's book illustrator and author who was born in Saigon, South Vietnam. She currently lives in Los Angeles, California, with her artist husband Alexandre Puvilland, two children and cat named Sardine. She has illustrated and written more than 120 books, including Outside Inside, Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn and Lunar New Year Love Story. Her website is: https://leuyenpham.com/

Activities & Links

• Check out this Read Aloud at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBoSbmAFiDU&t=2s
• Here's an interview with Deborah Underwood, author of "The Man Who Didn't Like Animals": https://www.mariacmarshall.com/single-post/2019/10/28/the-picture-book-buzz-interview-with-deborah-underwood
• Here's an interview with LeUyen Pham, illustrator of "The Man Who Didn't Like Animals" about her illustration process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRSm9TVOk1E
• Creative Writing & Drawing exercise: Have children write or draw about an animal they love and what they would share with it.
• Reflection exercise: Have children talk about a time they changed their minds about something new (food, a book, a place), mirroring the main character's growth.
• Here's a link to the song "Old MacDonald" that this book is based off of: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaQk_sds7Ek 

Suggestions for Further Reading

• Check out the other 2026 Ladybug Longlist titles featuring Animals at: https://nhbookcenter.blogspot.com/2026/01/ladybug-longlist-animals.html
• Don't Worry Wuddles by Lita Judge, a 2024 Ladybug Longlist title and Llama Destroys the World by Jonathan Stutzman & Heather Fox, a 2022 Ladybug Longlist title are both fun books about animals that you can count on. 
• For more books by Deborah Underwood, consider Outside In, a 2021 Ladybug Nominee Finalist title, or Interstellar Cinderella, a 2016 Ladybug Nominee Finalist title. 

This is the last of nine titles nominated for the 2026 Ladybug Picture Book Award. We will issue a pdf voters guide featuring all the titles by Labor Day.