I happened to notice this book review in the Sunday Kids Post. What caught my eye, of course, was
This book tells how the Roosevelts got used to the White House -- and how the White House got used to them. ("Shall I remove the rodent from the table?" the butler asks about one of the children's pet rats.)
The Roosevelts (Theodore, that is) had pet rats! How cool is that?
My favorite periods of American history have always been pre-Revolution through Federalism (while trustbusting put me to sleep), but I think I may need to read up on Teddy. Pet rats!
I found this is a quick Google search, from one of Roosevelt's letters:
All of the younger children are at present absorbed in various pets, perhaps the foremost of which is a puppy of the most orthodox puppy type. Then there is Jack, the terrier, and Sailor Boy, the Chesapeake Bay dog; and Eli, the most gorgeous macaw, with a bill that I think could bite through boiler plate, who crawls all over Ted, and whom I view with dark suspicion; and Jonathan, the piebald rat, of most friendly and affectionate nature, who also crawls all over everybody; and the flying squirrel, and two kangaroo rats; not to speak of Archie's pony, Algonquin, who is the most absolute pet of them all.Posted by Nic at May 17, 2005 05:34 AM