I think it’s called something like “Alligators Don’t Make Great Pets,” and it has silly descriptions and illustrations of many animals that would not make good pets. I think the child might choose a dog at the end? I checked this book out from the library in the mid-1980s. I’ve been searching for this book for years and would LOVE to find it. Hope you can help.
Daddy, Could I Have An Elephanr by Jake Wolf. Illustrated by Marylin Hafner. This is a favorite bedtime book of my little ones.
Daddy, Could I Have an Elephant has a similar story line, but the book im thinking of was published prior to 1996 because i read it as a younger child, and i would have been 13 in 1996. I also don’t see mention of an alligator, although I haven’t gotten my hands on a physical copy yet.
This sounds like the book Animals Should Definitely NOT Wear Clothing by Judi Barrett. Also, Animals Should Definitely NOT Act Like People.