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A Pet Named Sneaker

A Pet Named Sneaker
Written by Joan Heilbroner
Illustrated by Pascal Lemaitre
Random House, c2013. Unpaged easy reader.

Sneaker the snake lives in a perfectly nice pet shop, but he is unhappy because no customers ever want to take him home. One day, a boy named Pete comes into the shop, and Pete and Sneaker have an instant connection. Pete takes Sneaker home, and the two pals have fun playing games like "I Am a Necktie," and "I Am a Hat." When Pete has to go to school, Sneaker sneaks into his backpack; when discovered, he turns out to be the perfect show-and-tell object. Sneaker is a natural student, and as he comes to class every day, he learns to spell and write his name. The two friends also go to the pool together, where Sneaker swims to the aid of a floundering little boy. In the end, this heroic act leads to Sneaker becoming the pet pool lifeguard. This is a fun set of mini stories, and is surely a front runner for a Geisel honor!

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