When Mrs. Food slips (in
dog Butterbean's vomit) exactly one minute before the start of The
Price is Right, she appears to be down for the count and is taken away on a
stretcher. The super of the apartment building brings a preteen Madison to
take care of Butterbean, the cat, bird and two rats living with Mrs. Food. He
says that her services are only temporary. He plans to take all of the animals
to a shelter soon. What? A shelter? The pets know that this is not an option
and decide to get their hands on some cash to pay for their own upkeep. But
where to get the loot? It is discovered that a man on the floor above has gold
coins. The animals become determined to get their paws on those coins, but
how? The team works together to concoct an elaborate scheme involving escaping
from both cages and the apartment, the complex ventilation system, wild rats,
and an octopus. All of the pets put their unique talents to work, creating a
team that is a force to be reckoned with. It looks like they might
actually pull off the heist, yet there are, predictably, complications. The
real mystery of the story is the secret that Madison is hiding, which is
finally revealed and a solution is discovered that is beneficial to all
concerned parties.
Who couldn't use a good laugh these days? I didn't realize how much I needed one until I fell into this book and started cracking up. Kids will pick up the book from the comical cover and both the humor and the fast moving plot will keep them turning pages. A heist of Ocean's Eleven proportions, these critters work together, creating an elaborate scheme, to ensure their survival in the manner in which they are accustomed. You have to appreciate their chutzpa and willingness to fix their situation. It's hard for me to pick my favorite animal, for they all have fully developed and unique personalities with hilarious idiosyncrasies. A perfect choice for reluctant readers, illustrations by Dave Mottram make the book that much more accessible. The chapters run a bit long, yet they have plenty of designated breaks. The adventure is solid with several minor mysteries to keep readers guessing. My only complaint is that I sometimes struggled with keeping the animal names straight, but the cover thoughtfully labels the names with the characters, to which I often referred. Give to animal lovers or anyone looking for a good laugh--tinged with a bit of madcap suspense.
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