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The Imaginary Veterinary #1
The Sasquatch Escape
Ben Silverstein is set for boredom in his grandpa's rundown town of Buttonville. Until he and reckless Pearl Petal take a wounded baby dragon to the only veterinarian, Dr. Woo at her "Worm Hospital" -- actually for creatures from an imaginary world. After Ben leaves the front door unlocked, the intrepid pair must rescue the escaped giant stingy and very hairy sasquatch.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
257 people are currently reading
1977 people want to read
About the author
Suzanne Selfors
71Ìýbooks844ÌýfollowersSuzanne Selfors lives on an island near Seattle where it rains all the time, which is why she tends to write about cloudy, moss-covered, green places.
She's married, has two kids, and writes full time.
Her favorite writers are Kurt Vonnegut, Charles Dickens, and most especially, Roald Dahl.
Please visit her at to learn more about her books.
She's married, has two kids, and writes full time.
Her favorite writers are Kurt Vonnegut, Charles Dickens, and most especially, Roald Dahl.
Please visit her at to learn more about her books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 457 reviews
July 6, 2014
I would like to say that I have read this, but alas I have not been given the chance. I won this in a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ giveaway and when it came in the mail my 10yo son grabbed it and read it. He liked it so much that he did his next book report on it. His friends liked his report so much they borrowed it. We finally got it back but I don't know where it is. So I'm writing this review to let other 4th grade boys and girls (or close to it on either side) that there is a great chance they'll enjoy this book. My son thought it was a fun book to read, not too confusing, funny in parts and overall great read. Thanks for the giveaway!
February 8, 2017
If you liked this book, you might also enjoy:
� Menagerie series
� Unwanteds series
� Castle Glower series
� Menagerie series
� Unwanteds series
� Castle Glower series
April 19, 2018
A wonderful story!
Ben is being sent to his Grandpa Abe's house to spent the summer in an old manufacturing town called Buttonville.
Buttonville is where the old button factory closed down when people did not want to pay a lot of money for handmade buttons, when they could buy machine made buttons for a cheaper price. So Buttonville became like a ghost town.
When Grandpa picked Ben up at the airport, they drove home in silence because Ben was shy and really did not know Grandpa well, he saw him the last time when Ben was 4 years old.
But Ben found his voice when he looked up to the sky and what he thought was a large bird flying. He told Grandpa it was as big as a helicopter. Ben likes to tell stories, so Grandpa thought he was starting to feel at home and was telling one now. By the time they got to the house, Ben found a young girl looking out her window also and she said it was a dragon!
This starts the summer vaction for Ben off on a good vibe. The girl lives across the street from Grandpa and her name is Paula Petal. Paula and Ben start their adventures off with finding a small hatchling, (young dragon).
Grandpa would like Ben and Paula to spend the summer with him at the Senior Center, but they have other ideas of summer fun.
They start out with helping Dr. Woo with her worm farm. They get into some trouble and find out some differences between the real world and the make believe world. This is book 1 in the series and I can't wait to get the others.
I purchased the book for my 9 year old granddaughter but decided to read it before giving it to her.
It is a wonderful story and well written, I can't wait to share it with Aryana.
Ben is being sent to his Grandpa Abe's house to spent the summer in an old manufacturing town called Buttonville.
Buttonville is where the old button factory closed down when people did not want to pay a lot of money for handmade buttons, when they could buy machine made buttons for a cheaper price. So Buttonville became like a ghost town.
When Grandpa picked Ben up at the airport, they drove home in silence because Ben was shy and really did not know Grandpa well, he saw him the last time when Ben was 4 years old.
But Ben found his voice when he looked up to the sky and what he thought was a large bird flying. He told Grandpa it was as big as a helicopter. Ben likes to tell stories, so Grandpa thought he was starting to feel at home and was telling one now. By the time they got to the house, Ben found a young girl looking out her window also and she said it was a dragon!
This starts the summer vaction for Ben off on a good vibe. The girl lives across the street from Grandpa and her name is Paula Petal. Paula and Ben start their adventures off with finding a small hatchling, (young dragon).
Grandpa would like Ben and Paula to spend the summer with him at the Senior Center, but they have other ideas of summer fun.
They start out with helping Dr. Woo with her worm farm. They get into some trouble and find out some differences between the real world and the make believe world. This is book 1 in the series and I can't wait to get the others.
I purchased the book for my 9 year old granddaughter but decided to read it before giving it to her.
It is a wonderful story and well written, I can't wait to share it with Aryana.
May 20, 2014
I read this to my six and four year old, and it kept all of us(including my wife occasionally) completely entertained. Look forward to reading the rest of the series.
August 15, 2017
This was our second book for Oregon Battle of Books 2016. This was an awesome choice for the kids, and I've been wanting to read this for awhile myself.
October 26, 2015
the Sasquatch Escape is one of the most exiting adventure novel that I hope for all of you Book Loving People to read
January 4, 2022
I liked it more than I thought I would, good characters
March 1, 2019
3.5 Stars. We read this with my girls for school and they really enjoyed it and were usually disappointed when we would only read a chapter a night. I actually enjoyed reading it with them and look forward to seeing where the author takes the story in the series. There were definitely a lot of unanswered questions that I assume will be answered as the series goes along.
February 16, 2018
Pretty silly and loads of fun! :) Highly recommended for kids.~
February 17, 2018
A fun, entertaining story that left me excited to finish their series! Great for 4th graders!
June 6, 2025
Another one I read with my sweet girl. These characters are so funny! I think we will love this series!
December 23, 2024
A quiet small town turns out to be not so quiet when some unexpected new neighbors move in
A little slow but pretty cute
A little slow but pretty cute
March 20, 2017
I realize that I'm not the target audience for this type of book, but I've enjoyed middle school books before. It's just that this one felt more like an elementary school book. I'm sure younger audiences will love it.
March 14, 2014
First Reads Review - The Sasquatch Escape by Suzanne Selfors
When I won this book through the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ First Reads program, I was hoping for something a little like Goosebumps, I think, something light with supernatural elements and things like that. What I got was even better, taking the imaginary and blending it with the real in ways that are not quite so innocently childish as one might think. At the surface this is a very cute story involving a Sasquatch, a baby wyvern, a cat-man, a worm doctor, and a whole host of other little flourishes that make it entertaining and fun. Digging a little deeper, though, and this is also a story about a town that has lost its soul because of a factory closing, a boy in the middle of family strife, a girl struggling with being labeled a troublemaker, and a world where the imaginary is lurking just out of sight.
The story of Ben is one that a lot of people can probably relate to, or at least understand. He's sent by his parents to spend the summer with his grandfather while they deal with things. I'm not sure if that means marital strife or something else entirely, but Ben is obviously a bit of an attention seeker, as he makes up ridiculous stories to try and get out of doing things he doesn't want to do. There is a nice moment when he's told that's lying but he insists it's different, and at that moment it's difficult not to feel for him, for his situation, which is out of his control and has him scrambling to find something to hang onto. There is also a subtle point where the grandfather is trying to teach his grandson a bit about his heritage, in speaking in Yiddish and a few other things, that is in the background but helps to flesh out their relationship.
Of course at its core the story is a fun adventure where Ben and Pearl, a girl who has been labeled a troublemaker by the town, discover that the imaginary can cross over into the real world and have to help get a Sasquatch back into hiding before its discovered by the town. It's a ridiculous story but one that is cute and moves along nicely. And there is also a darkness to it, from the fact that the town is more a ghost town after a button factory closed and most of the young people moved away. Shops are closed or struggling and it's mostly the elderly that live there. Buttons litter the streets and there is a vague sense of hopelessness. The factory becomes the missing soul of the town, one that gets filled when Dr. Woo's Worm Hospital opens up there. The children get involved with that, and there is the feeling that things will start changing in the town.
The story is rather short, showing only a few days of time, but it establishes things nicely. The characters aren't all good, from the nosy neighborhood welcome wagon who wants to know everyone's deepest secrets to Dr. Woo herself who casually mentions killing the children for what they've done. The mood is tinged with darkness, which is fun and slightly reminiscent of A Series of Unfortunate Events, though without quite the level of horrible things happening. Still, the writing is solid, the character engaging, and I found myself enjoying the read. Add to that that the book does seem to be telling a continuing narrative and not just stand-alone episodes and I'm sure this would have been a great find for me as a kid. As it is I can enjoy it for what it is, and with that I'll give it four stars out of five.
When I won this book through the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ First Reads program, I was hoping for something a little like Goosebumps, I think, something light with supernatural elements and things like that. What I got was even better, taking the imaginary and blending it with the real in ways that are not quite so innocently childish as one might think. At the surface this is a very cute story involving a Sasquatch, a baby wyvern, a cat-man, a worm doctor, and a whole host of other little flourishes that make it entertaining and fun. Digging a little deeper, though, and this is also a story about a town that has lost its soul because of a factory closing, a boy in the middle of family strife, a girl struggling with being labeled a troublemaker, and a world where the imaginary is lurking just out of sight.
The story of Ben is one that a lot of people can probably relate to, or at least understand. He's sent by his parents to spend the summer with his grandfather while they deal with things. I'm not sure if that means marital strife or something else entirely, but Ben is obviously a bit of an attention seeker, as he makes up ridiculous stories to try and get out of doing things he doesn't want to do. There is a nice moment when he's told that's lying but he insists it's different, and at that moment it's difficult not to feel for him, for his situation, which is out of his control and has him scrambling to find something to hang onto. There is also a subtle point where the grandfather is trying to teach his grandson a bit about his heritage, in speaking in Yiddish and a few other things, that is in the background but helps to flesh out their relationship.
Of course at its core the story is a fun adventure where Ben and Pearl, a girl who has been labeled a troublemaker by the town, discover that the imaginary can cross over into the real world and have to help get a Sasquatch back into hiding before its discovered by the town. It's a ridiculous story but one that is cute and moves along nicely. And there is also a darkness to it, from the fact that the town is more a ghost town after a button factory closed and most of the young people moved away. Shops are closed or struggling and it's mostly the elderly that live there. Buttons litter the streets and there is a vague sense of hopelessness. The factory becomes the missing soul of the town, one that gets filled when Dr. Woo's Worm Hospital opens up there. The children get involved with that, and there is the feeling that things will start changing in the town.
The story is rather short, showing only a few days of time, but it establishes things nicely. The characters aren't all good, from the nosy neighborhood welcome wagon who wants to know everyone's deepest secrets to Dr. Woo herself who casually mentions killing the children for what they've done. The mood is tinged with darkness, which is fun and slightly reminiscent of A Series of Unfortunate Events, though without quite the level of horrible things happening. Still, the writing is solid, the character engaging, and I found myself enjoying the read. Add to that that the book does seem to be telling a continuing narrative and not just stand-alone episodes and I'm sure this would have been a great find for me as a kid. As it is I can enjoy it for what it is, and with that I'll give it four stars out of five.
November 11, 2016
The Sasquatch Escape
author: Suzanne Selfors
pages:200
Book review #1
AB-2
Stefano Cia
The Sasquatch Escape is the first book of the “imaginary veterinary� series, and there are 6 books in the series. All 6 books were published by the same author named Suzanne Selfors. The first book was officially published in 2013. If you love to read fictional books like me, you will love to read this series. Its full of suspense and fantasy with a lot of adventure. The book’s message is made to let you know that having a friend or loved one around will help you in the long run with you’re situations.
Ben Silverstein (the main character) has to stay with his grandpa over the entire summer, because his parents are off working far away. He gets together with a new friend he made in Buttonville (the city he’s in with his grandpa) and they both go off on a big adventure to find out what the mysterious figure they both see lurking in the sky is, and includes an amazing spooky hospital full of things that take them on crazy adventures as well. You will love this book if you read books that are fun until they get to the main point of the story, and at the end of the story they leave you with some cliff hangers.
Personally this is the funnest fictional book i’ve read so far that makes me wanna read the whole series. It’s showing you that doing things alone is the boring way to do it, and when you have somebody by your side it’s more fun. It’s also got intensity and it’s full of adventurous stuff and those are the books i usually keep my eye on when i try to find a book to read. I will for sure finish reading this series!
author: Suzanne Selfors
pages:200
Book review #1
AB-2
Stefano Cia
The Sasquatch Escape is the first book of the “imaginary veterinary� series, and there are 6 books in the series. All 6 books were published by the same author named Suzanne Selfors. The first book was officially published in 2013. If you love to read fictional books like me, you will love to read this series. Its full of suspense and fantasy with a lot of adventure. The book’s message is made to let you know that having a friend or loved one around will help you in the long run with you’re situations.
Ben Silverstein (the main character) has to stay with his grandpa over the entire summer, because his parents are off working far away. He gets together with a new friend he made in Buttonville (the city he’s in with his grandpa) and they both go off on a big adventure to find out what the mysterious figure they both see lurking in the sky is, and includes an amazing spooky hospital full of things that take them on crazy adventures as well. You will love this book if you read books that are fun until they get to the main point of the story, and at the end of the story they leave you with some cliff hangers.
Personally this is the funnest fictional book i’ve read so far that makes me wanna read the whole series. It’s showing you that doing things alone is the boring way to do it, and when you have somebody by your side it’s more fun. It’s also got intensity and it’s full of adventurous stuff and those are the books i usually keep my eye on when i try to find a book to read. I will for sure finish reading this series!
May 19, 2013
Really 3.5 stars. Cute adventure story with some fantasy thrown in. Definitely more for the kid who doesn't like high fantasy than for the kid who does. It's the type of fantasy where the world is normal and everything is normal and the way we know it, until a certain point when it is revealed that there's actually a secret fantasy world hiding behind the one we know. What's that called? Is there a name for that type of fantasy? I'm now googling all kinds of Fantasy genres and the closest I can find is Urban Fantasy, which doesn't fit because this book is set in a tiny town.
In any case, this is a good light fantasy adventure for a high-reading 3rd (even 2nd, for those couple of kids who are reading high enough - the only scary thing is the bigfoot, who ends up being a bit goofy and not really scary)-6th grader. Fun.
And Dan Santat's illustrations really add to the story - loved them! Really, everything he creates is gold.
In any case, this is a good light fantasy adventure for a high-reading 3rd (even 2nd, for those couple of kids who are reading high enough - the only scary thing is the bigfoot, who ends up being a bit goofy and not really scary)-6th grader. Fun.
And Dan Santat's illustrations really add to the story - loved them! Really, everything he creates is gold.
January 4, 2018
A well paced book with bland characterization but pretty nice on the paranormal creatures side.
Several points of the book were very fine. For example, I liked the addition of old people as secondary characters and I appreciated the care put in the various creatures. The art also worked well with the story and was in a style I enjoyed (I think it's a good idea to have illustrations when there are paranormal creatures). The story wasn't thrilling, but what happened was enough to keep me entertained, especially as there were several events and characters introduced, with a bit of suspense. The lack of good characterization was disappointing, the heroes were unidimensional and not really interesting, I never became trully invested in what happened to them. Overall, it was an average read for me but the ending makes the sequels appealing, so it's possible I'll pick the 2nd volume at some point.
Several points of the book were very fine. For example, I liked the addition of old people as secondary characters and I appreciated the care put in the various creatures. The art also worked well with the story and was in a style I enjoyed (I think it's a good idea to have illustrations when there are paranormal creatures). The story wasn't thrilling, but what happened was enough to keep me entertained, especially as there were several events and characters introduced, with a bit of suspense. The lack of good characterization was disappointing, the heroes were unidimensional and not really interesting, I never became trully invested in what happened to them. Overall, it was an average read for me but the ending makes the sequels appealing, so it's possible I'll pick the 2nd volume at some point.
May 7, 2019
I noticed this book at the library I volunteer in, tucked in among the awards section. This novel has won some awards in the state we live in (Iowa) and I wanted to start introducing our son to longer form books that still have some pictures to keep him interested.
We both adore this book. He was sold from the beginning and wanted to know all about the sasquatch and what was going to happen next with Pearl and Ben. Every night I was asked about reading a book at bedtime, and I have to admit, that melts my heart.
I loved the accessibility of this book. It's perfect the slightly older child who is an independent reader but may not be ready for YA or middle-grade books yet. It's also a great book for what we did, which is reading aloud to a younger child. Using different voices and inflections really brought the book to life for him, and the pictures (especially of the different characters) gave him a great reference point for following along while I read. Plus, I was able to answer the questions he had in real time about what certain words meant or what was going to happen next. Every night ended with him saying, "That's all? What's the next chapter called?"
I've already borrowed the second book in the series for us to start.
We both adore this book. He was sold from the beginning and wanted to know all about the sasquatch and what was going to happen next with Pearl and Ben. Every night I was asked about reading a book at bedtime, and I have to admit, that melts my heart.
I loved the accessibility of this book. It's perfect the slightly older child who is an independent reader but may not be ready for YA or middle-grade books yet. It's also a great book for what we did, which is reading aloud to a younger child. Using different voices and inflections really brought the book to life for him, and the pictures (especially of the different characters) gave him a great reference point for following along while I read. Plus, I was able to answer the questions he had in real time about what certain words meant or what was going to happen next. Every night ended with him saying, "That's all? What's the next chapter called?"
I've already borrowed the second book in the series for us to start.
August 11, 2024
3.75 rounded up! This made a nice little book flight with the scarier It Came From the Trees.
Weirdly, when I went to the library to pick up that book about a Bigfoot, the library had a whole display about Bigfoot ( a mix of adult and MG novels, scary and cozy).
This is the first in a series. Ben goes to visit his grandpa for the summer. His parents are struggling with their marriage and Ben copes by telling “stories�. Grandpa leaves Ben to his own devices. Ben makes friends with Pearl, the town “troublemaker� She doesn’t mean to cause problems, they just seem to find her. After finding a baby dragon, the two kids seek out help from the mysterious Worm Hospital. They meet a strange assistant named Mr. Tabby and encounter several magical creatures.
Full of adventure and friendship. I can see how this is a series that children might enjoy.
Weirdly, when I went to the library to pick up that book about a Bigfoot, the library had a whole display about Bigfoot ( a mix of adult and MG novels, scary and cozy).
This is the first in a series. Ben goes to visit his grandpa for the summer. His parents are struggling with their marriage and Ben copes by telling “stories�. Grandpa leaves Ben to his own devices. Ben makes friends with Pearl, the town “troublemaker� She doesn’t mean to cause problems, they just seem to find her. After finding a baby dragon, the two kids seek out help from the mysterious Worm Hospital. They meet a strange assistant named Mr. Tabby and encounter several magical creatures.
Full of adventure and friendship. I can see how this is a series that children might enjoy.
March 16, 2020
If you have middle grade readers, pick up this series! The physical book has delightful illustrations by Dan Santat, and the audiobook has an excellent narrator. This is about a young boy who gets sent to live with his grandfather in a very small town over the summer. There he meets a girl about his age and finds a baby dragon. In trying to take care of the baby dragon, the two main characters get swept into a hunt for an escaped sasquatch! Very fun all around and there are more if your readers like them.
October 9, 2018
Ben is sent to his grandfather's very small town of Buttonville for the summer so his parents can work out some issues. Life in New York City is vastly different from life in Buttonville where they have a worm hospital.
When Grandpa's cat brings home a bat - things start to look up. But it is really not a bat - bat don't breathe fire right?
I thought this was a really cute story with lots happening for children in the pre-teen years. I'll have to remember this one from when my own grandson gets to be that age - including a message on change and how sometimes it is good.
When Grandpa's cat brings home a bat - things start to look up. But it is really not a bat - bat don't breathe fire right?
I thought this was a really cute story with lots happening for children in the pre-teen years. I'll have to remember this one from when my own grandson gets to be that age - including a message on change and how sometimes it is good.
August 23, 2019
Rating for an 8YO! My child and I read this together for a summer reading project. She really enjoyed it. It would have been too difficult for her to read on her own. I would say a really good 8YO reader would be able to - but could be for 4th grade level.
August 27, 2017
cute intro book to the rest of the series.
January 28, 2018
I read this book with our 9 year old for her global reading challenge at school. It was a cute, fun book. Our daughter really enjoyed it, too.
April 27, 2020
Keeps the reader curious till the end ! Good , fast and easy read !
Read
November 28, 2020Such fun.
February 18, 2021
Fine but a bit bland compared to some other kids-help-secret-animals reads.
March 16, 2025
My school read this book this year and I ended up reading it to my son as his bedtime story. A cute little read for sure. It gave me “Magic Treehouse� vibes that you could clearly tell the story could keep going and have so many cute twists and turns.
August 27, 2019
Ben Silverstein is going to boring Buttonville to stay with his Grandpa this summer while his parents stay in LA and work on their crumbling marriage. We start with Ben and his grandfather in the car. Ben has his hamster, Snooze, in a cage on his lap. Ben sees something in the sky. At first he thinks it is a bird. His grandfather thinks he is making it up. Ben has a reputation as a wild story teller. But this time Ben is not telling stories. He thinks it is a huge bird, but while they are driving in town he sees a girl hanging out a window and she mouths the word � Dragon.
Ben and his grandfather pass many closed stores on the way to his Grandfather's house. Grandfather Abe shows his grandson his room, reminds him to keep the door closed so the cat, Barnaby, can't get to Snooze. Grandpa Abe tells him all about the fun events at the senior center including pudding day. Ben is not that excited. They have brisket for dinner. Occasionally Grandpa Abe uses a little Yiddish as he talks with Ben.
The next day Grandpa gives Ben donuts for breakfast. Ben is enjoying this bachelor life. They go to the store to get more brisket for dinner. A girl approaches. The girl Ben saw last night. Her name is Pearl Petal, she works at the Dollar Store, and she is known in town as a bit of a troublemaker. Pearl lives with her parents and her Aunt Gladys "who has trouble remembering things". Both kids have no siblings. Pearl tells Ben she is going to the old Button factory to try to find the dragon. Ben doesn't want to join and instead joins his grandfather in the grocery store. There is a strange man in the store who is ordering bulk kiwi-flavored jelly beans from the cashier. The man says he works with Dr. Woo who is a worm doctor who works out of the old Button Factory. He also sniffs Ben and is able just from the smell to identify that he has a Chinese striped hamster. As he talks a paper drops from his pocket and Ben picks it up and gives it back to the man but as he does so he sees that it says it is a recipe for dragon's milk.
When they get home Ben is in his room when Barnaby jumps in the open window he is carrying a wounded animal. At first Ben is more focused on getting Barnaby out of his room so he can't hurt Snooze, but when he gets back in his room he examines the animal. At first he thinks it is a bat but when it breathes fire he realizes that it is a wounded dragon. He tells his grandpa he doesn't want to join him at the senior center for birthday day, but instead asks to go for a walk (grandpa agrees). Ben puts the wounded dragon in a box and takes it to Pearl. She is so excited and says they have to take the dragon to the button factory roof to reunite it with its mother. Ben doesn't want to give the dragon back he wants to keep it and he is scared to meet the dragon mother. He tells Pearl about the strange man from the grocery store with the recipe for Dragon's milk and she agrees to go talk to him first.
The gate is chained with a sign that no one but someone with a sick worm should approach. Ben would normally obey signs but he knows they need help for the dragon so Pearl climbs the fence then Ben hands her the box and then he climbs the fence. Ben notices spots of color all over the lawn they are discarded buttons which Pearl says that pigeons collect. Once here Pearl again suggests they go to the roof to find the mother. Ben doesn't trust the fire escape to the top but also argues that reptiles don't take care of their young like mammals. Pearl agrees but says they still need to get help (they have noticed a green fluid around the dragon which they think is blood) so they enter the button factory.
The strange man from the store opens the door. and they show the dragon to him. He says that it is a wyvern and that they have found their missing hatchling. The man is holding a cage and notices red sparks he says the Phoenix is arising and he rushes away from the kids to reappear without the cage. Meanwhile Pearl explains to Ben what a phoenix is. He introduces himself as Mr. Tabby and explains that the kids can't keep the wyvern since it is part of the imaginary world and they are part of the known world. He takes them to the identification room but first they must sign a rather dire form, which they do. Mr. Tabby asks Ben to lock the door. Ben tries but can't get and doesn't want to miss anything so he figures closed is good enough and rushes back. When Mr. Tabby asks how the wyvern got injured Ben says it was his grandpa's stupid cat. Mr. Tabby takes offense. Mr. Tabby sends the wyvern off for surgery. Just then an alarm announces that the Sasquatch has escaped.
Mr. Tabby is annoyed that Ben didn't actually bolt the door. Pearl mentions that her Aunt Milly is a police officer. But Mr. Tabby says that is a terrible option and instead gives them a Sasquatch catching kit and tells them it is their responsibility to bring it back. With an odd lack of urgency the two kids take the kit back to Ben's room (since he knows his grandpa will be out at the senior center birthday party) and goes through the kit. There is Dr. Woo's Guide to catching a Sasquatch which says that you shouldn't ask too many questions or else it will get mad, that it enjoys arranging things by color, that it has the foulest odor (similar to a wet dog) and that it loves sweet food especially chocolate. The kit contains a tranquilizer dart, a net to trap the beast, a chocolate bar to try to feed it, a fog bomb to disguise its presence from those in the known world, and a whistle that can make a sound like a Sasquatch which is only to be used as a last resort. The kids can't help themselves and decide to try the whistle. Pearl promises to only blow it a little bit but actually ends up making a loud noise which attracts all the squirrels from miles around. The kids have to get rid of the squirrels and clean up the mess at Grandpa Abe's house. Once they are done it is Pearl's mom calling to remind Pearl she needs to come home and do her chores. A shipment from China had come in and she had to stock the Dollar store shelves. So she leaves Ben for the night and they decide to continue searching for the Sasquatch tomorrow. (As I said no urgency to the fact that a Sasquatch is missing - they somewhat justify this by suggesting that a Sasquatch is typically not going to hurt anyone but I still found it strange as I read.)
The kids plan to leave first thing tomorrow morning but unfortunately the Welcome Wagon arrives at Grandpa Abe's house. The Welcome Wagon is Martha Mulberry and her daughter Victoria. Martha is a busybody who has to know everyone's business. Pearl already warned Ben about Victoria and the fact that she couldn't keep a secret. The Welcome Wagon gives Ben a gift, meanwhile she mentions to Gradpa Abe that something got into their garbage can and arranged the trash by color which makes Ben remember the traits listed in the brochure. Ben wants to take off but Grandpa Abe has him open his gift it contains a coupon for a free movie, a bag of nails from the hardware store, a refrigerator magnet from the dollar store, red welcome wagon ball caps, ketchup packets from the diner and a candy store chocolate button. The Welcome Wagon finally agrees to go saying that they must go and find out who has moved into the old Button factory.
When Pearl and Ben finally meet up they hear a scream and find out it is Mrs. Froot who says a sloth attacked her and stole her favorite sun bonnet. The old woman asks if that was Pearl (just because Pearl fell on one of Mrs. Froot's gnomes and broke it trying to get a bird's nest which she collects.) Just then Aunt Milly the police officer drives up who asks if the kids have seen an enormous dog with no leash. Both kids play innocent. Aunt Milly drives off calling Pearl a troublemaker. Ben asks why all adults call her a troublemaker. Pearl says it is not her fault. She put food coloring in Mr. Mutt's koi pond because she thought it would look pretty she didn't know it would die the fish. She put a windup rat in the parade because she was bored not knowing it would scare the ponies. The walk along and then see a Dollar Store cart coming toward them and when it is close they see that the Sasquatch is riding it wearing a sun bonnet. They follow the trail to the senior center which is in the midst of pudding day. They find the Sasquatch under the tables. The residents with bad eyes are giving the beast pudding thinking it is a dog. Grandpa sees his grandson and asks what he is doing. Ben says the truth and Abe thinks it is one of Ben's stories. They tempt the Sasquatch with the chocolate bar, but Abe notices them and asks what is up so Ben ends up using the Fog Bomb to help them escape. The go through the woods toward the button factory (There is a map at the beginning of the book that gives us the layout of the small town.) But as they approach the factory they see Mrs. Mulberry and her daughter outside of the gate patiently waiting to learn the secrets of Dr. Woo. Ben wishes he had another Fog Bomb but there was only one. They can't use the dart since there is two of them and only one dart so they end up using the net. They set it up and the Welcome Wagon approaches after seeing a glimpse of something furry and Pearl. They capture them in the net. Victoria looses her glasses and her mother can't see for her daughters hair in her face so Ben, Pearl and Sasquatch can get by unseen. Since they have used up all their chocolate they grab another Welcome wagon box to get some more. The get the Sasquatch to the factory and Mr. Tabby is impressed and promises to call the police to get the Welcome Wagon down. Mr. Tabby wants to dismiss them, but the kids insist on learning more just then a voice comes over the loud speaker it is Dr. Woo. They go to meet with Dr. Woo who after some discussion decides to offer them an apprenticeship at the worm hospital. She has them sign a form with so much fine print he can't read it. She says it just says they can't tell anyone. Ben knows he already did but also that his Grandpa didn't believe him. He is nervous about getting hurt, he can see wounds on Dr. Woo but since Pearl points out what else is he going to do this summer - hang out at the senior center - he signs his name. They want to see the baby dragon again but Dr. Woo says that dragon hatchlings can get attached to humans so she forbids it. They are sad (and Ben wishes he had taken a picture of the dragon when he had a chance but accepts it.) They find out that Mr. Tabby is in charge of them, which doesn't please Mr. Tabby. He escorts them out and gives them both a rolled up piece of paper which are certificates of merit in the skill of Sasquatch Catching. The kids meet Officer Milly who asks them about a dog that got loose in the senior center or the net in the woods but they say they don't know anything about any of that. Ben can see his reflection in Milly's glasses and feels like he should look different after everything that has happened.
There are some activities at the end of the book. First we learn more about the history of Wyverns and how they were popular especially in Wales. Then it suggests the following Story Idea "Imagine that you found a wyverrn hatchling on your bed and you decided to keep it. You've been feeding it table scraps and hiding it in your closet, but one day you come home and discover..."
Next it suggests an art idea of creating your own flag for a knight tournament using the image of a wyvern. Next it tells us more about Sasquatches including the fact that the Salish people of the Pacific Northwest might go to bed hearing about the wild man called the sesquac. J. W. Burns collects stories from Native Americans in Pacific Northwest in the 1920s and created the name Sasquatch. There were many different native names for the wild-man creature, and Mr. Burns wanted to simplify things, so he created one name. As a story idea they suggest trying to come up with a creature that you would say lived in the woods if you wanted to keep people out of the woods. Next imagine that you are a newspaper reporter that just found a giant footprint. "You grab your notebook, pen, and camera and hurry to the location. but when you get there, you find something else..." As an art idea it is to draw different types of footprints of real animals and a bigfoot. A science Connection explains that while the story had the idea of dragon's milk that only mammals drink milk and explains that mammal babies need their mothers while reptile babies are independent the moment they are born. Your story ideas are to imagine a discussion between a snake mother and a squirrel mother. Anther is to describe a baby dragon just emerging from the shell - you are to describe what it is like to break out of the shell, what the world looks like and what is the first thing you do. Our last activity is to create homemade pudding.
The book ends with a preview for the next book. While this book was told from Ben's perspective this one is told from Pearl's. Starting with her waking up for the first day of her apprenticeship with her Sasquatch catching certificate under her pillow. Her mother doesn't know why Pearl would want to help at a Worm hospital and Pearl can't tell her the truth about what goes on there. Pearl's mom says it will at least keep her out of trouble as she glances at a headline about the fire department rescuing Pearl from a tree for the 2nd time. Pearl says she didn't need the fire department to rescue her she was getting a bird's nest because she collects them. When her mom leaves Pearl hides her certificate in a golden pot from a board game called Pot O'Gold that her family never played anymore.
Willa
Ben and his grandfather pass many closed stores on the way to his Grandfather's house. Grandfather Abe shows his grandson his room, reminds him to keep the door closed so the cat, Barnaby, can't get to Snooze. Grandpa Abe tells him all about the fun events at the senior center including pudding day. Ben is not that excited. They have brisket for dinner. Occasionally Grandpa Abe uses a little Yiddish as he talks with Ben.
The next day Grandpa gives Ben donuts for breakfast. Ben is enjoying this bachelor life. They go to the store to get more brisket for dinner. A girl approaches. The girl Ben saw last night. Her name is Pearl Petal, she works at the Dollar Store, and she is known in town as a bit of a troublemaker. Pearl lives with her parents and her Aunt Gladys "who has trouble remembering things". Both kids have no siblings. Pearl tells Ben she is going to the old Button factory to try to find the dragon. Ben doesn't want to join and instead joins his grandfather in the grocery store. There is a strange man in the store who is ordering bulk kiwi-flavored jelly beans from the cashier. The man says he works with Dr. Woo who is a worm doctor who works out of the old Button Factory. He also sniffs Ben and is able just from the smell to identify that he has a Chinese striped hamster. As he talks a paper drops from his pocket and Ben picks it up and gives it back to the man but as he does so he sees that it says it is a recipe for dragon's milk.
When they get home Ben is in his room when Barnaby jumps in the open window he is carrying a wounded animal. At first Ben is more focused on getting Barnaby out of his room so he can't hurt Snooze, but when he gets back in his room he examines the animal. At first he thinks it is a bat but when it breathes fire he realizes that it is a wounded dragon. He tells his grandpa he doesn't want to join him at the senior center for birthday day, but instead asks to go for a walk (grandpa agrees). Ben puts the wounded dragon in a box and takes it to Pearl. She is so excited and says they have to take the dragon to the button factory roof to reunite it with its mother. Ben doesn't want to give the dragon back he wants to keep it and he is scared to meet the dragon mother. He tells Pearl about the strange man from the grocery store with the recipe for Dragon's milk and she agrees to go talk to him first.
The gate is chained with a sign that no one but someone with a sick worm should approach. Ben would normally obey signs but he knows they need help for the dragon so Pearl climbs the fence then Ben hands her the box and then he climbs the fence. Ben notices spots of color all over the lawn they are discarded buttons which Pearl says that pigeons collect. Once here Pearl again suggests they go to the roof to find the mother. Ben doesn't trust the fire escape to the top but also argues that reptiles don't take care of their young like mammals. Pearl agrees but says they still need to get help (they have noticed a green fluid around the dragon which they think is blood) so they enter the button factory.
The strange man from the store opens the door. and they show the dragon to him. He says that it is a wyvern and that they have found their missing hatchling. The man is holding a cage and notices red sparks he says the Phoenix is arising and he rushes away from the kids to reappear without the cage. Meanwhile Pearl explains to Ben what a phoenix is. He introduces himself as Mr. Tabby and explains that the kids can't keep the wyvern since it is part of the imaginary world and they are part of the known world. He takes them to the identification room but first they must sign a rather dire form, which they do. Mr. Tabby asks Ben to lock the door. Ben tries but can't get and doesn't want to miss anything so he figures closed is good enough and rushes back. When Mr. Tabby asks how the wyvern got injured Ben says it was his grandpa's stupid cat. Mr. Tabby takes offense. Mr. Tabby sends the wyvern off for surgery. Just then an alarm announces that the Sasquatch has escaped.
Mr. Tabby is annoyed that Ben didn't actually bolt the door. Pearl mentions that her Aunt Milly is a police officer. But Mr. Tabby says that is a terrible option and instead gives them a Sasquatch catching kit and tells them it is their responsibility to bring it back. With an odd lack of urgency the two kids take the kit back to Ben's room (since he knows his grandpa will be out at the senior center birthday party) and goes through the kit. There is Dr. Woo's Guide to catching a Sasquatch which says that you shouldn't ask too many questions or else it will get mad, that it enjoys arranging things by color, that it has the foulest odor (similar to a wet dog) and that it loves sweet food especially chocolate. The kit contains a tranquilizer dart, a net to trap the beast, a chocolate bar to try to feed it, a fog bomb to disguise its presence from those in the known world, and a whistle that can make a sound like a Sasquatch which is only to be used as a last resort. The kids can't help themselves and decide to try the whistle. Pearl promises to only blow it a little bit but actually ends up making a loud noise which attracts all the squirrels from miles around. The kids have to get rid of the squirrels and clean up the mess at Grandpa Abe's house. Once they are done it is Pearl's mom calling to remind Pearl she needs to come home and do her chores. A shipment from China had come in and she had to stock the Dollar store shelves. So she leaves Ben for the night and they decide to continue searching for the Sasquatch tomorrow. (As I said no urgency to the fact that a Sasquatch is missing - they somewhat justify this by suggesting that a Sasquatch is typically not going to hurt anyone but I still found it strange as I read.)
The kids plan to leave first thing tomorrow morning but unfortunately the Welcome Wagon arrives at Grandpa Abe's house. The Welcome Wagon is Martha Mulberry and her daughter Victoria. Martha is a busybody who has to know everyone's business. Pearl already warned Ben about Victoria and the fact that she couldn't keep a secret. The Welcome Wagon gives Ben a gift, meanwhile she mentions to Gradpa Abe that something got into their garbage can and arranged the trash by color which makes Ben remember the traits listed in the brochure. Ben wants to take off but Grandpa Abe has him open his gift it contains a coupon for a free movie, a bag of nails from the hardware store, a refrigerator magnet from the dollar store, red welcome wagon ball caps, ketchup packets from the diner and a candy store chocolate button. The Welcome Wagon finally agrees to go saying that they must go and find out who has moved into the old Button factory.
When Pearl and Ben finally meet up they hear a scream and find out it is Mrs. Froot who says a sloth attacked her and stole her favorite sun bonnet. The old woman asks if that was Pearl (just because Pearl fell on one of Mrs. Froot's gnomes and broke it trying to get a bird's nest which she collects.) Just then Aunt Milly the police officer drives up who asks if the kids have seen an enormous dog with no leash. Both kids play innocent. Aunt Milly drives off calling Pearl a troublemaker. Ben asks why all adults call her a troublemaker. Pearl says it is not her fault. She put food coloring in Mr. Mutt's koi pond because she thought it would look pretty she didn't know it would die the fish. She put a windup rat in the parade because she was bored not knowing it would scare the ponies. The walk along and then see a Dollar Store cart coming toward them and when it is close they see that the Sasquatch is riding it wearing a sun bonnet. They follow the trail to the senior center which is in the midst of pudding day. They find the Sasquatch under the tables. The residents with bad eyes are giving the beast pudding thinking it is a dog. Grandpa sees his grandson and asks what he is doing. Ben says the truth and Abe thinks it is one of Ben's stories. They tempt the Sasquatch with the chocolate bar, but Abe notices them and asks what is up so Ben ends up using the Fog Bomb to help them escape. The go through the woods toward the button factory (There is a map at the beginning of the book that gives us the layout of the small town.) But as they approach the factory they see Mrs. Mulberry and her daughter outside of the gate patiently waiting to learn the secrets of Dr. Woo. Ben wishes he had another Fog Bomb but there was only one. They can't use the dart since there is two of them and only one dart so they end up using the net. They set it up and the Welcome Wagon approaches after seeing a glimpse of something furry and Pearl. They capture them in the net. Victoria looses her glasses and her mother can't see for her daughters hair in her face so Ben, Pearl and Sasquatch can get by unseen. Since they have used up all their chocolate they grab another Welcome wagon box to get some more. The get the Sasquatch to the factory and Mr. Tabby is impressed and promises to call the police to get the Welcome Wagon down. Mr. Tabby wants to dismiss them, but the kids insist on learning more just then a voice comes over the loud speaker it is Dr. Woo. They go to meet with Dr. Woo who after some discussion decides to offer them an apprenticeship at the worm hospital. She has them sign a form with so much fine print he can't read it. She says it just says they can't tell anyone. Ben knows he already did but also that his Grandpa didn't believe him. He is nervous about getting hurt, he can see wounds on Dr. Woo but since Pearl points out what else is he going to do this summer - hang out at the senior center - he signs his name. They want to see the baby dragon again but Dr. Woo says that dragon hatchlings can get attached to humans so she forbids it. They are sad (and Ben wishes he had taken a picture of the dragon when he had a chance but accepts it.) They find out that Mr. Tabby is in charge of them, which doesn't please Mr. Tabby. He escorts them out and gives them both a rolled up piece of paper which are certificates of merit in the skill of Sasquatch Catching. The kids meet Officer Milly who asks them about a dog that got loose in the senior center or the net in the woods but they say they don't know anything about any of that. Ben can see his reflection in Milly's glasses and feels like he should look different after everything that has happened.
There are some activities at the end of the book. First we learn more about the history of Wyverns and how they were popular especially in Wales. Then it suggests the following Story Idea "Imagine that you found a wyverrn hatchling on your bed and you decided to keep it. You've been feeding it table scraps and hiding it in your closet, but one day you come home and discover..."
Next it suggests an art idea of creating your own flag for a knight tournament using the image of a wyvern. Next it tells us more about Sasquatches including the fact that the Salish people of the Pacific Northwest might go to bed hearing about the wild man called the sesquac. J. W. Burns collects stories from Native Americans in Pacific Northwest in the 1920s and created the name Sasquatch. There were many different native names for the wild-man creature, and Mr. Burns wanted to simplify things, so he created one name. As a story idea they suggest trying to come up with a creature that you would say lived in the woods if you wanted to keep people out of the woods. Next imagine that you are a newspaper reporter that just found a giant footprint. "You grab your notebook, pen, and camera and hurry to the location. but when you get there, you find something else..." As an art idea it is to draw different types of footprints of real animals and a bigfoot. A science Connection explains that while the story had the idea of dragon's milk that only mammals drink milk and explains that mammal babies need their mothers while reptile babies are independent the moment they are born. Your story ideas are to imagine a discussion between a snake mother and a squirrel mother. Anther is to describe a baby dragon just emerging from the shell - you are to describe what it is like to break out of the shell, what the world looks like and what is the first thing you do. Our last activity is to create homemade pudding.
The book ends with a preview for the next book. While this book was told from Ben's perspective this one is told from Pearl's. Starting with her waking up for the first day of her apprenticeship with her Sasquatch catching certificate under her pillow. Her mother doesn't know why Pearl would want to help at a Worm hospital and Pearl can't tell her the truth about what goes on there. Pearl's mom says it will at least keep her out of trouble as she glances at a headline about the fire department rescuing Pearl from a tree for the 2nd time. Pearl says she didn't need the fire department to rescue her she was getting a bird's nest because she collects them. When her mom leaves Pearl hides her certificate in a golden pot from a board game called Pot O'Gold that her family never played anymore.
Willa
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 13, 2020
It was a cool book.
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