   | Can I keep it, please? Author: Sullivan, John | |
| Price: $23.98 | ||
Summary:
In an attempt to find the perfect pet, Evie soon realizes her plain old cat Sasha unknowingly fits the bill.
| Illustrator: | Gibson, Jessica |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (06/01/25)
Full Text Reviews:
Other - 09/08/2025 At the town pet parade, brown-skinned Evie, encountering many kinds of animals, decides that her fluffy gray cat Sasha is not "a cool pet." Determined to find something more dazzling, Evie requests a chinchilla, hedgehog, and skunk, all of which are denied by her practical parents. Though a garter snake discovered in the backyard passes parental muster, "Slithers" resists domestication, offers no emotional reciprocity, and fails to become a celebrity among Evie’s peers. During show-and-tell, the child has an epiphany: "Maybe Slithers doesn’t want to be a pet.... Not like Sasha does," Sullivan writes. After Evie releases Slithers back into the garden, the ever-devoted Sasha bears three kittens. Cheery digital cartooning by Gibson alternate domestic and school scenes, while light animalian anthropomorphism effectively conveys that different beings have different natures-and that the best pet is the one that chooses you. Secondary characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 4-8. (Aug.) - Copyright 2025
