“I know!” I said. “Let’s ask Mrs. Shirley. Maybe she’d like a kitten.”
Isabel’s face lit up. “She did tell you she gets lonely sometimes. The kitten would be good company. And we know he likes spending time in her garden, since he keeps going back there.”
“It’s perfect,” Sadie said. “I mean . . . if she says yes.”
A few minutes later, we were standing on Mrs. Shirley’s doorstep with the kitten in Banana’s pet carrier, along with the can of tuna and an extra loop of string. I explained the whole story. “Would you like to keep him?” I asked her. “I think he’d make a good friend. And it’s nice to have an animal to love.” I was suddenly very nervous she might say no.
“Perhaps,” Mrs. Shirley said. “But only on one condition.”
My friends and I looked at one another. “What’s that?” Sadie asked.
“If you agree to come visit and play with him,” Mrs. Shirley said.
We quickly said yes. “Maybe even Banana can come sometimes. I mean, once she and the kitten get used to each other,” I said. After the kitten settled into his new home, I hoped he would see that Banana wasn’t scary. I bet he and Banana could even become friends, too.
Mrs. Shirley smiled. “The kitty and I would love that.”
“What are you going to name him?” Isabel asked as we helped bring him inside.
“Hmm. I’m not sure yet. Any ideas?” Mrs. Shirley asked. She cradled the kitten in the crook of her arm, and he purred the loudest I’d ever heard him.
“Well,” I said. “You could always name him Surely. Like, S-U-R-E-L-Y.”
Mrs. Shirley laughed. “Surely Shirley,” she said. “I like that.”
I scratched under the kitten’s chin. He purred some more. “I think he likes it too.”
Acknowledgments
A tail-swish of thanks to all the readers, librarians, and educators who have welcomed Anna, Banana, and me into their schools—especially Libby Morrison, who wrote me my first fan letter in the summer of 2015 and invited me to visit McKinley Elementary School, and the third graders in Mrs. Donnelly’s class at Springfield Estates Elementary, who introduced me to their version of String Club when I spoke at their school last year.
A grateful purr to my agent, Meredith Kaffel Simonoff, in whose careful hands I never feel lost.
Thanks to the entire team at S&S BFYR, especially editor Alexa Pastor, who helped untangle all the strings; editrix emeritus Kristin Ostby, who suggested a kitten; and designer Laurent Linn, who always brings the cuteness. Hey, Meg Park: meow.
Thanks to all the friends who gave pats of encouragement along the way (especially Amy Jo Burns, who kept me well fed under deadline), and to my dog, Arugula, who helped with my research. A bouquet of catnip for Sophia, Anna, Erika, Jeremy, Emmett, Henry, my parents, and Jeff. A whisker twitch toward Pizzi, Sämpfli, Mewsic, Tremelo, and Bär.
Okay, Rooga, you may play with the kitty now.
And now, a sneak peek at the next book in the series, ANNA, BANANA, AND THE RECIPE FOR DISASTER
Batter Up
“No, not the carrots!” my best friend Sadie said to the television. “Don’t add those to the cake batter! Yuck!”
My other best friend, Isabel, shrugged at the screen. “I like carrot cake,” she said.
“Yeah, but chocolate carrot cake?” Sadie said. “Blech. No thank you.” We watched as the kid contestants on The Batter-Up Bake-Off Show grated three large carrots into the mixing bowl and poured in a cupful of chocolate chunks. Sadie wrinkled her nose.
“I’d try it,” Isabel said. “What about you, Anna?”
“If Dad served it for dinner, I’d have to,” I said. That was the food rule at my house: You eat what you’re served, even if it’s beets or brussels sprouts.
“True, but you’re at my house now,” Sadie said. “There aren’t any rules like that here.” There weren’t any food rules at either of Sadie’s houses. Both of her parents let her eat what she likes. And here at her dad’s place, we’re allowed to watch as much TV as we want, too, although usually we’re busy with games or adventures.
Hanging out at my house is still the most fun though because there we get to be with my dog, Banana. But Banana doesn’t mind if I go to Sadie’s or Isabel’s, as long as I tell her all about it afterward.
“I’d still probably try it,” I said, “if only so I could tell Banana what it tastes like.”
Sadie shuddered. “Just let her taste it for herself!”
“Nope. Chocolate is really bad for dogs. Like, it’s basically poison,” I said. I was always super careful to keep chocolate out of Banana’s reach. Even the thought of her eating some made my heart skip with panic.
Isabel nodded. “Cats too,” she said. “We thought Mewsic maybe ate some once, and had to take him to the vet.” Mewsic is Isabel’s gigantic orange tabby cat. He’s even bigger than Banana.
“What did the vet do about it?” Sadie asked.
“She gave him some medicine to make him throw up,” Isabel said.
“Aw, poor kitty,” I said, trying not to picture it.
“Yeah, but at least then he was safe,” Isabel said. I couldn’t argue with that.
“Oooh!” Sadie grabbed the remote and turned up the volume. “This is my favorite part.”
It had been Sadie’s idea for us to watch TV today—she’d really wanted us to see this new baking show. “Batter up!” she cried out, along with the whole TV audience. On screen, the two teams of kid contestants stepped up to the judges’ plate to show off their final creations.
“Whoa, they sprinkled carrots on top of the frosting, too,” I said, as that team gave the “pitch” for why their recipe invention should win. “They’re really into this chocolate-carrot thing.”
Sadie stuck out her tongue. “Gross.”
“I like it,” Isabel said. “It looks like a Halloween cake.”
“Yeah, but Halloween is over.” Sadie leaned back into the couch where we were sitting. “I think the other team should win. Zucchini-walnut cookies sound much better, even though it’s still vegetables for dessert.”
“I’d at least give the carrot team points for creativity,” I said.
“Definitely,” Isabel agreed. But the judges agreed with Sadie. They awarded the golden chef’s cap to the other team.
“We should go on this show together,” Sadie said, clicking it off with the remote. “We’re a really good team.”
“But we don’t know how to bake!” Isabel said.
“So? We’ll learn.” Sadie tossed a throw pillow at me and I caught it. “I’m going to a cupcake-making party tomorrow after school, actually,” she said.
Isabel perked up. “You’re going to Monica’s birthday party? Me too!”
“Cool!” Sadie said. She and Isabel beamed at each other.
I looked back and forth between them, feeling suddenly left out. “Who’s Monica?” I asked. I didn’t know Sadie and Isabel had a friend in common who wasn’t me.
About the Author and Illustrator
Anica Mrose Rissi grew up on an island off the coast of Maine, where she read a lot of books and loved a lot of pets. She now tells and collects stories, makes up songs on her violin, and eats lots of cheese with her friends and her dog, Arugula, in Princeton, New Jersey. Find out more at anicarissi.com and follow @AnicaRissi on Twitter.
Meg Park is a character designer and illustrator for clients including Disney, Nickelodeon, and Paramount Pictures. Meg lives in Scotland with her two cats, Louie and Boo. She loves drawing, painting, and telling stories through her artwork. To learn more about Meg and her art, you can visit megpark.com.
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
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DON’T MISS THESE OTHER GREAT BOOKS IN THE ANNA, BANANA SERIES!
/> Anna, Banana, and the Friendship Split
Anna, Banana, and the Monkey in the Middle
Anna, Banana, and the Big-Mouth Bet
Anna, Banana, and the Puppy Parade
AND COMING SOON . . .
Anna, Banana, and the Recipe for Disaster
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Text copyright © 2017 by Anica Mrose Rissi
Illustrations copyright © 2017 by Meg Park
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Also available in a Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers hardcover edition
Book design by Laurent Linn
The text for this book was set in Minister Std.
The illustrations for this book were rendered digitally.
First Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers paperback edition May 2017
CIP data for this book is available from the Library of Congress.
ISBN 978-1-4814-8669-9 (hc)
ISBN 978-1-4814-8671-2 (eBook)
ISBN 978-1-4814-8670-5 (pbk)
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