Get our latest book recommendations, author news, and competitions right to your inbox.
Table of Contents
About The Book
Play and stay at the Animal Inn, a brand-new chapter book series where the fur—and fun—flies at an animal spa and hotel.
The Animal Inn is an all-inclusive pet resort/hotel/center/spa for animals from dogs to rabbits, cats to ducks, parrots to lizards. From doggie and kitty daycare, to grooming, and group play—you name it, and the Animal Inn has it.
The Inn is run by the Tyler family along with their pets Leopold, the Macaw; Fuzzy and Furry, the gerbils; dogs Dash and Coco; felines Shadow and Whiskers; and a rollicking horde of animal visitors.
When the animals hear that a new boarder—a Komodo Dragon—will be coming to the Inn, they panic! Is it a fire-breathing dragon? Will it gobble them all up and then devour their family? What’s to become of the Animal Inn?
The Animal Inn is an all-inclusive pet resort/hotel/center/spa for animals from dogs to rabbits, cats to ducks, parrots to lizards. From doggie and kitty daycare, to grooming, and group play—you name it, and the Animal Inn has it.
The Inn is run by the Tyler family along with their pets Leopold, the Macaw; Fuzzy and Furry, the gerbils; dogs Dash and Coco; felines Shadow and Whiskers; and a rollicking horde of animal visitors.
When the animals hear that a new boarder—a Komodo Dragon—will be coming to the Inn, they panic! Is it a fire-breathing dragon? Will it gobble them all up and then devour their family? What’s to become of the Animal Inn?
Excerpt
A Furry Fiasco CHAPTER 1
It began like any other Saturday morning.
Saturday is a busy day at Animal Inn. Mom teaches her Polite Puppies class. Dad and Jake host the Furry Pages. That’s when children read aloud to an animal buddy. And there are grooming appointments and usually a birthday party or two.
On this Saturday morning I was on my perch in the Welcome Area. Dad was tidying up the brochures. Mom was talking on the phone to an old friend from her dog show days.
Suddenly I heard Jake holler from upstairs. “Where could they be?”
“I don’t know,” shouted Ethan. “They were in the gerbiltorium a minute ago.”
Fiddlesticks. Fuzzy and Furry must have escaped again.
Fuzzy and Furry are experts at picking the lock on their gerbiltorium. They usually escape at night, when guests are safely tucked into their cages, crates, tanks, and stalls.
I was a bit worried that Fuzzy and Furry might run into the new guest on the third floor—a boa constrictor named Copernicus.
“Ethan!” Jake shouted. “Start looking!”
“Stop telling me what to do!” Ethan shouted.
“Ethan! Start looking!” Jake shouted again.
“You’re not the boss of me!” Ethan shouted back.
Mom rushed up the stairs. Luckily, the gerbils had not bumped into Copernicus. They were found in Jake and Ethan’s laundry hamper, fast asleep.
A few minutes later Cassie came downstairs, followed by Coco.
“Princess Coco,” Cassie said, “let’s go look for fairies.”
“Just have Coco back in time for Furry Pages,” said Dad. “And careful not to let Shadow out.”
Shadow is supposed to be an indoor cat, but she loves to sneak outside. Cassie and Coco are her best chance for a little adventure.
“Dad,” Cassie said. “We are princesses. I am Princess Cassie, and this is Princess Coco.”
It began like any other Saturday morning.
Saturday is a busy day at Animal Inn. Mom teaches her Polite Puppies class. Dad and Jake host the Furry Pages. That’s when children read aloud to an animal buddy. And there are grooming appointments and usually a birthday party or two.
On this Saturday morning I was on my perch in the Welcome Area. Dad was tidying up the brochures. Mom was talking on the phone to an old friend from her dog show days.
Suddenly I heard Jake holler from upstairs. “Where could they be?”
“I don’t know,” shouted Ethan. “They were in the gerbiltorium a minute ago.”
Fiddlesticks. Fuzzy and Furry must have escaped again.
Fuzzy and Furry are experts at picking the lock on their gerbiltorium. They usually escape at night, when guests are safely tucked into their cages, crates, tanks, and stalls.
I was a bit worried that Fuzzy and Furry might run into the new guest on the third floor—a boa constrictor named Copernicus.
“Ethan!” Jake shouted. “Start looking!”
“Stop telling me what to do!” Ethan shouted.
“Ethan! Start looking!” Jake shouted again.
“You’re not the boss of me!” Ethan shouted back.
Mom rushed up the stairs. Luckily, the gerbils had not bumped into Copernicus. They were found in Jake and Ethan’s laundry hamper, fast asleep.
A few minutes later Cassie came downstairs, followed by Coco.
“Princess Coco,” Cassie said, “let’s go look for fairies.”
“Just have Coco back in time for Furry Pages,” said Dad. “And careful not to let Shadow out.”
Shadow is supposed to be an indoor cat, but she loves to sneak outside. Cassie and Coco are her best chance for a little adventure.
“Dad,” Cassie said. “We are princesses. I am Princess Cassie, and this is Princess Coco.”
About The Authors
Paul DuBois Jacobs and Jennifer Swender are a husband and wife writing team, authors of many books for children, including the Animal Inn series, Count on the Subway, My Subway Ride, and My Taxi Ride. Paul has also cowritten four books with legendary folk musician, Pete Seeger, including Abiyoyo Returns and The Deaf Musicians. Paul and Jennifer have appeared at Lincoln Center, the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the Virginia Festival of the Book, as well as countless schools, libraries, and museums. They live in Massachusetts.
Photograph by Paul DuBois Jacobs
About The Illustrator
Stephanie Laberis is a California-based artist and Rhode Island School of Design alumna. Her childhood spent in the woods of New England sparked her love for animals and the natural world and still inspires her artwork. She is the illustrator of many picture books, including All of Those Babies by Mylisa Larsen; Fur, Feather, Fin: All of Us Are Kin by Diane Lang; and the Grumpy Cat Little Golden Book series. When she’s not drawing, Steph volunteers at her local wildlife hospital or spends quality time with her beloved cats, rats, and mice. Visit her at StephLaberis.Squarespace.com.
Product Details
- Publisher: Aladdin (December 6, 2016)
- Length: 112 pages
- ISBN13: 9781481462235
- Ages: 7 - 10
Browse Related Books
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): A Furry Fiasco Trade Paperback 9781481462235
- Author Photo (jpg): Jennifer Swender Photograph by Paul DuBois Jacobs(0.1 MB)
Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit
