A Pet Named Sneaker by Joan Heilbroner (review)

Poor Sneaker is an unwanted snake until a boy named Pete walks into the pet store and promptly takes the orange reptile home. The next day Sneaker slithers into Pete’s backpack and follows the boy to school, where he quickly charms Pete’s initially skeptical peers and is soon reading, spelling, and writing right along with the students. When Sneaker accompanies Pete to the local pool, he is dismayed to see a “No Pets” sign but, he heroically ignores it to save a little boy who has fallen into the deep water. Soon Sneaker is holding court as a pool lifeguard, and all pets are welcome at the pool. The plot wanders just a tad, but overall this is a delightful easy reader in the classic tradition (both textually and illustratively) of P. D. Eastman and Syd Hoff. Short, crisp sentences and a cheerful, friendly tone work in harmony to sturdily support a novice reader. Lemaitre’s buoyant art deftly balances planes of digital color in retro hues such as teal or gold with plenty of restful white space, outlining figures and objects in swift, casual black lines. Sneaker’s expressive face and slightly crocodilian head make him an appealing serpentine hero, and the depiction of Sneaker and Pete playing “I Am a Necktie,” “I Am a Hat,” and “I Am Handcuffs” is sure to win over even those most reluctant to give reptiles their due. Partner this with Tomi Ungerer’s Crictor (BCCB 9/58) and Randy Siegel’s My Snake Blake (BCCB 7/12) for a terrific trio of pet snake stories; brave souls with access to a pet snake could pair this title with said snake’s classroom or library visit for maximum thrills.