Can I keep it, please?

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.)

When young Evie sees the unusual critters on display at the neighborhood pet parade, she decides that her cat Sasha just doesn't measure up. "I need a cool pet," she decides. "Not a plain old cat." Mom nixes a chinchilla and a skunk; Dad says no to a hedgehog and reminds her about Sasha, whom Evie calls "boring." Ironically, Sasha solves Evie's problem by drawing her attention to a garter snake in the bushes. Evie's folks approve, and Evie learns about snakes and sets up a fine home for her new pet (dubbed Slithers). Doubts soon creep in, however, as the snake spends most of its time hiding in its enclosure. After Evie notices Slithers trying to escape, she releases it into her backyard. Evie apologizes to Sasha, who, happily, has given birth to a litter of kittens--now Evie has four entrants in the next parade! Inspired by a childhood memory of adopting--and eventually freeing--a garter snake he'd caught in a field, Sullivan offers a sweet and well-paced take on responsible pet ownership, starring a protagonist who's keenly aware of her animals' needs. Gibson's colorful cartoonlike illustrations set a cheery tone; Sasha's especially endearing, maintaining a supportive presence even as Evie's attention is dominated by Slithers. Evie and her mother are brown-skinned, while Dad is light-skinned; their community is diverse. A rousing ode to animals who aren't meant to be pets but instead should be admired from afar: Cheers to them. (author's note)(Picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.