• Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2020 March #2
  When elderly Mrs. Food takes a spill and winds up in the hospital, her five pets spiral into a panicked frenzy. A temporary guardian is assigned to them, but the anxious animals—an aloof cat, a hyper dachshund, a chatty mynah bird, and two bonded rats—decide that the only solution is to amass their own wealth to control their destiny. Their initial pile of riches is a bit grim (including compression socks, a sparkly button, and a two-week-old piece of toast), but the pup reveals that she picked up a rare coin from another resident, and thus Coin Man becomes the target of a hastily planned heist. Ecton writes entirely from the animals' point of view, aided by the occasional, humorous black-and-white sketch. It's amusing just to watch the merry band of misfit pets navigate the wide world of the eclectic high-rise apartment, but there's enough true suspense to keep the larger story moving. This classic caper may have young readers looking sideways at their own pets when the story is through. Grades 3-6. Copyright 2020 Booklist Reviews.

Emily Ecton is the author of eight middle grade books published under the names Emily Ecton and Emily Fairlie. She is also a former writer and producer for &;Wait, Wait&;Don&;t Tell Me!,&; the Peabody award-winning comedy news quiz on NPR. She lives in Virginia, with Howdy, a law-abiding dog with no known criminal affiliations. Visit her at EmilyEcton.com.

Dave Mottram is an illustrator living in Ohio who worked as a graphic designer for many years which led him to pursue his passion for illustration. He paints traditionally and digitally with color and layers and line. He loves tacos, animals, tikis, and nerding out over art supplies. Visit him at DaveMottram.com.