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Animal Ark [GB Order] #56
Beagle in a Basket
Robbie the beagle is really missing his devoted companion, Martha the tabby cat. Before she passed away, Martha and Robbie shared everything - including their basket. Robbie is so upset, he's making himself ill. His owner, Geraldine O'Meara, is very worried. She couldn't bear to lose Robbie too! Can Mandy and James help find a way to make Robbie happy again?
160 pages, Paperback
First published July 18, 2002
1 person is currently reading
206 people want to read
About the author
Lucy Daniels
355 books119 followersLucy Daniels is the collective name for the writing team that created the bestselling children's book series Animal Ark, many of the books are also published under the name of the series creator, Ben M. Baglio.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 19, 2025
This was really written by Jennie Walters. Animal Ark books are rarely given dedications, but this one is dedicated to the breeder of Walter's beagle, Bob. If you ever want to know who the real writer of an Animal Ark book is, just go to the copyright page and see who is given "special thanks."
This was yet another book that Scholastic in America decided not to publish. I think this would've gone over well in America, as it certainly wasn't too English. Scholastic had decided to curb how often they published books from the Animal Ark Universe by 2002, however.
Back from a long trip to the Arctic, we're suddenly in late spring at Welford. We're back to the usual problems facing Mandy and James -- pet illness, uncaring owners, pet homelessness and school. Like most Animal Ark books, this has more than one plot:
* Plot A: Robbie the beagle is pining for his lifetime companion, a cat named Martha.
* Plot B: A heartless cat breeder abandons a newborn kitten rejected by the mother cat.
* Plot C: Mandy is getting shit from the substitute biology teacher.
Despite the beagle being on the cover and mentioned in the title, Robbie is hardly in it. Most of the book is about cats. There are also rats, bees, and a mallard drake.
You really don't need to read the previous books in the series EXCEPT Tabby In the Tub. That also dealt with kitten problems, but was written by another ghostwriter. What? A ghostwriter actually reading the previous books in the series? Be still my beating heart.
There is also mention of previous teacher Miss Temple having had a hamster as the class pet. Oh, dear ... does that mean that Henry VIII has died? There is no mention of how old Mandy is in this book -- although there is a hint that Mandy is still 12 and James still 11. It really is bizarre how most of the characters don't age in this series -- and then, suddenly, some do.
Mandy makes a telling comment to James that he should just move in to her home at Animal Ark. I think it may be one of the very few in-jokes in the series so far.
Sadly, my favorite character in the series, Blackie the Labrador, has only a cameo role.
Ann Baum is the illustrator. This time around, she does a pretty decent job. She seems to finally be getting the hand of how to draw dogs. Her best illustration in this book is actually of a person -- Geraldine, when she realizes that her cat is dying. There is a startling bit of real emotion there.
This was yet another book that Scholastic in America decided not to publish. I think this would've gone over well in America, as it certainly wasn't too English. Scholastic had decided to curb how often they published books from the Animal Ark Universe by 2002, however.
Back from a long trip to the Arctic, we're suddenly in late spring at Welford. We're back to the usual problems facing Mandy and James -- pet illness, uncaring owners, pet homelessness and school. Like most Animal Ark books, this has more than one plot:
* Plot A: Robbie the beagle is pining for his lifetime companion, a cat named Martha.
* Plot B: A heartless cat breeder abandons a newborn kitten rejected by the mother cat.
* Plot C: Mandy is getting shit from the substitute biology teacher.
Despite the beagle being on the cover and mentioned in the title, Robbie is hardly in it. Most of the book is about cats. There are also rats, bees, and a mallard drake.
You really don't need to read the previous books in the series EXCEPT Tabby In the Tub. That also dealt with kitten problems, but was written by another ghostwriter. What? A ghostwriter actually reading the previous books in the series? Be still my beating heart.
There is also mention of previous teacher Miss Temple having had a hamster as the class pet. Oh, dear ... does that mean that Henry VIII has died? There is no mention of how old Mandy is in this book -- although there is a hint that Mandy is still 12 and James still 11. It really is bizarre how most of the characters don't age in this series -- and then, suddenly, some do.
Mandy makes a telling comment to James that he should just move in to her home at Animal Ark. I think it may be one of the very few in-jokes in the series so far.
Sadly, my favorite character in the series, Blackie the Labrador, has only a cameo role.
Ann Baum is the illustrator. This time around, she does a pretty decent job. She seems to finally be getting the hand of how to draw dogs. Her best illustration in this book is actually of a person -- Geraldine, when she realizes that her cat is dying. There is a startling bit of real emotion there.
April 22, 2023
Další nádherný příběh z Archy zvířat. I když byl místy smutný, Robíka, Marty i malé Andělky mi bylo líto. Ale nakonec Andělka přišla přímo z nebe. ;)
Read
January 13, 2013*unmarked*
Want to Read
December 28, 2015Loved this series when I was younger. Still a huge animal lover and would like to read the rest of this series!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews