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Peanut & Sparky: A Story About New Friendships: Peanut and Sparky, Book 1

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Peanut and Sparky is a cute and fun children's book about a little boy and his silly little baby squirrel named Peanut and a feisty Golden Lab named Sparky. The two are a very unlikely duo. Follow the adventures of Peanut and Sparky, and find out what kind of mischief and fun they get into!

A little bit about the book....

You are best friends with a squirrel and a dog!?

Yep. My best friends are a sassy little squirrel named Peanut and my Golden Labrador Retriever named Sparky. They are a silly duo that you'd never expect. My neighbors look at me awkwardly when I take Peanut and Sparky out for a walk on separate leashes. I just smile and wave.

How did you get a pet squirrel?

Now that's a pretty funny story. He's not really a pet. He's actually family, now. I've known Peanut since he was a baby. That's what this book is about! It's the story of how he joined our family. I do not want to give away the whole story!

How did you get a squirrel and dog to get along?

When I figure it out, I'll let you know! Peanut tries to ride Sparky like a horse. Sparky does not always like this. They quarrel from time to time just like a brother and sister would, but they always make up and get along.

What did Mama say when Peanut and Sparky wrecked the house!?

Ummm...no comment. Actually, I gotta go. Uhhh.... Here comes Mama!

Check out the audiobook for the rest of the story!

Audible Audio

First published April 17, 2014

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About the author

Arnie Lightning

507 books29 followers

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5 stars
195 (49%)
4 stars
79 (20%)
3 stars
66 (16%)
2 stars
32 (8%)
1 star
23 (5%)
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
Profile Image for Kathy.
2,741 reviews5,976 followers
June 2, 2017
This isn't really a picture book. It has pictures which appear quite small on my kindle with text in between the pictures. I think the pictures are super cute and very well done. There was potential here for this to be much better than it is. Too much text which wasn't polished. Not to mention that the idea of keeping a baby squirrel as a pet is probably not the right idea to put into small children's heads.
Profile Image for Nicole O'Connor.
Author 4 books9 followers
March 12, 2018
An enjoyable, fun story.

There are no illustrations with this tale. The story needs some editing; it read more like a draft than a polished piece. There are areas where the writing would benefit from some tightening up. However, animal-loving kids are bound to cherish this amusing tale.
Profile Image for La La.
1,139 reviews160 followers
May 27, 2017
If you find a baby squirrel too young to eat you should transfer it to a wildlife rehabilitator to eventually be re-released into the wild, not try to rehab it yourself and keep it in a cage. Although, if this squirrel was strong enough to climb onto a park bench and into a purse it should have been immediately released back at the park. I don't know why this author described it as having to be nursed with milk (which should be a special formula, not cows milk, hence the need for a wildlife rehabilitator).

This story makes having a pet wild squirrel look like a lot of fun and shows ways to trap a squirrel, so children will be enticed to try this themselves. If you must have a pet squirrel, buy a flying squirrel from a pet shop, don't keep a wild one. Plus, squirrels don't usually carry rabies, but they can.

The entire premise of this story is awful. Wild animals should not be made into pets.
Profile Image for Kristi.
Author 1 book19 followers
June 24, 2017
Pet squirrel

Very cute illustrations. I like the story, although the wording sometimes could have been phrased better. I think it is a great concept for a book series - the imagination of a child playing with their pet dog and pet squirrel. I can just imagine the fun and the messes they would get into.
496 reviews10 followers
December 28, 2019
3 year old granddaughter likes it

My 3 year old granddaughter likes this story. However, she has a long attention span. This book has a lot of descriptions. A child would need a fairly long attention span. A fun read if a child is ready for it.
Profile Image for Rebecca Cecil.
430 reviews80 followers
June 2, 2021
Very cute children's book. Pictures are very colorful and kids will love them. A baby squirrel named Peanut and a feisty dog Sparky are unlikely friend material yet they learn to make some mischief and to get into trouble together.
Profile Image for Cyndy.
1,858 reviews9 followers
December 1, 2024
This is a cute story about a squirrel that stowsaway in a purse while a little boy and his mom are at the park. The squirrel "Peanut" is adopted by the little boy. The little boy also has a dog named "Sparky." Iwonder how Sparky and Peanut will get along. Adventures happen!
2 reviews
October 16, 2018
Decent read

I liked the pictures and it was a cute story. It was simple and a good read aloud for my little one.
Profile Image for The Endless Unread.
3,429 reviews64 followers
December 14, 2018
This is a good story but needs editing badly. Very simplistic storytelling even for a child. Does not hold a child's attention. The story was very sweet though.
493 reviews4 followers
July 29, 2020
Great story

Interesting and fun story. I absolutely love the illustrations. My 3 and 5 year olds really loved this story and want more peanut and sparky books
Profile Image for Eileen Carter.
2,177 reviews10 followers
April 12, 2016
This sweet story is told by a young child, about the adventure of finding a baby squirrel in their home. The adventures of trying to catch the squirrel are both endearing and teach facts (being careful of baby squirrels tails). Children will enjoy this sweet story and are sure to be laughing at the antics of the baby squirrel and pet dog. As the story enfolds, readers will learn that having a pet squirrel is a lot of responsibility that one must be willing to undertake. It is not something you can do one day and forget about the next.

Arnie Lighting has written a book that will be enjoyed by children of all ages. Though it is hard to tell whether the child is a boy or a girl, not that it matters so much, but would make it easier when asking children questions about the story. Of course this way, they can decide for themselves whether it is a little girl or boy in the story, and even give reasons why.
Profile Image for Lori Shriver.
523 reviews15 followers
January 12, 2025
A baby squirrel sneaks into Mama's purse while she and the boy are at the park. She returns home and their dog Sparky notices the squirrel before anyone else does. After the squirrel is captured by the boy and is healthy, the boy gets out two leashes and walks Sparky and the squirrel. Kids laugh at that! Both pets make a great mess as one might expect. When Mama finds the mess, she has a squirrel sized birdhouse built for the squirrel. I laughed when the squirrel buried a walnut in Mama's slipper. It's really a sweet story with beautiful illustrations and it provides children with a glimpse at the life of a squirrel. This was a Amazon free copy Kindle edition.
Profile Image for Vida Lyn.
13 reviews1 follower
December 9, 2016
A Fun story about creating new friendships

"A boy and his mom go to the zoo one day but goes home with a surprise addition to the family. They unexpectedly bring home a squirrel, and the little critter warms the boy's heart and creates his space in the family.

This is a fun story of how friendships can be awkward at first. But as the story progresses you can see the boy, his dog, and the squirrel begin to bond and become best friends. The illustrations are beautifully designed and capture the emotions of the page."
Profile Image for Andrea Fleury.
1,027 reviews78 followers
April 20, 2016
Sweet little story

Very cute story little children would love to hear and read. I thought the author did a great job. There's not very many books about squirrels as pets. Great imagination
Profile Image for Lynn.
3,045 reviews86 followers
November 23, 2016
A lovely story about how a baby squirrel ends up as a household pet along with a little child and a dog. The messes they made were cute as child learns pets are a responsibility and yet well worth the trouble - beautifully illustrated also!
Profile Image for Lynn.
3,045 reviews86 followers
November 26, 2016
A lovely story about how a baby squirrel ends up as a household pet along with a little child and a dog. The messes they made were cute as child learns pets are a responsibility and yet well worth the trouble - beautifully illustrated also!
Profile Image for Jessica.
375 reviews36 followers
May 11, 2015
I really enjenjoyed reading this with my son. Plenty of nice illustrations and a good story to go with them. FREE KINDLE.
3 reviews
June 8, 2015
Best friends

Peanut and sparky they were so much best friends like they stay together forever and the dog made a cage
78 reviews5 followers
July 27, 2015
A cool children's book to read, Good job!
Profile Image for Deacon Ted Schreck.
32 reviews
October 5, 2015
Review

Interesting story for children. I liked that the vocabulary was not overly simplistic though. Well done!

Kindle pictures seemed to be out of sync with story.
40 reviews1 follower
November 2, 2015
Thumbs up

2 thumbs up by the little one. I love the book. She wants to reAd more of the Peanut and Sparky stories. Love the characters in story.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews