Dear Beast: Simon Sleeps Over

Dear Beast #4

by Dori Hillestad Butler, Kevan Atteberry (Illustrator)

A stuck-up cat and a good-natured dog are pen pals from a distance, until a disastrous sleepover brings them together in this playful illustrated chapter book told in letters.

Andy has two pets and two houses: a cat, Simon, at his mom’s house and a dog, Baxter, at his dad’s house. But when Andy’s mom goes on a business trip, Simon must spend a few nights at Andy’s dad’s house. A sleepover with the beast? Simon says, "No, thank you."

Baxter, on the other hand, is sooooo excited to play together. He and Simon can go on walks! Stay up late! Eat liver treats! He can’t wait to finally meet his pen pal in person. What could go wrong?

The big introduction does NOT go well for these wildly different pets. Simon is so desperate to get back home to his quiet, clean oasis that he escapes through a basement window. Can Baxter convince him to return before Andy notices his beloved cat is gone?

This funny and heartwarming collaboration between Geisel Honor and Edgar Award–winning author Dori Hillestad Butler and bestselling illustrator Kevan Atteberry is a tribute to the love of a good pet—and the joy found in new friendship. With nine chapters and adorable full-color illustrations on every spread, the series is a perfect read for parents to share with kids.

Named to the Delaware Diamonds Book List

Genres: Childrens, Animals, Cats

80 pages, Hardcover

Published February 8, 2022

About the author

Dori Hillestad Butler is an American author of more than 40 children's books, as well as magazine stories, plays and educational materials. Her first book, The Great Tooth Fairy Rip-Off, was published in 1997. She is known particularly for The Truth about Truman School, a 2008 young adult title focusing on the subject of cyber bullying, and for My Mom's Having a Baby (illustrated by Carol Thompson), which in 2011 appeared on the American Library Association's list of most commonly challenged books in the United States for its portrayal of conception and childbirth. Her 2010 mystery title, Buddy Files: Case of the Last Boy, won the 2011 Edgar Award for the best juvenile mystery published in 2010. Before becoming a children's author, Butler worked for three years as a page at a library.

Reviews

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simon needs to stay with Andy at his dad's house while the mom is out of town. Baxter(Beast) is ecstatic about having a sleep over. Simon is not a fan. He sneaks out the window and then scrambles to find a place to stay when his own house is locked up tight. Tom, the stray cat, Stinky the skunk, and Cheeks the squirrel all give it a shot. Simon just can't find a comfortable spot. Maybe he should give Baxter another try. Maybe Baxter will finally remember how to spell "Simon" and a bunch of other words. There's no place like home, but maybe home is much more than just a place. I have a feeling the next chapter will be Baxter sleeping over at Simon's. Should be fun!

[Danielle Hammelef · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so much fun to read. The letter format and adorable illustrations make this a great choice for early readers. The back matter includes a "doggy dictionary" to interpret Baxter's misspellings, as Baxter tends to spell phonetically.

[Christiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, but I do wonder if all Beast's phonetic misspellings would be helpful or hurtful for kids trying to learn to read and spell, although it does have a doggy dictionary in the back with the words defined and spelled correctly.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[wildct2003 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was fun. I spell exactly like Beast...creatively!