The Sasquatch Escape

By: Suzanne Selfors, Dan Santat

Narrated by: Bryan Kennedy

When Ben Silverstein is sent to the rundown town of Buttonville to spend the summer with his grandfather, he's certain it will be the most boring vacation ever. That is, until his grandfather¹s cat brings home what looks like . . . a baby dragon?

Enter Pearl Petal, a local girl with an eye for adventure, who helps Ben take the wounded dragon to the only veterinarian in town -- the mysterious Dr. Woo. No one knows where Dr. Woo came from or why she's moved into the old button factory and renamed it Dr. Woo's Worm Hospital. But as Ben and Pearl discover once they are inside, Dr. Woo's isn't a worm hospital at all -- it's actually a secret hospital for Imaginary Creatures.

After Ben accidentally leaves the hospital's front door unlocked, a rather large, rather stinky, and very hairy beast escapes into Buttonville. Ben and Pearl are tasked with retrieving the runaway creature, and what started out as the most boring vacation ever becomes the story of a lifetime.

In this irresistible new series, Suzanne Selfors takes listeners on a wild journey filled with mythical creatures and zany adventures that are anything but imaginary.

Critic reviews

"The best books are those in which imaginary creatures leap off the page and into our world -- just one of the reasons why this book is a ton of fun. I can't wait for more adventures!"—Wendy Mass, New York Times bestselling author of The Candymakers

A cute and creative story for young readers

What made the experience of listening to The Sasquatch Escape the most enjoyable?

I enjoyed listening to this novel with my children on the way to and from school. It was easy to follow along with even for my kindergartner. With an age and gender gap from 4th grade to k it can be challenging to find novels that appeal to all. This novel though was just the right mix. It had adventure and suspense without being scary. It mixed magical creatures with realistic fictional elements. It was easy to follow along with and remember what was going on as we listened over several days.

What other book might you compare The Sasquatch Escape to and why?

This novel is similar to Rescue on the Oregon trail in that it has elements of fantasy involving animals. It has missions meant to rescue others who are in trouble. Both are series revolving around these two elements. It could also be compared to All the wrong Questions. Both of these novels involve children who are bored because of where the are. They are out on secret missions and trying to solve mysteries.

Which scene was your favorite?

The first visit to the worm hospital.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No, I felt the story to be very entertaining but not a deep and moving novel.

My class loved it

I read this to my 4th graders. They loved. Can’t wait to read the next book!!

Great Book and Narrator!

We love this book so much we’ve listened to it at least 4 times! It’s such a great story if you’re looking for magical creatures without violence. Suzanne Selfors is such a great writer. Kennedy does an amazing job with all the voices, especially the grandpa. Don’t forget to listen to The Lonely Lake Monster next! I do wish books 3-6 were on audiobook.

Fun!

Not spooky or scary really just a good simple fun story the family can even enjoy.

Great Story, Terrible Narration

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The narration takes away so much from the story and presentation. I have purchased the Kindle ebook and the Audible recording and have chosen to avoid listening to the recording entirely in favor of reading it aloud to my daughter instead. I would request a refund on the recording, but I don't think that's really an option.

What did you like best about this story?

The story is fantastic, imaginative, and memorable. Some of the interplay between the characters is negative and therefore we simply omit/change a few lines here and there, but otherwise, my 6 year old and I are both thoroughly enjoying it!

What didn’t you like about Bryan Kennedy’s performance?

The voices he's given the characters are strained and disjointed, and they infuse a sarcasm and negativity, as well as diminishing (from adult to child and between the child characters) that just doesn't seem to be present when simply reading the text. It's annoying and if we only had this performance to judge the entire story upon, we'd have stopped listening a few paragraphs in. Thankfully, we also purchased the ebook and have the option of simply reading it aloud with our own interpretation of the characters voices and attitudes.