Zoo Breath
Calvin Coconut
TROUBLE MAGNET
THE ZIPPY FIX
DOG HEAVEN
Published by Wendy Lamb Books
an imprint of Random House Children’s Books
a division of Random House, Inc.
New York
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Text copyright © 2010 by Graham Salisbury
Illustrations copyright © 2010 by Jacqueline Rogers
All rights reserved.
Wendy Lamb Books and the colophon are trademarks of Random House, Inc.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Salisbury, Graham.
Calvin Coconut : zoo breath / Graham Salisbury ;
illustrated by Jacqueline Rogers. – 1st ed.
p. cm.
Summary: When Calvin gets a school assignment to do some original research, he decides to investigate his dog’s stinky breath and ends up learning about more than just smells.
eISBN: 978-0-375-89739-9 [1. Family life–Hawaii–Fiction. 2. Odors–Fiction. 3. Schools–Fiction. 4. Hawaii–Fiction.] I. Rogers, Jacqueline, ill. II. Title. III. Title: Zoo breath.
PZ7.S15225Cap 2010
[Fic]–dc22
2009040164
Random House Children’s Books supports the First Amendment and celebrates the right to read.
v3.1
For
Jake and Duke
Stand tall, always
—G.S.
For Martin
—J.R.
Other Books About Calvin Coconut
A Good Stink“A
ck!” Stella snapped, turning around in the front seat of the car. “Get that thing away from me!”
It was Sunday, and Mom was driving us to the grocery store. Stella was sixteen; she’d come from Texas to live with us and help
Mom. She was in high school, studying ways to mess up my life. Me and my sister, Darci, were in the backseat with Streak, my dog.
Streak was sitting on my knees, hanging her head over the front seat. Breathing on Stella.
I gave Streak a hug and sat back, pulling her close.
She licked my ear.
Stella glared over her shoulder. “Did you just let that stinky dog lick germs all over you?”
“Streak doesn’t have germs, and anyway dogs have clean tongues.”
Stella shook her head and turned back.
I sniffed the top of Streak’s head. “I don’t smell any stink.”
Stella mumbled, “You wouldn’t.”
Mom glanced into the rearview mirror. “Stella’s right, Calvin. Streak does smell, especially her breath. Maybe she can stick her head out the window instead of hanging over the front seat.”
I hugged Streak. So what if she was a little
stinky? All dogs smelled, but it was a good stink, not a bad one. Still, I’d just adopted her from the Humane Society, and the last thing I needed was for Mom to make me take Streak back because she had bad breath.
I glanced over at Darci, who was bouncing Petey on her knee. Petey was a green, pint-size stuffed parrot with small dried beans in it. Mom’s boyfriend, Ledward, had given it to her. Petey was Darci’s favorite thing in the world. For now, anyway.
I leaned close and whispered, “Hey, Darce, smell Streak’s breath and see if you think it stinks.”
Stella had ears like an elephant. “Don’t you dare! Don’t fall for it, Darci. He’s tricking you.”
“I am not!” I said.
“Then smell it yourself.”
“Pfff,” I huffed, then scooted back to my side of the backseat.
I knew Streak’s breath was terrible.
Stella smirked. “See, Darci? He won’t even do it himself, and it’s his dog.”
“Will too,” I mumbled. But didn’t.
I inched Streak forward, aiming her breath at Stella.
