Anna, Banana, and the Puppy Parade Page 4

  I ran around the side of the house, calling Banana’s name. Maybe I’d be lucky and she’d just be in the backyard, chasing squirrels or digging up flowers. “Banana! Banana!” I shouted, stumbling across the uneven ground.

  Banana didn’t come running, but Sadie and Isabel did.

  “What’s wrong?” Sadie said, grabbing my arm. Her face was filled with worry.

  I blurted the horrible truth. “Banana’s gone! The front door was open and now I can’t find her and I don’t know which way she’s run.”

  “Oh no!” Isabel cried.

  But Sadie stood up straighter. “We’ll help you find her,” she said.

  “Yes,” Isabel said. “We know she didn’t come this way because Sadie and I would have seen her. We’ve been out on the swing set this whole time.”

  “Right. So she must have gone that way, that way, or that way,” Sadie said, pointing. “We’ll split up and each take one direction.”

  Isabel squeezed my hand, hard. “We’ll find her, Anna. She can’t have gone very far.”

  I squeezed back, feeling terrified but grateful. Even after our big fight and how cranky I’d been, my friends were still there for me when I needed them most.

  “Thank you,” I said. There wasn’t time to say anything more. We all set off in our separate directions, moving as quickly as we could. I called Banana’s name and heard my friends calling her too. Hope mixed with the fear that was racing through my veins. Banana had to hear us. But why wasn’t she coming when we called?

  I tried not to think about the awful things that might have happened to her. We would find her. We had to. But I’d already walked so far and called so many times, and Banana was still gone.

  I took a deep breath. “Banana!” I yelled once more.

  Nothing.

  Just when I thought I might collapse inside, I heard a small sound—a single bark.

  “Isabel! Sadie!” I shouted. “This way!” I broke into a run.

  Chapter Sixteen

  A Nose for Trouble

  I zoomed ahead at full speed, following the sound of the bark around the corner and into the backyard of a little yellow house near the end of my street. Behind the house was a big garden. And there, rolling in the compost heap, was a very filthy Banana.

  “Banana!” I said as I ran to her. Banana stopped rolling in the disgusting pile of kitchen scraps and dirt, and wagged her tail, happy to see me. She picked up a rotten banana peel and trotted proudly over to show it to me. I threw my arms around her, crying with relief. She dropped the peel on the ground and licked away my tears.

  She was muddy and stinky and covered in filth, but I didn’t care at all. I squeezed her as close as I could. I was just so glad we’d found her.

  Banana barked again as Isabel and Sadie came into sight. They took one look at her and burst into laughter. “I guess Banana chose her own costume for the parade,” Sadie said. “She’s going as a swamp monster!”

  “I told you she has a talent for rolling in stinky things,” I said. I picked some crushed egg shells out of her fur. Banana wiggled her butt, clearly feeling pleased with herself. The yellow ribbon on her collar was smeared with green sludge.

  Isabel crouched beside me and hugged Banana too. “I’m sorry I called you a big meanie,” she said to me.

  “And I’m sorry I acted like one,” I said. “Thanks for helping me find Banana anyway.”

  “Of course,” Isabel said. “She’s our favorite dog too, you know.”

  I grinned. “I know.”

  I didn’t have a leash, so I picked up Banana to carry her back to the house. “Come on, smelly dog,” I said. “Let’s take you home.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Git Along, Little Doggies

  When we came in the front door, Chuck was there by the stairs, swinging off the banister. “There you are!” he said. “Dad says we’re leaving in twelve minutes, or the parade will start without you.”

  “Twelve minutes!” I cried, setting Banana down. We’d never get her cleaned up by then.

  Chuck smirked. “Hey, Anna,” he said. “You’ve got something on your shirt.” I looked down at the special polka-dot top I’d chosen to wear in the parade. It was all smudged with dirt. So were my skirt and bare arms. I was almost as filthy as Banana.

  “Oh no,” I moaned.

  Sadie grabbed my hand and pulled me up the stairs. Isabel and Banana were right behind us. “Okay, here’s the plan,” Sadie said. “Anna, you change your clothes and wash the dirt off your arms. Isabel and I will clean up Banana.”

  “But there’s no time for a bath! We’ll miss the parade!” I said.

  Sadie shook her head. “We’ll wipe her down with washcloths instead. It will have to do. Now go!”

  I ran to my dresser and pulled out a new outfit, grateful that Sadie had come up with a plan. By the time I was washed up and had changed into the clean top and leggings, Isabel and Sadie had gotten Banana mostly cleaned up too. She wasn’t anywhere near as shiny and soft as before, but at least she was no longer disgusting.

  “What about the costume?” I said. “Maybe she should wear it, since there’s no time to brush her with olive oil, and the bow got all dirty.”

  “Only if you want her to,” Sadie said. “She’s your dog, so you can decide.”

  “I don’t think she needs it, but it would be fun,” Isabel said.

  “Let’s try it,” I said, picking up the wings. But as I approached, Banana scampered over to Isabel. She nudged at Isabel’s shin.

  I laughed. “Banana thinks you should wear the wings,” I said. Banana thumped her tail. She definitely didn’t want to wear them herself. I turned back to the costume pile. “And for Sadie, the tiara?” I suggested. Banana kept wiggling. I took that as a yes. “And I’ll wear the antennae headband.”

  “And the tulle skirt,” Sadie said.

  Isabel slipped on the butterfly wings. “Banana is a genius,” she said. Sadie and I agreed.

  “Dad’s in the car!” Chuck shouted up the stairs, and a second later, we heard the horn honk. We ran down to get in the minivan, but there was one more thing I had to do before we left. I headed toward the kitchen.

  “Oh yeah!” Sadie said. “We need to bring the entry form.”

  I grabbed the paper and a pen. “Hold on. I didn’t finish filling it out.”

  “You can write in your address in the car,” Isabel said.

  “But I also need to add this,” I said. Underneath the space for Owner, I added a new line that said Best friends, and wrote in Sadie’s and Isabel’s names. “There,” I said.

  Banana wagged her approval as we dashed out the door.

  Chapter Eighteen

  A Winning Idea

  Thanks to Sadie and Isabel and our quick teamwork, we made it to the parade on time. We checked in at the registration table, handed in our form, and lined up with Banana in the sea of other dogs. Excitement tingled through me, from my antennae to my sparkly toes.

  There were cute dogs all around us—big ones, small ones, long-haired ones, short-haired ones, and everything in between. There was an orange-and-white dog with a big, fluffy tail he waved high like a flag. There was a dark brown dog with shy eyes and a sweet face who nuzzled Isabel’s hand when she patted him. He was wearing a vest that said ADOPT ME. There was a funny old dog with a plump belly and short legs, who was there with her skinny, long-legged dog cousin. The skinny one reminded me of that word of the day, “sprightly.” She definitely had lots of energy.

  The pair bounced right over to greet Banana. The dogs circled each other, making a tangle of their leashes.

  “They’re sniffing out the competition,” Isabel joked as the three dogs smelled each other’s butts. Sadie wrinkled her nose.

  “That’s how they say hello!” I explained.

  Sadie straightened her tiara. “I think I’ll stick with waving,” she said.

  The trumpeter in the marching band blasted his horn, signaling it was time for the parade to sta
rt. The band marched out ahead of us, playing a toe-tapping tune, and one by one the dogs and their owners fell into step behind them. Banana lifted her ears and walked perfectly straight as I held on to her leash, just like we’d practiced. Isabel and Sadie walked on either side of me, giggling at the tiny dog in a dinosaur costume who was marching right behind us.

  We paraded through the middle of Piddleton Park, waving at Mom, Dad, and Chuck, and all the other people who’d come out to see the show. My heart thumped with gladness, in time with the beat of the drum. I couldn’t think of anything better than sharing this moment with my two best friends. It was so much more fun than it would have been if Banana and I had done the parade without them.

  “Look, there’s the judges’ booth!” Isabel said, pointing toward a platform decorated with streamers and a HAPPY HOMES ANIMAL SHELTER banner marked with paw prints.

  Sadie nudged me. “Are you ready?” she said.

  “For what?” I asked.

  She reached into her dress pocket and pulled out Banana’s squeaky rabbit toy. “For the trick,” she said. “It’s Banana’s cutest talent.”

  Sadie held out the toy and I took it with my free hand. I paused for just a second before offering her Banana’s leash. “Here,” I said.

  “Are you sure?” she asked.

  “Positive,” I said. I pushed it into her hand.

  We took a few more steps and before I knew it, we were right there in front of the judges. My stomach was doing somersaults, but Banana didn’t look nervous at all. She stared up at the toy in my hand with her eyes bright and her ears perked, looking cuter than ever.

  Isabel twirled in a circle, her wings flapping. “Introducing . . . BANANA!” she yelled, spreading her arms wide.

  Everyone turned to look at us. Sadie stood up straighter and held on to Banana’s leash as I tossed the yellow rabbit into the air. Banana jumped up high and caught it midtoss, then flipped it out of her mouth and caught it again. People all around us clapped and cheered. Banana trotted proudly forward, biting down on the toy to make it squeak. Sadie and Isabel and I beamed at each other. That had been perfect.

  Sadie handed me back the leash.

  “Did you see?” Isabel said. “Ms. Burland is one of the judges!”

  “No!” Banana and I turned around to look. Sure enough, there was our teacher, sitting tall in the booth with the two other judges. I waved and Ms. Burland gave us a thumbs-up. It was kind of weird to see her outside of school, but I was so glad she’d gotten to see Banana, and that she’d witnessed our fancy trick. I hadn’t realized Ms. Burland volunteered at the animal shelter. That made me like her even more.

  It didn’t even matter if we won a prize or not. Parading down the street with my friends by my side, I already felt like the Luckiest in Show.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Best of the Best

  Banana carried her toy all the way to the finish line, where Mom and Dad and Chuck were waiting. Mom had a peanut butter dog treat for Banana and chocolate-chip muffins for us.

  “Huzzah!” Dad cheered. He gave each of us a high five, even Banana. “That was some parade.”

  “Thanks!” I took a bite of my muffin and lengthened Banana’s leash so she could tumble with her sprightly doggy friend from before, who’d just bounded over to us with her short-legged cousin. The dogs pounced and played as Mom chatted with the silver-haired couple holding their leashes. Behind them, a family with three kids gathered around the sweet dog in the ADOPT ME vest. I had a feeling they’d be taking him home.

  A lady in an official-looking visor walked over. “Congratulations,” she said, handing Sadie, Isabel, and me each a blue ribbon.

  Isabel’s eyes went wide and Sadie bounced up and down. “We won?” Sadie asked.

  “Everybody wins!” the lady said. “That’s your prize for participating.”

  “Oh,” Sadie said. I could tell she was trying not to look disappointed.

  “How nice,” Mom said. Behind her, Chuck rolled his eyes.

  “So why were there even judges, then?” Sadie said as the lady walked away.

  Isabel shrugged. “That did make it more fun,” she pointed out. I nodded. She was right.

  Isabel let Banana lick the muffin crumbs from her fingertips. “Did you notice Ms. Burland’s shoes? The toes looked like ladybugs!”

  “Ms. Burland’s shoes could have their own parade,” I said, picturing the whole colorful collection dancing down the street, toes and heels tapping.

  “She’s definitely Best in Shoe,” Isabel said. Even Chuck laughed at that.

  “I still think we should have won something,” Sadie said. “Banana was a star.”

  I took the blue ribbon from her hands. “I hereby declare you Best Special Surprise Planner,” I said, pinning the ribbon to Sadie’s shirt. “That was some trick we pulled off!” I turned to Isabel. “You win Best Showmanship,” I said, pinning her ribbon on too. “And I win Best Dog and Best Friends, because I have both.”

  Sadie and Isabel glowed. “Together we are definitely Best in Show,” Sadie said. Banana barked and spun in a circle. I bent down to kiss her.

  “You are most definitely the Most Bananas,” I said.

  Chapter Twenty

  A Photo Finish

  The next morning, I pinned my ribbon to my pajama top and Banana and I went down for breakfast. My parents were already there in the kitchen, reading the Sunday newspaper.

  “Hey, kiddo,” Dad said as he poured more coffee into his and Mom’s cups. Dad turned his favorite mug so the words on it, TOP DOG, were facing toward me. “I might have to let Banana drink her coffee out of this, after that great showing in the parade yesterday,” he joked.

  I giggled. “Dogs don’t drink coffee, Dad,” I said. I poured some kibble into Banana’s dish and helped myself to the Gorilla Grams. “May I please have the funnies?” I asked, sliding into a seat next to Mom. Since Chuck wasn’t up yet, I’d get to read the comics section first.

  “Sure,” Mom said, taking it out for me. “But I think you might want to read the front page before that.”

  Before I could say, “No, thanks,” she placed the paper in front of me, and I gasped. There, at the top of the page, was a huge photo from the dog parade. It was a picture of Sadie, Isabel, Banana, and me, right at the moment when Banana leaped up to catch her toy. Banana’s ears were flying, Isabel’s arms were spread wide, and all four of us had huge smiles on our faces. Under the photo was the caption Best Teamwork.

  I couldn’t believe it. Banana was famous! And so were my friends and I. “Can we frame it?” I asked. “And get copies for Sadie and Isabel too?”

  “Good idea,” Mom said. I bent down to show Banana the photo. Her eyes went wide with surprise.

  “Hey, Dad,” I said. “Would you rather have all the riches in the world and as much coffee as you could drink, or no coffee and no mansion but two really wonderful friends?”

  “Good friends,” Dad said. “Definitely.”

  “Me too,” I said. Banana thumped her tail in agreement. I smiled down at her and thought, Lucky us.

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you, Kristin Ostby, grand marshal of this parade, for leading the march with such gusto (and saving me from marching in circles).

  A trumpeted fanfare of thanks to designer Laurent Linn, illustrator Meg Park, and the whole fabulous team at S&S, especially Mekisha Telfer and Audrey Gibbons.

  Meredith Kaffel Simonoff, I twirl my baton for you.

  Sparkliest confetti thanks to the friends who help keep my balloons aloft, especially Robin, Terra, Andy, and Johanna, and to Mama, Ati, Jeremy, Erika, Anna, and Sophia, the finest bugle corps around.

  First-place ribbons and chocolate-chip muffins for all the booksellers, librarians, teachers, and readers in the Page-turners’ Parade.

  Rooga and Jeff, you are my Best in Show.

  Anica Mrose Rissi grew up on an island off the coast of Maine, where she read a lot of books and loved a lot of pets. She now tells
and collects stories, makes up songs on her violin, and eats lots of cheese with her friends in Princeton, New Jersey, where she lives with her dog, Arugula. Find out more at anicarissi.com.

  Meg Park is a character designer and illustrator for clients including Disney, Nickelodeon, and Paramount Pictures. Meg lives in Scotland with her two cats, Louie and Boo. She loves drawing, painting, and telling stories through her artwork. To learn more about Meg and her art you can visit megpark.com.

  Simon & Schuster

  Books for Young Readers

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  simonandschuster.com/kids

  authors.simonandschuster.com/Anica-Mrose-Rissi

  authors.simonandschuster.com/Meg-Park

  DON’T MISS THESE OTHER GREAT BOOKS IN THE ANNA, BANANA SERIES!

  Anna, Banana, and the Friendship Split

  Anna, Banana, and the Monkey in the Middle

  Anna, Banana, and the Big-Mouth Bet

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  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.