Part of The Baby-Sitters Club, book 22
First published 1989
Jessi Ramsey faces an unusual request when the Mancusi family needs a sitter. They don't have children, but they own numerous pets that need care. Kristy feels offended that anyone would ask the Baby-sitters Club to watch animals instead of kids. She believes pet-sitting falls outside their responsibilities. Jessi loves animals and convinces Kristy to let her accept the job. The assignment quickly becomes complicated when snakes escape their enclosures and hamsters fall ill. Jessi must handle these pet emergencies while dealing with her own problems. The Baby-sitters Club members start fighting among themselves, creating additional stress for Jessi. She finds herself managing crisis after crisis with the Mancusi pets while her friends argue and refuse to support her. Jessi wonders if she can succeed at pet-sitting when everything seems to go wrong at once. The job tests her ability to care for animals and her loyalty to the club that no longer feels united.
Genres: fiction, family-life, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, friends-to-lovers
Setting: Mancusi
141 pages · Paperback · Scholastic