It isn’t easy dealing with neighbors. Whether you’ve had to file noise complaints or had arguments about property lines, the people next door aren’t always as neighborly as we’d like. In Emily Edwards’ book Timmy Gets Adopted, the inhabitants of Potter County have to deal with a very unusual neighborhood dispute. It seems that on this street, it’s not the humans who are having troubles with their neighbors — it’s the animals.
The newest resident is Timmy, a happy-go-lucky puppy from the Shelter for Rescued Animals. Timmy’s just been adopted by the Martin family and is getting acclimated to his new life as a family pet. And, like any other puppy, Timmy barks. A lot.
The other animals around the area are sick of the noise, and long for the days when Timmy was still at the shelter. Melody the rabbit is worried that Timmy will sniff out her baby bunnies, who live in the nest underneath the Martin’s porch. Sophia the owl is worried Timmy’s barking will wake her little owlings. But it’s George the tortoise who has the most complaints about the new resident.
He’s lived in the Martin’s yard for nearly a century, but now he has to share that space with a yappy, hyperactive puppy. Timmy doesn’t know how to be gentle with the old tortoise and knocks George onto his shell when he’s just trying to play. But when George snaps at him, Timmy doesn’t understand he’s being too rough, and thinks George is just being mean. The two will have to come to an agreement if they’re going to share the Martin’s lawn.
