The Backyard Animal Show

In this fifth book of the classic chapter book series by award-winning author Sharon M. Draper, four boys who call themselves the Black Dinosaurs get up close and personal with the pets of the neighborhood.

After witnessing a tragic accident in which a doe is killed, the boys in the Clubhouse Mysteries gang are able to rescue her orphaned fawn. But they realize that nearby construction means the destruction of more local animals’ homes, so Ziggy, Rashawn, Jerome, and Rico decide to take up the cause and host a backyard animal show to raise money for the local wildlife rescue center.

Dino, the adorable rescued fawn, will be the star attraction. And given that the boys have already tackled caring for a deer, managing their friends’ dogs, cats, and hamsters should be easy…right?

Sharon M. Draper is the New York Times bestselling author of Out of My Mind, Blended, and Out of My Heart. She’s won Coretta Scott King Awards for Copper Sun and Forged by Fire and multiple honors. She’s also the recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award honoring her significant and lasting contribution to writing for teens. Sharon taught high school English for twenty-five years and was named National Teacher of the Year. She lives in Florida. Visit her at SharonDraper.com.

Jesse Joshua Watson connects with people—where hammocking in Brazil, exploring Hong Kong, playing soccer in Haiti, or dodging taxis in Russia. He loves both the differences and similarities that are so colorfully displayed across our diverse world and reflects this passion in his illustrations, which have been featured in magazines, art publications, CD covers, children’s books, and on The Oprah Winfrey Show. His work appears in the New York Times bestselling Hank Zipzer series, the Clubhouse Mysteries (Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs) series, Hope for Haiti, and more. He won the 2005 grand prize and was a 2006 finalist at the international SCBWI New York Showcase. Jesse lives with his wife and sons in Washington where he teaches art to kids, plays music occasionally and soccer religiously, and surfs the chilly northwest waters as often as he can. Visit him online at JesseWatson.com.