Emmett and Jez

Hannah Shaw, Bev Johnson

• Publisher: Aladdin
• Year: 2022
• Print ISBN: 9781665901185
• eBook ISBN: 9781665901208

From New York Times bestselling author Hannah Shaw—also known as Kitten Lady—comes the first book in an exciting and heartwarming new chapter book series following kittens and other baby animals in Fosterland! When a tiny piglet named Emmett bounces off the truck carrying his mother and siblings, he's lost, hungry, and stuck on the side of the road. He has no idea where he's supposed to go, or where he belongs. Then a giant scoops Emmett up and takes him to a wonderful, magical place called Fosterland, where he meets a kitten named Jez. Emmett has a lot of questions, and once he hears all about life as a kitten, he decides it's much better than being a piglet. So, Emmett decides to just become a kitten instead! Problem solved. But as both Jez and Emmett grow older and realize they might be headed off to different forever homes, Emmett will have to confront his fears and face the scariest question of all: Is there a Foreverland out there for him?

CHAPTER 1 Bee Careful

Thud!

The whole world seemed to be spinning around Emmett as he hit the pavement and rolled into a ditch. Ouch. That hurt!

Little Emmett brushed himself off and lifted his head, which was now throbbing, and squinted as he watched a truck disappear into the distance. It all happened so fast. One minute he was squeezed into a truck packed with his mama and siblings, and the next he was tumbling down the interstate, all alone.

Alone. What a terrible feeling! All his (short) life, he’d known the comfort of friends nuzzling against him and the familiar sounds of the barnyard. Now he sat trembling, nothing to keep him company but the whoosh of cars speeding past.

And so there he sat, on the side of the road, waiting for someone to find him. He wasn’t sure who he was waiting for or where he wanted to go—he just knew that he didn’t belong here. His hooves were scuffed, his tummy was making rumbly sounds, and his mouth felt drier than sand. He was only a baby, no taller than the dandelions that surrounded him. For a long while, he sat there under those yellow petals, waiting and squealing.

And waiting. And squealing.

Then, just feet away, a bumblebee landed on a flower petal. Emmett leapt up to call out to her.

“Help! Please, help! I was in one of those… zoomy things… and I’ve fallen… and… I’ve lost my way! I’ve been sitting here alone all afternoon. Can you point me in the right direction?”

Stunned, the bumblebee quickly stuffed her pockets with pollen and flew toward him, landing right on the tip of his fuzzy pink snout.

“Why, it’zzz a baby pig!” the bumblebee said.

“A baby what?” Emmett paused, wondering whether he’d ever heard the word “pig” before.

“Hmm,” he said as he looked cross-eyed at the bee with big dark eyes peeking out from under long curly eyelashes. “I’m afraid I don’t know anything about a baby pig,” he said. “I’m just Emmett. But can you help me?”

“Oh dear,” the bumblebee replied. “Thizzz izzz no place for a baby pig.”

Emmett wiggled his snout in confusion. The truth is that he did not know who he was or where he belonged. All he knew was that he was himself, a little guy as tall as a flower, with a rumbly belly and nowhere to go.

The bee looked west toward the sun and gasped. “Oh dear! I’m afraid I have important bizzzness to attend to,” she said, realizing that she was soon due back at the hive. “Little pig, bee careful!” the bumblebee shouted, and flew off with a gust of wind.

“Wait! Come back! Don’t leave me here!” Emmett called, but it was too late. The bee was out of sight. Sheesh, she sure was flighty, Emmett thought, and flopped against the grass, wondering if he’d be alone forever.

Oh, how he hated to be alone.

The sun was scorching, and he was thirsty. Getting up, Emmett tiptoed along a thin yellow line, trying to make his way toward a puddle shining in the distance. Cars zipped past, honking and blowing hot wind against his side. Emmett was scared, and if this was what it meant to be a pig, he longed to be anyone else—and anywhere else. Finally, he made it to the puddle, and as he drank, he saw in his reflection a fuzzy pink baby looking back at him. He shuddered. “I don’t think I like being a baby pig at all.”

Screeeech! A car came to a sudden stop, and he jolted, splashing water all over himself, as the door opened wide. Emmett backed away slowly as a long shadow fell over him, blocking the sunshine. As if out of thin air, two huge hands wrapped around his tiny body, lifting him toward the sky.

He couldn’t believe his eyes. He was being held by a giant!

Before he knew what was happening, Emmett was sitting in a box on the passenger seat, the trees zooming past his face as if he were flying through space at the speed of light. His mind was racing. Who was this giant? Where was she taking him? And most importantly… would there be snacks?

CHAPTER 2 Uncharted Territory

The trees finally stopped moving and the giant plopped a dizzy Emmett before a door that must have been one thousand feet tall. Gulp. He could feel butterflies in his stomach as he wondered what might be on the other side. The door creaked open, and Emmett placed one hoof inside to take a first peek at the mysterious new space. Here goes nothing, he thought.

Tip-tap, tip-tap… slip! His tiny hooves slid awkwardly across the tile. He caught his breath and shook his head, getting his feet back under him. What a curious terrain!

Tippy-tappy, tippy-tappy, he carefully continued ahead.

Emmett felt uncertain about this strange place but was relieved to be off the side of the road. Anything is better than that awful ditch, he thought. Besides, maybe I can find someone here to ask for help finding something to eat.…

He squinted. At the end of the hallway, he saw a small fuzzy mouse.

“Hello?” he called out to the mouse, but the mouse did not respond.

“Could you tell me where I am? I was by a busy road, and I talked to a bee who flew right off! Next thing I knew, I got scooped up by this giant… and now… well, I think that I might be even more lost than before. I just need someone to tell me where to go, or at least where I can find some food,” he continued.

The mouse stayed silent and perfectly still. Why was it so hard to find someone to talk to?

Emmett approached the mouse, who had beady little eyes but didn’t blink at all. He nudged it with his snout, and it flipped onto its side, making a funny rattling sound. Huh. He nudged it harder, and it tumbled down the hall. Emmett jumped back. “You’re not even real! You’re… made of fabric!”

He pattered farther down the hallway. A poof of colorful feathers lay across the path, and he ran toward them. “Excuse me, Mr. Bird, can you tell me—” But just then he noticed the feathers were glued to a bouncy ball, and there was no bird to be found. He furrowed his brow. What is going on here?

Sitting still, he could hear nothing but the rumbling of his stomach, which was getting louder by the minute. But as he listened closely, there was a distant clanging noise in another room. He peeked around the corner and saw that the giant had placed a bowl on the ground… and she was pouring some kind of yummy-looking creamy liquid into the dish!

Emmett’s nose wiggled wildly. Could it be? He stepped closer, sniffing the sweet-smelling air. The scent was irresistible. He ran up to the dish, took a deep whiff, and squealed.

FOOD!

Wasting no time, Emmett jumped into the air and did a belly flop straight into the pond of warm milk. He splashed through the sloshy puddle, slurping it up. Curling his tongue like a straw, he ate as fast as he could. As he was guzzling down his first meal all day, he managed to get food on his feet… and all over his belly… and even on the top of his head.

Within what seemed like no time at all, the dish was nearly empty. As he licked little drizzles from his chin, a new feeling came over Emmett, and he paused, pondering what was happening in his belly, which was feeling funny and tight. This was the feeling of having had enough to eat, but he hadn’t felt anything like that ever before, so even though he was very full, he couldn’t help trying to fit another droplet into his mouth. When he couldn’t drink another lick, he plopped onto his side with a thump, stretching his chunky belly across the saucer.

Maybe this place isn’t so bad after all, he thought.

With a big stretch, he turned his sight to the land before him and surveyed the area in search of a comfy spot to nap.

First he tried to lie on a pile of blankets. But the blankets were lumpy, and even when he nudged them with his snout to try to make a cozy bed, he just couldn’t get comfortable.

Next he flopped atop what he thought was a ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Dedication
• Chapter 1: Bee Careful
• Chapter 2: Uncharted Territory
• Chapter 3: A Magical Place
• Chapter 4: The Grand Tour
• Chapter 5: New Heights
• Chapter 6: Bird-Watching
• Chapter 7: Faux Paws
• Chapter 8: Meoink
• Chapter 9: The Mirror
• Chapter 10: The Train Car
• Chapter 11: A Dream Come True
• Chapter 12: A Forever Friend
• A Few Weeks Later…
• The True Story of Emmett and Jez
• About the Author
• Copyright