The Snake Who Said Shhh

When little Seth the snake is born he cannot bear the noises that all the jungle animals make, and when his mother urges him to speak, the only thing he wants to say is "Shhh."

When little Seth the snake is born he cannot bear the noises that all the jungle animals make, and when his mother urges him to speak, the only thing he wants to say is "Shhh."

All the jungle animals has gathered to hear Seth, the baby snake, say his first word. When he only manages 'shhh' they erupt into laughter. That's not a noise a snake makes! What is Seth trying to tell them?

Seth slithers out of his hole and tries to say his first word, but all that comes out is 'Shhh'. His mother encourages Seth to try again, but no luck. All he can say is 'Shhh'! The jungle animals who have gathered to hear Seth's first word erupt into giggles and fits of laughter. Whoever heard of a snake that said shhh? The grumpy leopard then tells the other animals that they need to decide on a present to give Seth. The animals shout out suggestions from a toothbrush to leaves. But none of them can agree. Their shouting escalates until Seth cannot take any more. He loudly says 'SHHHHH!' The jungle animals then realize that the best gift for Seth would be some peace and quiet.

When the Shhh-BOOM, Shhh-BOOM, Shhh-BOOM of the snake band begins to sound a little monotonous Snake suggests adding Frog's cha-BOP, or maybe Cricket's chew-up chew-up.

A classic he-said-she-said romantic comedy! This updated anniversary edition offers story-behind-the-story revelations from author Wendelin Van Draanen. The first time she saw him, she flipped. The first time he saw her, he ran. That was the second grade, but not much has changed by the seventh. Juli says: “My Bryce. Still walking around with my first kiss.” He says: “It’s been six years of strategic avoidance and social discomfort.” But in the eighth grade everything gets turned upside down: just as Bryce is thinking that there’s maybe more to Juli than meets the eye, she’s thinking that he’s not quite all he seemed. This is a classic romantic comedy of errors told in alternating chapters by two fresh, funny voices. The updated anniversary edition contains 32 pages of extra backmatter: essays from Wendelin Van Draanen on her sources of inspiration, on the making of the movie of Flipped, on why she’ll never write a sequel, and a selection of the amazing fan mail she’s received. Awards and accolades for Flipped: SLJ Top 100 Children’s Novels of all time IRA-CBC Children’s Choice IRA Teacher’s Choice Honor winner, Judy Lopez Memorial Award/WNBA Winner of the California Young Reader Medal “We flipped over this fantastic book, its gutsy girl Juli and its wise, wonderful ending.” — The Chicago Tribune “Van Draanen has another winner in this eighth-grade ‘he-said, she-said’ romance. A fast, funny, egg-cellent winner.” — SLJ, Starred review “With a charismatic leading lady kids will flip over, a compelling dynamic between the two narrators and a resonant ending, this novel is a great deal larger than the sum of its parts.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred review

Max is used to being called Stupid. And he is used to everyone being scared of him. On account of his size and looking like his dad. Kevin is used to being called Dwarf. And he is used to everyone laughing at him. On account of his size and being some cripple kid. But greatness comes in all sizes, and together Max and Kevin become Freak The Mighty and walk high above the world. An inspiring, heartbreaking, multi-award winning international bestseller.