Can I Keep It, PLEASE? by John Sullivan

Evie and her pet cat, Sasha, are on the way to the pet parade. While at the parade, Evie decides that her pet is boring. She sets off to persuade her parents to let her get a more exciting pet. When she finds a snake in her backyard, her parents let her keep it. But a snake for a pet was not what Evie was expecting. And as she learns about her snake, she learns that maybe not all animals are meant to be pets.

Inspired by the author’s childhood of catching a wild garter snake and keeping it as a pet. He notes that there are now laws in some states to protect wild snakes and it is better to get a snake from a reputable source.