Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Quirky fantasy adventure perfect for Magic Tree House grads.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In THE SASQUATCH ESCAPE, Ben's not so sure about Buttonville when he first arrives to spend the summer with his grandfather. After the closure of the button factory years ago, it's turned into a pretty sleepy town. On his ride in from the airport, Ben notices all the shuttered downtown businesses and is worried he's going to have a sleepy, boring summer -- that is, until he sees a huge bird with a long tail up in the sky. Just as his grandfather stops the car, the "bird" disappears. Ben thinks he's seeing things until he spots a girl leaning out her second-story window with the same wide eyes. She looks at Ben and mouths "dragon" as he drives by. Ben thinks she's crazy until the next day, when his grandpa's cat deposits an injured creature onto his bed; it's a miniature fire-breathing version of what he spotted in the sky. Add to that rumors of a new worm hospital in the old button factory (worm hospital?!) and the weird guy ahead of him in the grocery store line ordering 2,000 boxes of kiwi jelly beans before dropping a recipe for dragon milk, and Ben's summer is turning out way more interesting than he expected -- especially when he and his new friend Pearl, the girl who also saw the dragon, decide to take Ben's new injured pet to what is most definitely not a worm hospital.
Is It Any Good?
With mystery, humor, and a plot that moves as fast as a sasquatch racing down a hill in a shopping cart, this is a great choice for readers not quite ready for the longer fantasy chapter books. The Sasquatch Escape moves quickly from the main character's funk over a summer with grandpa to him spotting a dragon, making a new friend, and eventually going on a mission to return a wayward bigfoot. Readers will be hooked by the first dragon sighting, but it's when Ben and Pearl unpack the Sasquatch Catching Kit that they'll know they're in for a real adventure. Each item is a wonderful clue to the mayhem that will ensue. Chapters entitled "Hairy Escape," "Hairy Pudding," and "Hairy Return" and expressive illustrations by Dan Santat (including the hilarious sketch of a sasquatch joyriding in a shopping cart) add to the fun.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the danger Ben and Pearl face in The Sasquatch Escape. Were you worried when they signed the release form describing all the injuries they might get hunting the sasquatch? Did you feel better when they opened the Sasquatch Catching Kit? How much scary stuff should books for kids have?
So many mysteries pop up in a hurry, especially when Ben meets Mr. Tabby at the grocery store. Does wanting to know the answer to something make you want to read an entire book? What mysteries were solved in this book? What questions do you still have?
Will you read the next in this series? For readers of the paperback, did you read the sneak-peek first chapter of Book 2 at the end of The Sasquatch Escape? Why do you think the publishers included that?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Dan Santat
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Adventures , Friendship , Fantasy , Animals ( Wild Animals )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publishers : Little , Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : April 2, 2013
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 7 - 12
- Number of pages : 224
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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