The Prairie Pet Book

<P>Hospital Critterz: The Prairie Pet is the first book in a series that depicts the extraordinary adventures of Lily and Max, two eight-year-old patients at McPopper Children's Hospital, and their magical friends, the Hospital Critterz. When Lily's nurse gives her a strange set of markers, Lily has no idea how strange things will soon become. Lily wants to make a welcome gift for a new patient named Max, and she uses these markers to draw twelve colorful characters, all inspired by who and what she sees around her. But Max just wants to be left alone. That's when Lily puts the drawings away for good, or so she thinks. Seconds later, a thunderstorm hits, and Lily hears voices coming from the corner of her room. Suddenly, the twelve little characters from her drawings are standing in front of her! It's the Hospital Critterz, and they're ready for action! And when Max sees them, he's ready for action, too. With a magical phrase, the Hospital Critterz take Lily and Max back in time to the 1800's, right into the middle of the prairie. Lily finds a note in her pocket with a mysterious riddle, and as they all try to figure it out, they come across a farmhouse where they meet a boy named Caleb. He is teary-eyed as he tells them that his family needs money to have their land plowed, and the only option is to sell his huge pet buffalo, Tiny, to Buffalo Bill and his traveling show. With the riddle as a guide, Lily, Max, and the Hospital Critterz find a creative way to save Tiny . . . and save the day!