Art from the Heart by Ellie O'Ryan

Author:Ellie O'Ryan [O’RYAN, ELLIE]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Pets, Juvenile Fiction / Media Tie-In, Juvenile Fiction / Readers / Chapter Books
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published: 2016-01-05T00:00:00+00:00

Minka stood on the sidewalk, blinking her eyes as the sun finally burst through the clouds. She’d never been on her own in Downtown City, and it suddenly seemed bigger, louder, and even more exciting than ever before. There were cars and taxis honking in the streets, bicyclists snaking through the traffic, and plenty of people crowding the sidewalks. Minka ducked behind a trash can just in time to avoid being zoomed over by a boy on a skateboard—where she found a pigeon pecking at a French fry.

“Is it always like this?” Minka asked the pigeon, even though she already knew the answer. The pigeon said nothing as it nabbed the fry with its pointy beak and flew off.

Minka took a deep breath. You can do this, she told herself. Art first and always!

Then, Minka scampered down the sidewalk, making sure to hide behind newspaper stands and streetlights whenever she could. Everybody knew that Downtown City was a place where just about anything could happen, but Minka had a feeling that it wasn’t every day that a pink monkey roamed the streets all by herself. She definitely didn’t want to attract any attention that might interfere with her mission.

Whenever Minka passed by a bus stop, she paused to check the map posted there to make sure she was still on the right path. That’s what Russell would do, Minka thought, feeling proud of herself for thinking of such a smart plan. Of course, if Zoe had tagged along on Minka’s outing, there would be no need for a map. Zoe could find her way to the Fashion District even if she were blindfolded!

Left turn, straight, look both ways and cross the street, straight, another left turn—and Minka had arrived. Most street signs in Downtown City were bright green, but the ones in the Fashion District were painted deep purple with shimmering gold trim. But even without the signs, Minka would’ve known exactly where she was. The Fashion District was just as busy and bustling as the rest of Downtown City, but there was something different about it, too. Minka saw people unloading bolts of beautiful fabric from the back of a white van. If she listened carefully near one of the open windows, Minka could hear the clatter of dozens of sewing machines at work. Other people were carting lights into a studio, where the words HOUSE OF D’ADAMO were painted on the window. I wonder if they’re setting up for a fashion show, Minka thought as she watched a group of models following the light crew. Behind them, two assistants pushed a large cart filled with props and accessories, including an enormous hat with a frothy veil. The hat was so big that Minka could’ve used it for a bed.

And that gave her an idea.

While the assistants waited for the light to change so they could cross the street, Minka crept toward the cart. She watched them carefully, waiting for the perfect moment when they would both be distracted enough that Minka could sneak onto the cart.

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