Taking care of animals is a snap! That's what identical twins Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield and their friends think when they volunteer at the Sweet Valley Zoo.
Until Elizabeth accidently lets a mischevious monkey named Spanky out of his cage. Spanky shows up in the strangest places - behind the counter at Casey's Ice Cream Parlour, in the auditorium during a school assembly, and hanging from the Wakefield's kitchen ceiling.
Until Bruce Patman takes care of a baby bird named Drumstick. Bruce is secretly afraid of birds, but Drumstick thinks Bruce is the greatest thing ever, and won't leave him alone!
Until Jessica falls in love with Gus, a grizzly bear cub who's lost his mother. She's determined to help Gus adjust to life in the zoo, but the zookeeper tells her they must return Gus to the wild. Will Jessica be able to say good-bye to her furry friend?
"Gus can't stay at the zoo forever," Justin told Jessica gently. "He's got to go back to the wild. His visit was only temporary."
Jessica burst into tears. The grizzly cub stirred in her lap.
Justin looked embarrased. "I'll be back in a little while," he said softly, leaving the office.
Jessica sobbed into Gus's fur, and he whimpered. "I know. It's not fair, is it?" she asked him through her tears. "Nobody gets it. How do they expect me to just give you up?"