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A tongue-in-cheek tale of Flora Dora's pampered pet parrot, Benny, who is so smart he can read the newspaper (it has long lined the bottom of his cage). Benny's life is idyllic until he has to share his space, his shower baths, and worst of all, Flora's bedtime stories with an interloper, an exotic orchid named Scarlett O'Hara. Benny fantasizes about the mayhem he could wreak on Scarlett, but when the hothouse beauty droops and sickens, Benny saves her life by creating a mini-rainforest in Flora's bathroom. Best (Getting Used to Harry, 1996) has an offbeat, funny take on sibling rivalry, with lots of wordplay to amuse older listeners and readers. Oller's debut is a solid success: Her ink and watercolor monotypes, in a warm palette and full of throwaway humor, invest Flora and Benny—even Scarlett—with enough personality to carry a sequel. (Picture book. 5-9)