cats

Frankie Works the Night Shift

| Tasha

Frankie Works the Night Shift by Lisa Westberg Peters, illustrated by Jennifer Taylor

Frankie the cat, works during the night at the hardware store.  Counting from one to ten, he cleans counters, waters plans, climbs ladders, and then spots a mouse!  Dashing headlong through the store, he wakes up the entire family who are trying to sleep.  By the time he has chased the mouse off the premises, it is almost morning.  He may work the night shift, but he naps during the day.  So the book ends with ten huge yawns.

Peters writing is straightforward and easy to read aloud.  She has created a counting book with plenty of action which is unusual.  Additionally, her writing keeps the book from becoming sing-songy because each counting page is phrased differently.  Nicely done.

Taylor’s illustrations really take this book to another level.  The first pages of the city street had me hunkered over the page and delighting in the small details.  Then I had to know what medium she used to create the photographically clear but whimsically created images.  Her use of digital photography has created an intriguing look and feel that is never disjointed.  Beautifully rendered, I hope to see more from this debut book illustrator.

A counting book filled with gorgeous images and friendly text, this book with its furry and busy main character will delight young readers.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

Where Is Catkin?

| Tasha

Where Is Catkin? by Janet Lord, illustrated by Julie Paschkis

Catkin heads out to hunt in the garden.  He sees and hears different animals in the garden but he can’t catch them.  There is a cricket, a frog, a mouse, a snake, and a bird.  After Catkin pounces them they disappear from view.  But sharp-eyed readers will be able to spy them hiding.  Finally, Catkin climbs a tree to catch a bird, but goes too high.  Now it is Amy’s job to find Catkin in the garden and rescue him!

The first thing you will notice about this book is its amazing illustrations.  Done in an almost Slavic motif, they are rich, deep colored and stylized.  As Catkin pounces an animal it appears in the yellow and red border, adding another layer to this book.  Lord’s text is brief and invites young readers to participate in the seeking and finding of the animals.  Readers will enjoy spotting not only the animals in the text, but also insects and other animals. 

A richly illustrated seek-and-find book that is perfect for the youngest listeners.  I would suggest using this with only a very small group, because the pleasure of the book is to look closely at the illustrations and talk about them. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from copy received from Peachtree Publishers.

Also reviewed by Beth Fish Reads, 7 Imp, and We Love Children’s Books.

Windows with Birds

| Tasha

Windows with Birds by Karen Ritz

The cat loved his home.  It had windows filled with birds to watch, hiding places, stairs, and a mouse in the basement.  It also had the boy who filled the water dish and scratched just right.  The cat would wait for him to return from school.  But one day, the boy took the cat to a new home in an apartment building.  The cat was not happy.  He hid, meowed aloud, and avoided the boy but the boy did not take him back home.  The cat was very upset until the morning when he discovered that these windows had birds too! 

This is a book that explores the emotional effects of moving from the point of view of a family pet.  Children will see their own emotions reflected there in a tangible and relatable way.  The illustrations are realistic and filled with loving detail.  Sharp-eyed readers will spot a moving box and the moving van before the move comes.  Ritz has captured the movements and position of the cat perfectly both in action and repose. 

A lovely addition to moving books, this should find its way onto most library shelves.  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from library copy.

Kitten’s Spring

| Tasha

Kitten’s Spring by Eugenie Fernandes

Take a walk along with Kitten as Kitten explores a farm in spring.  As Kitten goes through the farm, readers will see pairings of adult and baby animals.  These include frogs and tadpoles, birds and eggs, chickens and chicks, ducks and ducklings, a cow and calf, pig and piglet, sheep and lamb, and owl and owlet.  The book is written in rhyme that adds to the appeal.  The illustrations are eye-catching and lovely with a real dimensional feel to them that will offer young children lots to pore over.

Fernandes is a well-known Canadian author.  Her ability to create a book with a specific feel and theme shines here.  Using only a few words per page, she writes with a simplicity that is welcoming for very small children.  Her art is equally warm and friendly, filled with tiny details that make it fun to visit again and again.  It is done in clay, acrylic paint and collage.

This book would be perfect to add to a toddler story time about spring, farms or cats.  Its small size is also very inviting for lap reading and children will love to talk about the animal noises and the other things they see in each picture.  Appropriate for ages 1-4.

Reviewed from copy received from publisher.

Also reviewed by Becky at Young Readers.

Chester’s Masterpiece

| Tasha

Chester’s Masterpiece with NO help from Melanie Watt

In this third Chester book, Chester has completely taken over and is writing the book all by himself.  He has taken Melanie’s art supplies and her computer mouse.  But writing a children’s book isn’t as easy as Chester thinks.  He has to come up with original ideas, select a genre, illustrate the book, and then work on a happy ending rather than a gloomy one.  Luckily Melanie is right there with helpful criticism along the way, even demonstrating her skills as an artist with just a pencil.

I know this is going to sound odd, but I love the dynamics between Melanie and Chester.  Their quibbling is such fun to watch.  Here Melanie is confined to writing post-it notes to Chester as he creates his masterpiece.  Along the way, readers learn about what goes into creating a children’s book, though they will be having far too much fun to notice that they are learning things too.  Watts’ illustrations are done with such differing styles that it is easy to forget she is also drawing Chester.  The book design is a large part of its success and that is thanks to her art.

Highly recommended, but make sure you enjoy the other two Chester books too.  All three are such fun.  Appropriate for ages 5-8.

Reviewed from copy received from publisher.

Brownie & Pearl Step Out

| Tasha

Brownie & Pearl Step Out by Cynthia Rylant, illustrations by Brian Biggs

In this simple, charming story, Rylant explores shyness.  Brownie, the little girl, and Pearl, her cat, are going to a birthday party that cats are invited to too.  Once they are at the door to the party, Brownie starts to feel shy about knocking.  Pearl, though, is not shy at all and enters the house by the cat door, forcing Brownie to have to knock and join the party.  By the end of the party, full of cake and ice cream and having played lots of games, Brownie is very happy to have come. 

Rylant has created the first in another charming pairing.  This book is for even younger readers than Henry and Mudge or Mr. Potter and Tabby.  The vocabulary is kept limited and there are at most two short sentences on each page, usually as short as four words.  Despite these limitations, Rylant has created a charming protagonist.  Biggs’ illustrations are done digitally and have a nice warmth to them.  The illustrations are simple and friendly for young readers. 

Highly recommended, every library needs a copy of this first in Rylant’s new series.  I can’t wait to see what adventures Brownie and Pearl head on next.  Appropriate for new readers of any age, approximately ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from publisher.

Binky the Space Cat

| Tasha

Binky the Space Cat by Ashley Spires

A new graphic novel series launches off with this first title.  Binky is a house cat who has never left the family “space station.”  But he is a cat with a purpose!  He is a space cat and will one day blast into outer space.  He can’t leave the space station without a helmet and other gear because he wouldn’t be able to breathe.  But even in the space station, he is surrounded by aliens.  He knows they are aliens because they can fly.  Readers will know they fly because they ARE flies.  Binky has to keep his special identity a secret from his humans.  So they don’t know of his ongoing research or the fact that he is building a space craft in his litter box. Will Binky blast off?  Or will his dreams fizzle out?

Spires has created a graphic novel with broad appeal.  Binky is a winning main character with his dreams, fears and bravery shown clearly.  This is a fresh-feeling book that has its own unique artistic style.  The illustrations are done in near sepia tones with bright bursts of red throughout.  They are filled with funny action.  Binky is portrayed as a cat with a round belly but lots of energy and drive. 

Young readers who enjoy more pictures with their books will be right at home here.  It is an easy graphic novel that does not speak down to young readers. 

Recommended for all library collections, this series deserves a spot on graphic novel shelves for elementary-aged readers.  I happily await the next Binky adventure.  Appropriate for ages 6-9.

Reviewed from copy received from publisher.

Also reviewed at Three Silly Chicks, A Year of Reading, 100 Scope Notes, and Young Readers.

But Who Will Bell the Cats?

| Tasha

But Who Will Bell the Cats? by Cynthia Von Buhler

Beginning with the fable from Aesop, Buhler creates an answer to the question of who will bell the cats.  The story is one of two very different but very nearby worlds.  One is the world of privilege and pampering of the princess and her eight cats.  The other is the world below the floor of Mouse and his friend Bat who live on the crumbs and waste of the world above them.  Mouse yearns to sleep on perfumed pillows, and eat gorgeous meals, so he makes plans to bell the cats so they will be warned of any approach by the cats.  He creates a suit of armor and a sword, but the cats just play ping-pong with him.  He dresses up as a dog to scare the cats, but they play floor hockey with him.  They put on a fashion show for the cats, but end up in mouse and bat pies, and are rescued by the kind princess.  Finally, Mouse has a great idea that answers the question of the entire book.

I must first comment on the illustrations of the book which caught my attention immediately.  They are done as miniature sets that Von Buhler built by hand.  The characters are flat paper against the 3-D sets, making for a very theatrical feel.  Her sets are done in deep colors that make them atmospheric and dramatic.  Each room has small touches that demonstrate the care she has taken with the entire book.

Against the elaborate illustrations, her writing is simple and will read aloud well.  The book is paced nicely, aided by quite a bit of humor that helps carry the story along. There is tension with each new plan from Mouse and a real sense of danger.  The drama of the storyline works well with the theatrical sets.

Great drama in a lovely theater of a book, this book will reach out to anyone who spots the cover.  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Make sure to take a look at Cynthia von Buhler’s blog and get a glimpse of how she built the illustrations.

Reviewed from library copy.

Also reviewed by Fuse #8 and Elizabeth Dulemba.

Cool Cat

| Tasha

Cool Cat by Nonny Hogrogian

This wordless picture book is a strong voice for creativity and change.  Cat is in a desolate landscape, filled with dead grass, broken glass, and rusting cans.  It is a brown, barren place.  But Cat has brought his paints!  He starts in a corner with some green leaves, then moves to the sky and turns it from brown to blue.  Mouse and Rabbit join him, adding touches of bright red berries.  A cardinal sweeps in to finish the sky, while trees, rocks and even a pond are added.  Soon the birds are perching on the tree branches, a duck is paddling in the pond, and the painting becomes real.

Hogrogian’s paintings have a softness that really works for this blurring of reality and art.  The muddy brown of the original landscape speaks volumes all in itself.  Then with juxtaposed with the brightness of green, red and yellow it becomes a dreadful ugliness.  Children will enjoy the different animals that help out with the art.  This is a testament to shared art and murals.  But at a deeper level, it is a book about how art transforms and how each of us can make change in our own worlds.

A great art book for very small children, this book can be shared at different levels.  Toddlers will enjoy the animals and the colors while older children will see the change and wonder.  Appropriate for ages 2-5.

Reviewed from library copy.