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CAT CALLS

Name: CAT CALLS
Author: Jeanne Adlon
ISBN: 978-0-7570-0344-8

WONDERFUL STORIES AND PRACTICAL ADVICE FROM A VETERAN CAT SITTER

by Jeanne Adlon , Susan Logan ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2011

For all things feline, this one is a cat lover’s fancy.

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An ebullient paean for felines, complete with true stories and practical advice from veteran cat sitter and CatChannel.com expert Adlon and Cat Fancy Magazine editor Logan.

Endorsed by Garfield creator Jim Davis, this debut is a cat lover’s paradise. Adlon’s spent 35 years as the first full-time cat sitter in the “city that never sleeps,” and she’s picked up enough experiences along the way to fill nine lives—e.g., the time John Lennon visited her gift shop to buy a cat tree, paying with cash and telling Adlon to “keep the change.” It wasn’t his last visit either, as he returned to the shop with wife Yoko in tow several times. The author’s whimsical voice guides readers through tales long and short, such as how she braved summer heat and blackouts, winter storms, a tarantula and even her own claustrophobia to cater to the whims of her finicky, furry clients. Adlon’s “distinctive feline” stories are touching highlights meant to impart lessons to readers, such as the story of Reggie, a cat who came to say goodbye to his owner before peacefully passing away in his sleep. It’s obvious that Adlon and Logan love their subject—gender pronouns are alternated throughout the book, but the word “it” is never used in reference to cats. In addition to plenty of life lessons, the book is brimming with helpful cat-care advice, touching on myriad topics including adoption, preparing the home for a cat, pet health tips and what to do when kitty stops using the litter box.

For all things feline, this one is a cat lover’s fancy.

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011

ISBN: 978-0-7570-0344-8

Page Count: 144

Publisher: Square One Publishers

Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2011

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.