A clever, engaging book that will likely leave readers wanting more tales of Toos.
In Belciglio and Tolbert’s debut children’s book, a cool calico cat explores the city of Charlotte, N.C.
Toos (rhymes with “moose”) is a male calico cat, a genetic rarity. He lives in Charlotte with his owner, John. The cat lives an easy life consisting of eating food, taking naps, playing with catnip toys and glaring at birds. His rarity makes him special, in that he possesses a knack for turning bad situations into good ones. When John inadvertently leaves the door open one day, Toos decides it’s time to hit the road, and he goes in search of adventure and fellow felines. The resulting tale, written from the Toos’ perspective, follows the lucky cat on his adventures throughout the city. In search of a feline friend, he finds himself at a Charlotte Bobcats basketball game, viewing a local landmark at the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, and in front of a giant panther statue. The authors and illustrator show readers some of Charlotte’s most famous sights. However, readers unfamiliar with the city may have a hard time identifying the sites for what they are, such as an NBA arena; although from a cat’s perspective, such details perhaps don’t matter. Children will likely enjoy Toos’ cool-as-a-cucumber attitude and his penchant for using words such as “dude” and “awesome.” The painted illustrations are colorful and engaging and Anderson does a great job capturing Toos’ expressions and body language. Although youngsters may have difficulty with some of the more advanced vocabulary, the story is engaging enough for adults to enjoy reading it with their kids. A slightly awkward moment occurs in the beginning of the book, when Toos relates a story of when he tore up some of John's important papers; the moment doesn’t fit with the easy flow of the rest of the tale. However, this hiccup doesn’t diminish the overall appeal and humor of Toos’ journey through Charlotte.
A clever, engaging book that will likely leave readers wanting more tales of Toos.Pub Date: Nov. 24, 2012
ISBN: 978-1479120376
Page Count: 26
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Feb. 5, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.
A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
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