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
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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