THE CATNIP MAN

The Catnip Man, whom Bob and Nancy befriend, is the prototype of raggedy childhood idols often, unfortunately, outside the pale of adult approval. But this time the three worlds meet -- adult, outcast and children -- in a gay, brisk story in which the old Catnip Man is rescued from slumbering in the woods after his house is torn down, and is not only given a new house by the town, but is asked to Bob and Nancy's house to dinner. A light-hearted, sympathetic story of playtime and project time centered around an endearing character, who could be a special friend of children everywhere. The illustrations by Lial Weil are unusually appealing and lively.