A beautifully written and illustrated feline tale with subtle emotional depths.
A cat hungry for adventure discovers that his destiny lies closer to hearth and home in this chapter book.
Swayed by an aging tomcat’s tales of seafaring derring-do, orange tabby kitten Rufus dreams of a world beyond his tame life with Mama Cat and his siblings. Adopted by gentle Mrs. Lin, Rufus is happy to be her affectionate companion until his first birthday brings an acute itch to roam and uncover his destiny. But after a near-fatal forest encounter with maddened nesting geese, the wandering feline is content to settle in with his rescuer, Mr. Peabody. A lonely poet with writer’s block, Mr. Peabody finds peace and the renewal of his creative drive in Rufus’ comfortable presence until he learns that his furry friend, “Mr. Cat,” is the subject of Mrs. Lin’s desperate “missing cat” notice in the newspaper. This feline-centric yet deeply human and adult-friendly novel for children is the first work of fiction by Spandel, a prolific author best known for instructional books on writing for classrooms and workshops. May it not be her last. The author’s well-drawn characters are shaped by empathy, not sentiment, and by her near-poetic observations of the minutiae in their lives (Mrs. Lin’s garden and kitchen; Mr. Peabody’s books and herbal teas) and of the natural world around them. Rufus, beginning his journey with an explorer’s bravado, sees a “familiar wooded landscape transformed into a patchwork of meadows and wetlands. Carpets of purple asters and yellow marsh marigolds rolled out in all directions as the sun spilled the last of its light across the water and littoral mud flats….The world was reaching out its arms, enveloping the young swashbuckler in its embrace.” How Rufus stays in the lives of both his loving caretakers and discovers his true purpose are movingly answered through the wisdom of an unexpected and memorable source: Asha, a battered rescue cat, scarred but not broken by rough living. The text is richly complemented by Kelleher’s pastel paintings of animals and ambient settings. Among the book’s endmatter: Mr. Peabody’s recipe for crab cakes and his poem dedicated to the absent Asha, promising to “keep an extra blue plate at the table always…for when you bring your wild heart home.”
A beautifully written and illustrated feline tale with subtle emotional depths.Pub Date: June 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-9972831-3-6
Page Count: 122
Publisher: Teaching That Makes Sense
Review Posted Online: Jan. 8, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
PROFILES
With a rhythm and rhyme that never falter, Slade offers readers insect-themed word problems: “Four hungry honey bees / dance...
Rhyming verse presents buggy word problems that can all be solved using multiplication.
With a rhythm and rhyme that never falter, Slade offers readers insect-themed word problems: “Four hungry honey bees / dance a buggy beat— / tappin’ with six furry legs. / How many dancing feet? / 4 x 6 = ?” The 11 multiplication facts, seemingly randomly chosen, each include one of the numbers from one to 11. While no doubt good practice the first time through, it precludes repeated readings and incorporates only a smattering of facts. Hunter, with specialties in entomological and botanical illustration, truly makes the text come alive. Her insects are realistically detailed and seem ready to crawl right out of the pages. But while they are fascinating to look at, they are not always the easiest to use as counters in answering the problems. The ladybug spots and walking stick parts are too small to count, and for those not in the know, the soldier ants appear to have only one pair of eyes rather than the five eyes of the math problem. Backmatter includes extensive information and questions to help readers learn more about insects. A final page provides a multiplication table as well as a breakdown of each problem from the text.Pub Date: Aug. 10, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-60718-128-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sylvan Dell
Review Posted Online: July 5, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The believable plot and inherent suspense will keep readers turning the pages of this fine addition to early chapter books,...
With a limited vocabulary perfect for readers just edging into chapter books, the tale of Logan’s efforts to locate his lost dog rings completely true.
After Logan’s parents separate, he and his mother and Border collie, Bear, head for a new home in the suburbs, but Bear gets lost. Shortly afterward, Hannah’s father finds the missing pet in the back of his truck. Hannah is desperate for a pet, but her parents decide to leave the dog at the Rainbow Street Shelter (the name of this new series) to give him his best chance for return to his owners. There Hannah begins volunteering with the animals, recognizing their need for affection. Logan, miserable over leaving his family’s farm and his parents’ break-up, is devastated by the loss of his beloved dog. As his parents try to track down Bear and Hannah’s parents recognize her growing level of responsibility, glimmers of hope appear for both children. While the very brief text, accompanied by frequent attractive black-and-white illustrations, doesn’t give room for extensive character development, the essentials are effectively captured.
The believable plot and inherent suspense will keep readers turning the pages of this fine addition to early chapter books, which will resonate with both pet lovers and children involved in divorces. (Fiction. 7-10)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-8050-8931-8
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2011
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
