<DIV>5-7</DIV>
JUVENILE FICTION
32 Pages, 10 x 10
Formats: Hardcover Picture Book, PDF
Hardcover Picture Book, $16.95 (US $16.95) (CA $16.95)
Publication Date: April 2010
ISBN 9780979974656
Rights: WOR
Flashlight Press (Apr 2010)
Narrated by a cat-loving little girl, this story is a hysterical romp through a family's pet adoption dilemma. Poor Dad does not like cats, and he voices his opposition to the steady stream of stray cats that always seem to wind up on his doorstep—thanks to a cat-loving Mom who wants to save every stray she finds. In an effort to win Dad over, the little girl hides a tiny stray kitten in her hood and convinces Dad to just give it one small squeeze. Dad manages, with trepidation, to stick out his pinkie and pet the creature. But now that five cats have taken over his favorite chair, he becomes desperate and makes a visit to the pound. Dad returns happily with a big, fat puppy—everyone gets something that they want. With hilarious ink and watercolor illustrations, this picture book demonstrates the resourcefulness, love, and compromises of a pet-loving family.
"This light comedy . . . spotlight[s] family dynamics. Energetic rhymed couplets relay how Mom and kids repeatedly bring home stray cats, driving Dad crazy . . . spirited cartoons depict animals and humans with amusingly exaggerated facial expressions . . . The buffoonlike father's antics should prove kid-pleasing." —Publishers Weekly
"He may rant and rave, but ultimately this softhearted dad lets the strays stay. David Parkins' hilariously detailed pictures add to the fun and the surprise ending." —Baltimore's Child
"This is a rhyming picture book about our love affair with animals—a book for reading together, but it easily opens discussions about what we like/dislike, getting along, flexibility, and being open to change." —The Reading Tub.com