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Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... Monmouth Public Library | WELLS | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Salem Main Library | JP Wells | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
In the spirit of Max and Ruby , Rosemary Wells launches a new preschool picture book series starring brother-and-sister twin cat duo Kit and Kaboodle, and the mischievous mouse Spinka!
Kit and Kaboodle are twin Siamese cats. The brother and sister are very good kittens--they are always well behaved--but they are always getting into trouble. It's not the kittens who are making mischief. It's a red-capped mouse named Spinka!
There are three short stories in this picture book: Sock Mischief, Baseball Mischief, Bath Time Mischief.
Author Notes
Rosemary Wells was born in New York City on January 29, 1943. She studied at the Museum School in Boston. Without her degree, she left school at the age of 19 to get married. She began her career in publishing, working as an art editor and designer first at Allyn and Bacon and later at Macmillan Publishing.
She is an author and illustrator of over 60 books for children and young adults. Her first book was an illustrated edition of Gilbert and Sullivan's I Have a Song to Sing-O. Her other works include Martha's Birthday, The Fog Comes on Little Pig Feet, Unfortunately Harriet, Mary on Horseback, and Timothy Goes to School. She also created the characters of Max and Ruby, Noisy Nora, and Yoko, which are featured in some of her books. She has won numerous awards including a Children's Book Council Award for Noisy Nora in 1974, the Edgar Allan Poe award for two young adult books, Through the Looking Glass and When No One Was Looking, and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Shy Charles.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-An odd offering from the prolific Wells. Three short tales feature twin kittens, Kit and Kaboodle (K&K), their parents, and a devious little mouse named Spinka. In the first story, the twins get socks from their grandma, but the sneaky rodent steals the socks from the washing machine. In the second, she swipes baseballs from the bag right before Kit and Kaboodle go play baseball with their dad, and then makes off with a muffin mysteriously called "blimpie." In the third, the critter uses up all of Mama Cat's Parisian bubble bath during K&K's bathtime and uses their electric toothbrush. As "Kit and Kaboodle never made any trouble," they aren't blamed for any of Spinka's doings. The feline family members hardly notice the mouse's misdeeds or the mouse, which makes her acts strangely passive aggressive-Spinka mostly gets mad about being excluded when the cats don't even seem to know she exists. This indifference makes her seem like an imaginary character, but alas she appears to be a real, if somewhat boring, nuisance. Wells's signature illustrations feature wide-eyed almost invariably smiling characters. Frames, word balloons, and solid-colored backgrounds make some pages feel cluttered. VERDICT These bland and largely pointless tales lack Wells's usual deft touch at understanding and depicting compelling and realistic child behavior. A supplementary purchase at best.-Yelena Alekseyeva-Popova, formerly at Chappaqua Library, NY © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Kit and Kaboodle are the stars of Wells' newest series, kitty twins who never make any troublebut a little mouse named Spinka creates all kinds of mischief for them.Wearing a jaunty red cap, wee Spinka is the villain of this "not me!" story. In three short vignettes, the little mouse creates just a teaspoon of trouble in each. Mama and Daddy immediately blame the twins for each misadventure, while the kitties profess their innocence. Neither adults nor children ever notice the sneaky squeaker, who gleefully relishes her devious behavior. With signature Wells' colors and animal sweetness, the illustrations will have young listeners searching out the impish mouse. The trouble is tiny indeed, as the extent of it is only a slightly stern parent blaming the children for using too much bubble bath or eating one of the chocolate blimpies. Discussions can focus on how Spinka feels left out when she doesn't receive a gift or isn't invited to play baseball. Will Spinka ever be caught? Or is Spinka just an imaginary pot-stirrer? Further ambiguity is introduced when Kit, who wears a dress and pink shoes while Kaboodle sports shorts, is referred to with the same masculine pronoun as their twin. Is it a typo or an exploration of gender ambiguity? Readers will need to wait till the next installment to find out.A brief introduction to good twin kitties and a rascally mouse. (Picture book. 2-5) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Kit and Kaboodle are two good little kittens, twins who live in a comfortable home with very nice parents and (if they only knew!) Spinka, a mischievous little mouse. Each chapter in this large-format picture book features Spinka playing tricks on the family. In Sock Mischief, she swipes one of Kit's socks and one of Kaboodle's. After shrinking them in the washer and dryer, she wears them herself. Baseball Mischief involves balls that mysteriously go missing before Daddy's game, while in Bath Mischief, someone pours all Mama's special bubble bath into the tub. Though the feline characters never seem to notice Spinka peeking out from behind a lamp or hiding behind the electric toothbrushes, kids listening to the simply told stories will enjoy spotting her in the big, colorful illustrations, which have a cozy look. Even the mouse's tomfoolery can't disturb the unflappable parents, who happily tuck their kittens into bed that night, while Spinka contentedly falls asleep planning more trouble for tomorrow. Good fun for young children.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2018 Booklist