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Summary
Summary
The subtle dance of friendship -- from holding your tongue to knowing what to say -- is played out in three sweetly humorous tales about an unlikely, likable pair.
Catina wants to be a famous writer. Houndsley is an excellent cook. Catina thinks Houndsley is a wonder. Houndsley thinks Catina is a very good friend. So what should Houndsley say about Catina's seventy-four-chapter memoir? And can Catina find the right words of comfort for Houndsley after the big cooking contest fiasco? James Howe's funny and endearing world of ginger tea, no-bean chili, and firefly watching is brought to life in cozy watercolors by Marie-Louise Gay in this tender chapter book about what it means to be friends.
Author Notes
James Howe was born in Oneida, New York on August 2, 1946. He attended Boston University and majored in theater. Before becoming a full-time author, he worked as a literary agent. His first book, Bunnicula, was published in 1979. It won several awards including the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award and the Nene Award. He is the author of more than 90 books for young readers including the Bunnicula series, the Bunnicula and Friends series, the Tales from the House of Bunnicula series, Pinky and Rex series, and the Sebastian Barth Mystery series. His other works include The Hospital Book , A Night Without Stars, Dew Drop Dead, The Watcher, The Misfits, Totally Joe, Addie on the Inside, and Also Known As Elvis.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-Catina the cat wants to be famous writer and has written "Life Through the Eyes of a Cat." When her friend Houndsley the dog reads it and realizes she is a terrible writer, he doesn't want to hurt her feelings and says, "I am at a loss for words." Catina beams at the imagined compliment. the pooch, who is a very good cook, is persuaded by Catina and Bert to enter a cooking contest, but everything goes wrong-he even forgets the three beans for his three-bean chili. The judges laugh at him, and he thinks about giving up cooking. Later, the two friends sit outside and reflect on their experiences. Houndsley enjoys cooking but doesn't need to be the best, while Catina wants to be famous but does not enjoy writing. Houndsley encourages her to find something she enjoys doing and reminds her that she is very good at being his friend. James Howe's gentle story (Candlewick, 2006) of friendship won the E. B. White Read Aloud Award. Peter Pamela Rose perfectly captures Houndsley's "soft-as-a-rose-petal voice" and creates distinctive voices for Catina and Bert. The excellent narration is enhanced by the musical score and sound track which give depth to the events of the story. A fine addition to beginning chapter-book collections.-Mary Jean Smith, Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
The importance of friendship and of appreciating one's true talents lay at the heart of this appealing collaboration introducing a canine-feline pair. Howe's (Bunnicula) breezy narrative initially reveals Catina hard at work on her book, Life Through the Eyes of a Cat, which she hopes will launch her career as a famous, prize-winning author. When Houndsley reads the opus, he realizes that his best friend is "a terrible writer," yet tactfully keeps his opinion to himself ("I am at a loss for words," he tells her). In the following story, Houndsley enthusiastically whips up an appetizing feast for Catina and another pal. Declaring, "You could be famous!" Catina encourages him to enter a cooking contest and he does-with comically disastrous results. The final entry neatly brings resolution with a true confessions session that stresses the importance of friendship. Gay's charming watercolor, pencil and collage art exudes a spontaneous quality for the feline's environs and an orderliness for the pooch. Catina's dimly lit den wordlessly suggests that her heart is not in her authorial pursuits, while Houndsley's airy golden kitchen practically emits an appetizing aroma and his passion for cooking. This charming trio of chapters implicitly testifies to the adage that opposites attract. Ages 5-7. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
Houndsley, a good cook, and Catina, a misguided memoirist, pursue goals out of step with their true natures in this humorous beginning reader, the first of a series. Extroverted Catina, bent on fame and prizes, produces 74 chapters of terrible autobiography, a fact that Houndsley can't bring himself to point out. When Catina persuades her limelight-loathing friend to enter a cooking contest, he panics at the crowds and botches a favorite recipe. Later, contemplating fireflies together, Houndsley realizes that for him, cooking well is its own reward, while Catina resolves to come by her fame honestly, by finding and practicing something she loves to do. Gay's pale watercolor-and-pencil illustrations include small, appealing details and amusing facial expressions. The front endpaper is decorated with the pattern on Catina's collaged dress, while the back endpaper echoes Houndsley's pants. Howe competently mixes the format's conventions--friends of the opposite sex, serial adventures in short chapters and a few kid-friendly object lessons. A pleasantly seasoned potboiler. (Easy reader. 5-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Gr. 2-4, younger for reading aloud. Catina (a cat) and Houndsley (you guessed it, a dog) are best friends, and they encourage each other as best friends do. Houndsley is mortified when he reads his friend's novel-in-progress, and realizes that Catina has little writing talent. I'm at a loss for words, he finally musters, satisfying Catina, who seems focused on literary prizes and fame instead of the actual writing. Then Catina encourages Houndsley to enter a cooking competition, and he's so nervous that he fouls the recipe and endures the judges' mockery. Together the friends confess that, rather than simply enjoying their activities, they secretly wanted to become famous. This early chapter book, while emphasizing doing what you love, not what will bring acknowledgment, is heavy-handed. But it will still hit home with kids just learning about their own particular talents and passions, and the lively, brisk writing is wonderfully extended in Gay's airy watercolor-and-pencil illustrations, which keep the focus on the caring friends. --Gillian Engberg Copyright 2006 Booklist