School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-These six short stories are about an easygoing cat named Bruno and his animal friends. They live in a city that resembles Venice but sometimes peculiar things happen to them during the day. It's a world where fish can float in the air and horses can breathe underwater. Bruno befriends "the dreaded Gerard," a wolf in need of an umbrella, and a bird who mixes up words. Bruno loves when the power goes out and makes the best of "so-so days." The tales vary in length, but many of the characters make appearances in several episodes. This continuity allows readers to see different sides of the characters' personalities. Cartoonish illustrations complement the text. VERDICT Bruno's quirky and unpredictable adventures will keep young readers on their toes-and giggling.-Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, Alta. © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Illustrated with jaunty, Tintin-style drawings, Valckx's hero, a cat named Bruno, recounts days in which the fantastic and the ordinary collide. With his pal Ringo, an aging horse, and other animal friends, Bruno discusses "a peculiar day" (during which a fish named Bup appears beside him as he walks down the street), "a stupid day" (during which he almost gets run down by a carful of wild boars), "an almost perfect day" (during which he and his friends ride up and down the train station escalators to their heart's content), and more. Bruno, a sort of Holden Caulfield of the animal world, nurses silent resentments: "I didn't feel much like staying at Ringo's," he says, after a disappointing picnic. "That glutton had already eaten practically everything anyway." Yet his powers of observation also make him sensitive to the needs of others: "The fish was trembling all over, poor little thing." Readers will note right away that even Bruno's normal circumstances are pretty wacky (why are those boars driving that car?); it's these casual ventures into the surreal that give Valckx's story its charm. Ages 4-10. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
In six brief chapters, Bruno, a small cat in a blue checked cap, recounts in turn the peculiar, stupid, less-than-perfect, and almost-perfect goings-on of his life (so far). In a busy city packed with apartment buildings, shops, and canal boats, Bruno is joined by a motley crew of friends and foils--including Ringo the old pony, Gerard the dreaded wolf, and Georgette the nice plump turtledove--often finding himself in the middle of the action. Some chapters are chock full of the surreal and extraordinary (a lengthy tale of a lost fish swimming through mid-air), while others focus on the more quotidian (a two-page, four-sentence chapter musing on the beauty of candlelight during a power outage). Each scenario is presented in a straightforward, conversational tone and through playful, observant art. Bruno himself is a dichotomous blend of childlike sensibility (We came up with the idea of all going together to the station. But not to catch a trainto play on the big escalators!) and budding philosopher (I thought of how days go by, like clouds, each one different) who unquestionably belongs in and to his weird and wonderful world. Recurring characters and visual details--drawn in a slightly unsteady, inviting black line--produce a rewarding interconnectivity between chapters. A superb early reader/early chapter book import and kindred spirit to Emmanuel Guiberts Ariol series. patrick gall (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Bruno, an anthropomorphic cat whose yellow eyeballs and hipster vibe may remind readers of Pete the Cat, recounts experiences with friends new and old in this French import.Small, gray Bruno walks upright and wears a blue-checked cap on his oversized head. Valckx divides the first-person narrative into six chapters of varying lengths. Each describes a day in Bruno's life, whether odd, damp, sans electricity, dumb, boring, or pretty great. On the first, "peculiar" day, Bruno and his friend "Ringo, the old pony," meet a fish flying through the air then visit her underwater world. The day without power is candlelit and cozy, recounted in just two pages. The rainy day includes a narrow escape from a hungry wolf, and the almost perfect one offers opportunities to play with friends, enjoy ice cream, and (almost) do a good deed. The deadpan tone contrasts humorously with the unlikely events and the quirky all-animal cast. Sophisticated vocabulary and an episodic plot, as well as the relatively lengthy format, suggest that this will be most accessible to older listeners. Hubesch's cartoon-style illustrations, with a palette dominated by blues and creams and slightly wobbly linework that recalls William Steig, feature vaguely European-looking cityscapes and a wide variety of species. Readers and listeners with a taste for the quietly surreal may find this an (almost) perfect option; the rest will find other ways to fill their days, and that's OK. (Fiction. 7-9) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
A yellow-eyed cat sporting a jaunty blue cap recalls his more interesting days in this quirky collection of vignettes. Ranging from the downright strange (a fish literally out of water follows Bruno to the corner shop) to more plausible scenarios (Bruno and his friends play on the escalators at the train station), the episodes are linked by a unifying thread of Bruno's delight in embracing the experiences that come his way, no matter how unexpected. A unique cast of characters include Ringo, an elderly pony with childlike tendencies, and a canary who chirps only non sequiturs. Though trouble frequently arises, it is always resolved, and everyone goes to bed happy. This delightfully oddball picture book features line drawings with bright colors and a few comic panels, and is visually very appealing. Translated from the French and set in an unnamed European city, the story retains its Continental flavor; caretakers may bristle at chapter titles like A Stupid Day That Ends Pretty Well, but young readers will be drawn to Bruno's unfailingly positive outlook and opportunistic sense of adventure.--Hayes, Summer Copyright 2017 Booklist
