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Andrew was a little boy who didn't have anyone to play with. When a scruffy ginger cat arrives at his house, Andrew wants to play helicopters and acrobats with her, but he's too rough. The author has twice won the NSW Premier's Award for the best children's book.
About The Author
Pamela Allen is a published author and an illustrator of children's books. Some of the published credits of Pamela Allen include Share Said the Rooster, Grandpa and Thomas, Brown Bread and Honey, and Daisy Allsorts.
School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 2-- When a stray cat shows up at Andrew's house, the boy is so delighted that he becomes overly excited. The cat, alarmed by the child's exuberance, takes off. Andrew follows and runs into the neighbor's playful dog, Lobo, who overpowers him just as the boy overpowered the cat. Andrew gets a second chance when the cat scratches at his window and he strokes her ``gently, very very gently.'' Allen's simple picture book features a single line of action, no extraneous characters, concise but not bare-bones language, emotions with which children can identify, and a satisfying conclusion that also carries a nicely understated message. The illustrations are also successful. The characters are all expressively and sometimes humorously depicted; Allen's pen-and-ink and watercolor paintings convey a strong feeling of movement and action, and her use of white space for visual emphasis is especially effective. While not an essential purchase, this would be a worthwhile addition for most collections, and has potential for use in storytimes as well. --Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
Other Reviews
The big boy next door has a big dog named Lobo, but Andrew has no one to play with. He welcomes a stray cat with altogether too much glee ("Let's play wild Indians and you can be the horse"); the cat bolts. A daunting attempt to play with the obstreperous Lobo gives Andrew a salutary taste of the cat's feelings; when she creeps back that night, he welcomes her gently and the two make friends. The message here is presented nicely in the events, which this prize-winning Australian conveys in a nicely compact text sparked with graphic words like "gallumphed" and in wonderfully expressive illustrations. Sturdy little Andrew is the image of his plump, comfortable mother, who has the same irrepressible gleam in her eye; his relentless activity is reiterated in each deftly observed posture. A perfect blend of text and pictures to make an entertaining story. (Kirkus Reviews)
ISBN: 9780140542370
ISBN-10: 014054237X
Series: Picture Puffin S.
Audience:
Children
For Ages: 3+ years old
Format:
Paperback
Language:
English
Number Of Pages: 32
Published: 3rd February 1992
Dimensions (cm): 20.3 x 20.3
x 0.4
Weight (kg): 23.5
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