Houndsley and Catina: Candlewick Sparks
Kindergarten-Grade 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, TNCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.