An engaging offbeat story made even funnier by Schneider's cheerful, cartoon-like illustrations.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
"Horace P. Blumpoe was a grump. Everyone in his neighborhood thought so. They all called him Blumpoe the Grumpoe." So begins award-winning author Jean Davies Okimoto's charmingly quirky tale of a how a cat monkeys his way into the heart of an alleged curmudgeon. One November day, when Horace decides to head for Wabasha to pay his sister a visit, his car breaks down. Grumpily, he finds himself at the Anderson Hotel, a special inn with 19 resident cats, available to each guest to adopt for the length of his or her stay. Horace, of course, is not interested, and certainly not pleased; "I thought this was a hotel, not a kennel!" he shouts as he stomps off to his room. At 6:00, however, the only remaining unpicked cat (Arnold) refuses to let poor Horace go catless for a night. Arnold's delightful persistence, Horace's angry resistence, and Howie Schneider's wonderful, cartoonish illustrations will have readers laughing out loud and waiting for Horace's heart to melt along with their own. (Ages 4 to 8)
From Publishers Weekly
Ever since his dog Raymond died, grumpy Horace P. Blumpoe has become even grumpier. But even a grouch has a soft spot, and lonely Horace prepares for his annual visit to his sister Edith. When car problems force him to check in at the Anderson House Hotel, Horace is offered a cat for companionship during his stay. The cranky guest refuses, of course, but an endearing kitty named Arnold decides that Blumpoe needs feline attention, and sneaks into his room. A frantic nocturnal confrontation of wills ensues, with Arnold determined to lavish attention on Blumpoe and Blumpoe equally determined not to receive it (although Blumpoe's grumpiness finally dwindles, influenced perhaps by his companion's persuasive purring). The next morning Horace departs, but not before he asks a maid for the cat's name and makes some very specific reservations for his return trip. Okimoto's poignant story (based on a real hotel) is complemented by winsome, nostalgic illustrations. Arnold's seemingly boneless body and silly putty face convey a variety of emotions that will melt readers' hearts as surely as that of Horace P. Blumpoe. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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More About the Author
Jean Davies Okimoto's latest book, The Love Ceiling, was a winner of a 2009 Next Generation Indie Book Award. She is also the recipient of the American Library Association "Best Books for Young Adults" Award, the International Reading Association's Reader's Choice Award, the IRA/CBC Young Adults' Choice Award, the Parents' Choice Award, the Washington Governor's Award, the 1993 Maxwell Medallion for Best Children's Book of the Year, and two of her books have been recognized as Smithsonian Notable Books. In 2007 she received the Green Earth Book Award from the Newton Marasco Foundation and in 2008 the Green Prize for Sustainable Literature honor book, a national award given by the Santa Monica Public Library.
Her publishers include Atlantic Monthly Press, Putnam, Little, Brown & Co., Dell, Scholastic, HarperCollins, and the Simul Press in Japan which has published Japanese editions of her novels My Mother Is Not Married To My Father and It's Just Too Much. Her short stories have also appeared in four Delacourte anthologies, Short Stories by Outstanding Writers for Young Adults. Shelley Duvall produced an animated version of Blumpoe the Grumpoe Meets Arnold the Cat for the series "Bedtime Stories" which was narrated by John Candy and appeared on HBO and Showtime. In connection with her non-fiction title, Boomerang Kids: How to Live with Adult Children who Return Home, she has appeared on the Today Show, the CBS Morning Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and CNN.
Her one-act play, Hum it Again, Jeremy has been produced in schools in Vancouver, Toronto and New York. The Northwest Asian American Theater in Seattle produced the world premiere of Uncle Hideki based on her novel Talent Night and in 2006 produced Uncle Hideki and the Empty Nest. Book-it Repertory Theatre produced The Eclipse of Moonbeam Dawson based on her novel by the same name.
Her other titles include Norman Schnurman, Average Person, a mystery, Who Did It, Jenny Lake?, Jason's Women, Molly By Any Other Name, and Take A Chance, Gramps! which was a Junior Library Guild selection, named to the Lone Star State Reading List, and nominated for the Mark Twain Award and the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Award.
A Place For Grace, published by Sasquatch Books, was the first picture book for a general audience to feature a hearing dog and a deaf character and was praised by Smithsonian as "One of this year's most charming and large-hearted offerings." No Dear, Not Here a picture book about the marbled murrelets, endangered seabirds and their quest for a nest in the Pacific Northwest, is also a Sasquatch title and was designated a 1995 Smithsonian Notable Book for Children.
A member of PEN American Center, the Author's Guild and the Dramatists Guild, she has a master's degree in psychology from Antioch University and is the founder of the Seattle Reading Awards, which recognizes the fifth grade students in the Seattle Public Schools who have shown the most improvement in reading. The program focuses on Chapter One, Bilingual and Special Education students and she has served as its co-chair since the awards began under the sponsorship of the Seattle Reading Association in 1986.
She and her husband Joe live on Vashon Island, Washington. Together they have four grown children, six grandchildren and a dog who thinks it's a person.
Her publishers include Atlantic Monthly Press, Putnam, Little, Brown & Co., Dell, Scholastic, HarperCollins, and the Simul Press in Japan which has published Japanese editions of her novels My Mother Is Not Married To My Father and It's Just Too Much. Her short stories have also appeared in four Delacourte anthologies, Short Stories by Outstanding Writers for Young Adults. Shelley Duvall produced an animated version of Blumpoe the Grumpoe Meets Arnold the Cat for the series "Bedtime Stories" which was narrated by John Candy and appeared on HBO and Showtime. In connection with her non-fiction title, Boomerang Kids: How to Live with Adult Children who Return Home, she has appeared on the Today Show, the CBS Morning Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and CNN.
Her one-act play, Hum it Again, Jeremy has been produced in schools in Vancouver, Toronto and New York. The Northwest Asian American Theater in Seattle produced the world premiere of Uncle Hideki based on her novel Talent Night and in 2006 produced Uncle Hideki and the Empty Nest. Book-it Repertory Theatre produced The Eclipse of Moonbeam Dawson based on her novel by the same name.
Her other titles include Norman Schnurman, Average Person, a mystery, Who Did It, Jenny Lake?, Jason's Women, Molly By Any Other Name, and Take A Chance, Gramps! which was a Junior Library Guild selection, named to the Lone Star State Reading List, and nominated for the Mark Twain Award and the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Award.
A Place For Grace, published by Sasquatch Books, was the first picture book for a general audience to feature a hearing dog and a deaf character and was praised by Smithsonian as "One of this year's most charming and large-hearted offerings." No Dear, Not Here a picture book about the marbled murrelets, endangered seabirds and their quest for a nest in the Pacific Northwest, is also a Sasquatch title and was designated a 1995 Smithsonian Notable Book for Children.
A member of PEN American Center, the Author's Guild and the Dramatists Guild, she has a master's degree in psychology from Antioch University and is the founder of the Seattle Reading Awards, which recognizes the fifth grade students in the Seattle Public Schools who have shown the most improvement in reading. The program focuses on Chapter One, Bilingual and Special Education students and she has served as its co-chair since the awards began under the sponsorship of the Seattle Reading Association in 1986.
She and her husband Joe live on Vashon Island, Washington. Together they have four grown children, six grandchildren and a dog who thinks it's a person.
Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful,
By A Customer
This review is from: Blumpoe the Grumpoe Meets Arnold the Cat (Hardcover)
This book will appeal to readers who like to see grumpy people made nice, especially through the influence of cats. Those who've stayed at 19th century Anderson House Hotel in Wabasha, MN (where this book is set), and chosen an Anderson House cat to reside in their rooms for a night, will also love it. I've given several copies of Blumpoe the Grumpoe away to cat-loving children, and it's a favorite; thank goodness for the reprinting!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Terrific Book for the kids!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Blumpoe the Grumpoe Meets Arnold the Cat (Hardcover)
My whole family loves this book. It is funny and entertaining. We also love the references to towns in Minnesota. Everyone will fall in love with Blumpoe and Arnold! We are very happy that this book is back in print. We looked all over for this book (two years ago), after getting it from the library. We even contacted the author but she had no extras. Now it's back in print and everyone can buy it! Wonderful! Check out her other books, too!
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