Hondo and Fabian [Hardcover]

Peter McCarty (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Series: Caldecott Honor Book

Hondo the dog has a fun day at the beach while Fabian the cat stays home.

" Wake up, Hondo. Time to go!"
Hondo will have an adventure.
Fabian will stay home.

A dog named Hondo and his friend Fred are going to the beach for a day of excitement. Fabian the cat is left behind at home to play with the baby. Who will cause more trouble? And who will have more fun?

Peter McCarty's exquisite illustrations and understated wit turn an ordinary day in the lives of two pets into a rare delight.

 

Hondo and Fabian is a 2002 New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year and Notable Children's Book of the Year, and a 2003 Caldecott Honor Book.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

An amiable showcase for McCarty's (Little Bunny on the Move) distinctive pencil art, this day-in-the-life tale centers on a dog and cat who live with a family, the only member of which readers see is a cherubic toddler referred to as "the baby." The plot is not long on action: pooch Hondo climbs into the family car (its vintage sets the tale in the 1930s or '40s) and travels to the beach, where he romps with a canine pal. Feline Fabian stays at home "to play with the baby." As the dogs "dive in the waves," the cat "dives for the door" (trying to escape the youngster's clutches). These quiet contrasts end with the winding down of the day: the dog's return, when he and the cat eat dinner from their respective bowls and, "full and fat," retire to their favorite resting spots. The minimalist narrative sets off the richness of the pictures, viewed as if through a scrim. Colors soften to a candlelit palette, enhancing the warm, nostalgic mood for an effect at once ingenuous and sophisticated. Ages 3-9.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

reSchool-Grade 1-Two pets have a day devoid of excessive excitement. Simple pleasures amuse them as Hondo, the dog, plays at the beach with his puppy friend, while Fabian, the cat, stays home, eluding the family toddler and pulling toilet paper from the roll. Many easy-to-decipher, one-syllable words are repeated, giving children the opportunity to help with the reading. The few three-syllable words provide a challenge for the bold. The colored-pencil, selectively realistic illustrations are velvet-warm and fog-fuzzy. Hondo and Fabian have a gentle charm, and this amiable slice of life is a nice choice for bedtimes, for libraries needing more pet books, and for McCarty fans.
Jody McCoy, The Bush School, Seattle, WA
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); 1st edition (April 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805063528
• ISBN-13: 978-0805063523
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #566,917 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

PETER MCCARTY is the author and illustrator of many books for children, including Fabian Escapes, Moon Plane, and T Is for Terrible, as well as Hondo & Fabian, a Caldecott Honor Book. He lives with his family in upstate New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's Not Just Puppy Love, March 25, 2002

By 

Terrie (Little Chute, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hondo and Fabian (Hardcover)

The Publishers Weekly editorial review of this book is entirely accurate so I'll leave the details to them. I loved this book for the perfection of the way the artist/author captures the exhuberant love for life expressed by the dog and cat characters, Hondo, Fred and Fabian. Peter McCarty manages to give us the essence of a happy day in the lives of these animals. It is so infectious that I felt happy just looking at the simple yet evocative illustrations. This is a book for very young children, I suppose, and I'm sure toddlers will love it and will be readily able to appreciate the fun it celebrates, but as an adult I loved the way it illuminates the feelings of non-verbal beings and the opportunity it gives us to glimpse the richness of those feelings that we so often overlook. It's a wonderful book.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Big Beautiful Hit with my toddler, July 2, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Hondo and Fabian (Hardcover)

After reading about Hondo and Fabian in the NY Times book review, I picked this up for my two-year-old daughter. This quickly became her favorite book, which brings on cries of "Again! Again!" Reading this to her is a pleasure as the pictures are gorgeous and the simple story is easy for her to relate to and get excited about every time we turn the well worn (already!) pages. This would make an excellent board book. We have given it to several neices and nephews since we discovered it, and everyone from the two-year-olds on up love it.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I LOVE Hondo & Fabian!!, December 18, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Hondo and Fabian (Hardcover)

What a beautiful book! I'm a 25-year-old college senior who saw this wonderful book in the bookstore on campus. The illustrations are breath-taking and the story is simple and sweet. I'm keeping this copy for myself! I just had to get it. The fantastic pictures make you want to reach in and pet Fabian and Hondo. Give this book to someone to someone who will love it! Sure to become a classic.