Customer Reviews

Hondo and Fabian

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I always breathe a quiet sigh of relief when I see that a book like "Hondo and Fabian" was written and illustrated by the same person. Sometimes you really want to gush about a beautiful picture book, but you find yourself admitting that while the illustrations are eye-droppingly good, the story is less than thrilling. And as a result you really find yourself lauding the illustrator and paying scant attention to the author. Now I was worried that this would be the case with "Hondo and Fabian". It's a remarkably simple story told with illustrations that tap dance on the line between "picture book" and "art". Had this been written by one person and illustrated by another I would've sobbed and paid lip service to the author while secretly wishing the illustrator would reap all the profits. Fortunately, Peter McCarty is the sole genius behind this 2003 Caldecott Honor winner. So all praises flow naturally to him.

In this tale we meet a dog and a cat that share a home. The dog is Hondo and the cat Fabian. On this particular day Hondo is off to have an adventure while Fabian stays at home. While out, Hondo rides in a car, meets up with a friend on the beach, dives into waves, and comes home. At home, Fabian sits about, plays with the "baby" (a spunky toddler that I suspect may bear more than a passing resemblance to the author's own daughter), escapes from the "baby", and plays with a roll of toilet paper. At the end of the day they come home to one another and go right to sleep. Two happy pets in a happy home.

The back bookflap of this story contains pictures of the real Hondo and Fabian. Readers shouldn't find themselves surprised then when they feel an odd astonishment at how ... well... less round the real animals are. The illustrations in this book are nothing short (and I do not use this term lightly) of magical. Soft lighting, rounded features, and beautiful pastel colors of the deepest reds, grays, browns, and blues fill this palette. Both Hondo and Fabian look so doggone furry and lovable that it's all you can do to keep from hugging the book tightly to your chest. The publication page says that McCarty used pencil on watercolor paper to get these pictures. I, for one, have a hard time believing it. Colored pencils have never been so breathtaking. So luminous. Gush gush gush.

So I'm a fan. Obviously. It's hard to think of a living soul on this planet who wouldn't be. If you'd like a storytime book with very simple words, cute animals, and realistic situations (I loved how the child held the cat) then "Hondo and Fabian" is a brilliant choice. It falls into the category of books destined to be remembered for years to come. One of the most deserving of Caldecott Honor winners.

I love this author's style - both in text and drawings. The story is simple yet wonderfully accessible via the antics of the cat and dog. There's a playful quality that my son (age 4) enjoyed. Any child that has a cat or dog as a pet will especially identify with the tale. Very pleased with this purchase.

Every so often, you run across a children's book that, for one reason or another, simply stuns you. Such is the case with Peter McCarty's Hondo and Fabian. This is a small book that is so simple and at the same time so complex that it almost defies description. I love books like this that have been both written and illustrated by the same individual, and must fully agree with another reviewer here that this particular illustrated story would simply not have worked had the art and writing not been by the same individual. As it is though, the extremely simple story and very simple, yet very, very sophisticated art work blend together to make something almost mystical if not downright magical.

The story, or plot if you will, is so plane and to the point that it is almost nonexistent. Two pets, friends really, are followed in what appears at first to be a very mundane day. The dog goes to the beach and comes home and the cat stays at home with the baby and when the dog, Hondo arrives, the cat, Fabian and dog eat and then go to sleep. Simple, simple, simple...or is it?

Then we have the art. Oh my! Soft colors done with colored pencil on watercolor paper, smooth lines and completely uncluttered pictures...round smooth shapes perfectly blended to make each illustration appear that the only light source is candle light. Almost completely bare rooms in contrast, or in this case, in perfect sync with a bare beach and soft waves. Subdued colors; yet colors that simply pop at you in a sneaky sort of way; each and every picture in this work is a treasure within itself. I promise you that the illustrations in this work will stick with you for a long, long time after reading.

Now take this simple prose...and I stress the word "simple," and blend these words with illustrations that approach the description of genius, and you have some fine book in your hands.

Now keep in mind that there is absolutely nothing, and I mean nothing in this work that is in the least bit exciting. Even the act of the cat unrolling the toilet paper, "Fabian has fun too," is mellow in the extreme. That does not matter though. This is one of those books that were just made to allow the reader to add their own little bit; bits of knowledge, observation and indeed philosophy as they read this to the young child. The first thing that came to my mind and the first thing I discussed when reading this to a wee one was the fact that simple pleasures in life, a walk in the yard, a peek at a good chicken salad sandwich, a slow ride in the care, a joyful run and romp with a friend, a nice nap after eating...all of these things are things of great pleasure, costing very little and oh so much better than the more complex.

I also feel that one of the greatest gifts we can give our children is the appreciation of beauty and this includes art. I have seen over and over again, that those children who are exposed to good art; drawing, paintings, music, sculpture, film, writing, etc. do so much better down the road and have an oh so much better understanding and appreciation for life. I really do not feel that you can start a child down this path at too early an age...the sooner the better as far as I am concerned.

This work adds greatly to those goals mentioned above. This folks, is purely good stuff. I note that the reading level on this one is between the ages of 4 to 8. In my opinion, for what that is worth, a bright two year old would appreciate this as much as any older child. Again though, let me emphasis that this is not one of those books where the author must do all the work. To take this work to its most effective level is going to require some work on the part of the parent, grandparent or reader. Of course that is what we are being paid for, isn't it!

Love this book and love this author. This was a Caldecott Honor Book for 2003 and rightfully so!

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

What a magnificent book! The story is interesting and the illustrations are beautiful. My Son Samuel and I love to read this book at bedtime, it's soothing and easy to visualize Hondo and Fabian during their day. This book is a MUST HAVE in any child's library.

Dear Reader,
I would rate this item 5. This book is about a cat and dog.
The dog woid go to the beach with his freind. And the cat would play with a baby.I really like the book because I own a dog myself.The firs time I read it it made me hink of my dog.
This book is not much but is veary tochful if you owna dog or cat
or both. You should read it to.

From,
Sam

I had to read this book as an assignment in my Children's Literature class at West Virginia State College. I am so thrilled that I picked this book to read. This book is a delightful story of a dog/cat relationship. It tells of a unique friendship that out of the ordinary. This illustrations in this book are excellent. I would recommend this book for every child to experience.

A delightful little book about charming pets in a series of natural and daily life "adventures" that are sure to please and calm a child. The illustrations are interesting and will hold attention. The narrative and illustrations are calming and will quieten the active child at any time of the day especially at bedtime.
Evelyn Horan - teacher/counselor/author
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