When his grandchildren come to visit him in his retirement community, Grandpa Cat entertains them with exciting tales about the exploits of various fellow residents--Billy the Kitten, Diamond Jim Kitty, the Great Tabby Houdini, and Miss Kitty Hawk.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Antic illustrations by New Yorker cover artist Searle accentuate the hilarity in Wardlaw's (Seventh Grade Weirdo) brisk cat-tale. It's Sunday, time for kittens Christopher, Ellen and Fergie to visit their grandparents at Catnip Acres, a retirement community. At first, the three want to while away the hours watching television. But as Grandpa points out some of his neighbors and describes their adventures of yesteryear, he wins over the moody youngsters. He spins yarns of Billy the Kitten, "the fastest paw in the West," and outlaw Calico Jane; millionaire Diamond Jim Kitty; the Great Tabby Houdini (sardonic kitten Christopher, the last to warm to the storytelling, stubbornly wonders, "Could she pull a TV out of [her hat]?"); and daredevil pilot Kitty Hawk-who turns out to be none other than Grandma Cat herself. Wardlaw has an instinct for the catchy hook, and the dialogue is especially deft. Searle's pen-and-ink drawings, brightened with watercolors, radiate enthusiasm: the lively Grandpa sports a multicolored top hat, spats and a lavender coat with tails (including his own); gesturing grandly with his cane (which he carries more for dapper effect than for balance) he acts as ringmaster to the spirited proceedings. All ages.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3?Christopher, Ellen, and Fergie are not pleased when they have to give up watching TV to visit their grandparents at boring old Catnip Acres. While Mom sits to talk with Grandma over parakeet tea, Grandpa stirs himself to take the children on a walk to meet some of his friends. He points out Billy the Kitten, who "...looks like a geezer" but used to be the fastest paw in the West. Among the retirees playing shuffleboard is Diamond Jim Kitty, who made millions from his mitten factory. A cat picking tomatoes in the garden is Tabby Houdini, the great magician. Last of all, Grandpa tells the story of Miss Kitty Hawk, who learned to fly and who turns out to be Grandma. The children never actually talk with the celebrated felines, but are just whisked along with the story?even in the case of Miss Kitty Hawk. Grandpa is a master of trickery, spinning yarns to catch his grandchildren's attention, but never giving them the opportunity to challenge the stories' credibility. There is much to be said for highlighting the talents of seniors, but Grandpa gets too involved and wordy in his enthusiasm. Full-and half-page pen-and-ink cartoons add humor to this episodic tall tale.?Nancy A. Gifford, Schenectady County Public Library, NY
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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More About the Author
101 Ways to Bug Children's Book Author Lee Wardlaw:
#1. Ask her how many children's books she writes a day
#2. Ask her when she'll grow up and write 'real' books (meaning books for grown-ups)
#3. Tell her you'd write children's books too - if you had time.
Lee Wardlaw makes time: She's the author of numerous books for young readers, including the award-winning novels 101 Ways to Bug Your Teacher and 101 Ways to Bug Your Parents.
But where does Lee get the ideas for so many books?
"From my own life," Lee says. "Corey's Fire is based on my family's experiences after our house and neighborhood were destroyed in a California wildfire. Dinosaur Pizza was inspired by my childhood love of bologna/mustard/potato-chip sandwiches. I wrote the folk tale picture book Punia and the King of Sharks because I admire Hawaii's rich history of hula storytelling. And my years of experience as a daughter, student, parent and classroom teacher gave me loads of creative material for my 'Bugging' series!"
Lee grew up in Santa Barbara, CA, where she attended Cold Spring Elementary, Santa Barbara Junior High and Santa Barbara High school. She graduated with honors from Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, with a degree in education, and taught elementary school for five years before deciding to write full-time. Lee has 30+ years experience presenting lively and interactive writing programs in grades K through 8th. Since 1988, Lee has also taught a variety of workshops and classes for educators, librarians, parents and aspiring writers. For several years, she was the 'Ask the Children's Book Author' columnist for Inklings, an online magazine.
Lee's books have been honored by the American Library Association, the International Reading Association, Children's Book Council, National Council of the Social Studies, National Council of Teachers of English, Bank Street College of Education, the International School Librarians Association, and more. She has also won 7 state reader's choice awards. Lee is an active member of the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators, and belongs to the Author's Guild, California Reading Association, Children's Literature Council of Southern California and, yes, even the Cat Writers' Association. Upcoming releases include: Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku (Holt, 2010), 101 Ways to Bug Your Friends & Enemies (Dial, 2011) and Red, White & Boom! (Holt, 2011).
Lee is currently enrolled in Loyola College of Maryland and the Montessori Institute of San Diego, working on her master's degree in Education. She lives in Santa Barbara, CA, with her husband, teenage son, and three (ornery) cats.
To learn more about Lee, her books & workshops, and 98 other ways to bug her, visit her website at www.leewardlaw.com.
#1. Ask her how many children's books she writes a day
#2. Ask her when she'll grow up and write 'real' books (meaning books for grown-ups)
#3. Tell her you'd write children's books too - if you had time.
Lee Wardlaw makes time: She's the author of numerous books for young readers, including the award-winning novels 101 Ways to Bug Your Teacher and 101 Ways to Bug Your Parents.
But where does Lee get the ideas for so many books?
"From my own life," Lee says. "Corey's Fire is based on my family's experiences after our house and neighborhood were destroyed in a California wildfire. Dinosaur Pizza was inspired by my childhood love of bologna/mustard/potato-chip sandwiches. I wrote the folk tale picture book Punia and the King of Sharks because I admire Hawaii's rich history of hula storytelling. And my years of experience as a daughter, student, parent and classroom teacher gave me loads of creative material for my 'Bugging' series!"
Lee grew up in Santa Barbara, CA, where she attended Cold Spring Elementary, Santa Barbara Junior High and Santa Barbara High school. She graduated with honors from Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, with a degree in education, and taught elementary school for five years before deciding to write full-time. Lee has 30+ years experience presenting lively and interactive writing programs in grades K through 8th. Since 1988, Lee has also taught a variety of workshops and classes for educators, librarians, parents and aspiring writers. For several years, she was the 'Ask the Children's Book Author' columnist for Inklings, an online magazine.
Lee's books have been honored by the American Library Association, the International Reading Association, Children's Book Council, National Council of the Social Studies, National Council of Teachers of English, Bank Street College of Education, the International School Librarians Association, and more. She has also won 7 state reader's choice awards. Lee is an active member of the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators, and belongs to the Author's Guild, California Reading Association, Children's Literature Council of Southern California and, yes, even the Cat Writers' Association. Upcoming releases include: Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku (Holt, 2010), 101 Ways to Bug Your Friends & Enemies (Dial, 2011) and Red, White & Boom! (Holt, 2011).
Lee is currently enrolled in Loyola College of Maryland and the Montessori Institute of San Diego, working on her master's degree in Education. She lives in Santa Barbara, CA, with her husband, teenage son, and three (ornery) cats.
To learn more about Lee, her books & workshops, and 98 other ways to bug her, visit her website at www.leewardlaw.com.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Award-Winning Title,
By Lee Wardlaw "Lee Wardlaw" (Santa Barbara, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tales of Grandpa Cat (Hardcover)
The Tales of Grandpa Cat was a American Bookseller "Pick of the Lists" and received the Cat Writers' Association Award of Excellence.
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