Splat! The Tale of a Colorful Cat: This One 'N That One (This One & That One) (Paperback)

~ Jane Seymour (Author), James Keach (Author), Geoffrey Planer (Illustrator) "It was a different sort of Sunday morning..." (more)
Key Phrases: Big Jim, Lady Jane

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-K?Two pedestrian stories about twin cats named THIS ONE and THAT ONE and their parents, Lady Jane and Big Jim. In Splat, Dad takes care of the youngsters while Mom is shopping. When the kittens can't decide on an art project, he suggests that they paint him. When he falls asleep, they decide to take him up on the offer. Lady Jane returns to find her husband covered in paint from head to toe. In Yum, Lady Jane sends the twins to bed and bakes cookies for her husband to take outside while he fishes. The kittens then sneak downstairs and hide in the picnic basket. When their mother carries the heavy basket down to the beach, the twins surprise their parents with their presence. These stories present some sophisticated ideas that will elude most preschoolers, such as children spoiling their parents' time alone. In both the texts and the flat, one-dimensional artwork, the twins are treated as one identical unit rather than two separate individuals. These books have neither the humor found in Jeffie Gordon's Two Badd Babies (Boyds Mills, 1992), nor the universality of twins who have similarities yet are individuals as found in Holly Keller's Harry and Tuck (Greenwillow, 1993). Consider these titles as celebrity gift-book collectibles?they don't stand on their own merits next to other enduring children's picture books.?Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

This One 'N That One are comical twin kittens who are full of laughter and love-and lots of mischief. Based on Jane Seymour and James Keach's own twin sons, these two kittens have many exciting adventures in their home by the sea.

The This One 'N That One books are...

"...a snapshot from a family album." (Kirkus Reviews)

"...illustrated with comical pictures of the busy, bouncing kittens." (The Horn Book)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Baby-Preschool
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile; Reprint edition (October 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0698119215
• ISBN-13: 978-0698119215
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 7.1 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,560,431 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This was a very entertaining book., May 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Splat!: The Tale of a Colorful Cat (This One and That One) (Library Binding)

The title Splat! The Tale of a Colorful Cat will grab anyone's attention. The story's plot and colorful pictures will keep it from beginning to end. The story starts out describing how the father cat is going to spend the day alone taking care of his twin kittens. In the rest of the story, the authors describe the struggles that the father goes through during the day. Some examples: the father cat couldn't get the kittens dressed, made a mess out of the kitchen, and ended up getting covered in paint by the kittens. This book shows kids between 4 and 8 believe that what moms and dads say is always true. Kids also take what parents or adults say literally. Authors Jane Seymour and James Keach show how kids take what parents say literally toward the end of the book, when the father cat tells This One and That One (the twin kittens) to paint him, but not to get any paint on themselves or the floor. The two kittens literally end up painting their dad from head to toe with bright colorful paints. Throughout the whole book, the authors refer to the two kittens with the names This One and That One instead of real names. Seymour came up with the idea of calling the twin kittens This One and That One when she was pregnant with her twins. Seymour and her husband referred to their twins as This One and That One before they were born. This grabs your attention while reading the book, not only because it is odd, but also because This One and That One are in bold print and stand out in the text throughout the whole book. The font isn't the only thing that grabs your attention. The illustrator, Geoffrey Planer, does a great job with using bright and bold colors, which is a great way to keep the attention of children between the ages of 4-8 while they read the story. There are also a lot of pictures on each page that help the reader to better visualize what the story is trying to get across. Overall, the illustrator does a terrific job of keeping a child interested in what might be in the next picture. This story is one that children will love. The story's plot and colorful pictures will keep their interest from beginning to end. Kids will want to hear it over and over again just to get a chance to take a look at the colorful pictures throughout the book. -Lindy Davison

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny,cute, and entertaining, August 31, 2002

By A Customer

I thought this book was so funny, so did my four year old. It shows how literal children really are. It is such a cute little story about dads and their children. It is a tale of "Cute, but, Clueless." You know how Dads are....they try hard and mean well...but sometimes just don't get it.

My husband thought it was hilarious. I have her other book, and it is cute too.

I read a prior review on here that gave it a poor rating because it lacked a plot and substance...All I have to say to that is... this is a young childrens book! Give me a break. Let them laugh and enjoy.

They'll have the rest of their life to learn Shakespeare ,Dickens, etc.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An adorable story about two cats, who misunderstand things!, December 27, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Splat!: The Tale of a Colorful Cat (This One and That One) (Library Binding)

Jane Seymour and James Keach have put their wonderful minds together and created a wonderful story for the people who are young at heart. I'm 14 and love this book! The illustrations are great, beautifully matched with the words! Anyone young at heart, this is for you.