Houndsley and Catina Plink and Plunk, by James Howe
Let’s face it -- any parent of a child just edging into early chapter books and readers knows it’s hard to find books for them that won’t bore the pants off of you. These books are designed for the simpler vocabulary and comprehension level (and the shorter attention span) of an early reader, so they are self-limiting by nature. Understandable. Still, it’s nice if they can still be fun to read together, and so many are awfully formulaic.
Enter Houndsley and Catina, a series written by kids lit veteran James Howe (remember Bunnicula?), and brought further to life by Marie-Louise Gay, a wonderful Canadian illustrator whose kinetic and whimsical signature style makes her work instantly recognizable (do you know Stella? That’s her).
The friends (and these stories are almost always about friends, as befits the stage they are meant for) are sweet, but never treacly. They have misunderstandings, often based on trying to avoid hurt feelings, but in the end, they admit their real feelings and resolve things because they are wonderful friends and care deeply about each other. (Awww… I know, I’m a huge sucker for a friend story!)
The example they set is lovely, the stories a little offbeat and a little funny, and the characters endearing. These are readers I don’t mind reading at all!
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