The Grannyman

August 30, 1999
The Siamese cat Simon may be getting on in years ("With the exception of his nose, most of his parts had stopped working long ago"), but this beloved family pet is enjoying a comfortable retirement. He spends his days dreaming of his long and happy life ("full of mice, full of hisses, full of hugs, and full of kisses"), and his adoring family carts him around in a baby stroller and buys a bib to catch the toothless puss's dribbles. But the geriatric cat's sedate golden years dramatically transform when a kitten arrives. Simon's tender care of his perky charge earns him a new name: the Grannyman. Schachner's (I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie) affectionate prose inspires a series of softly shaded pastel portraits of the title character. With his lopsided ears, huge blue eyes and quizzical expression, the creaky Simon is a fetching fellow. The visual riffs on the text will strike a chord of recognition with cat lovers everywhere; for instance, a quartet of images exhibits Simon enjoying the "heat treatments" his family provides (basking under a lampshade and on a windowsill, sprawled on a radiator and a stovetop). This story of old age revered and rejuvenated is a pleasure from the ends of its whiskers to the tip of its tail. Ages 3-8.

November 1, 1999
K-Gr 2-Blind, deaf, and extremely arthritic, Simon, an elderly Siamese cat, is ready to call it quits after a long and happy life of furniture scratching, plant pruning, and mouse catching. Despite his family's deep love (they even submitted to "stinky old cat breath" in their faces when Simon chose to share their beds), his independent spirit becomes depressed as he needs more and more help in his daily life. Suspecting his decision to give up on life, his family plops a new kitten on his chest, and Simon puts his own worries on the back burner. Rejuvenated, he shows the kitten the facts of life at the milk saucer and the litter box. As his nurturing skills emerge, his loving family nicknames him "the Grannyman." Schachner's warm, emotional text is echoed in her softly colored illustrations, clearly depicting the contrast between joyous young Simon (seen in flashbacks) and his diminished elderly self. Owners of aged pets will surely "Aw!" at Simon's plight and resurrection. An endearingly sentimental tale.-Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY

Copyright 1999 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2000
Ages 3^-8. Simon the cat is so old that only his sense of smell still serves him, though he remembers his more vital days, when he climbed, clawed, and chewed with energy, and when he helped raise his family's two other "pets," their baby daughters. With humor and an obvious love and appreciation for cats, Schachner depicts a young Simon stalking wildebeest from atop the TV and playing Bach across the piano's keyboard; then she gently shows the aged cat lovingly tucked into the baby stroller, pitied and purposeless--until his concerned family plops a kitten on his upturned belly. Wondering if he still has what it takes to train a new pet, Simon musters his strength to the cause. His gentle caregiving earns him more love and the nickname "Grannyman." Schachner's expressive watercolor-and^-mixed-media artwork mirrors the affection, humor, and warmth of her finely crafted text. Together, art and words describe the ideal relationship between pets and humans--growing up and growing old together with compassion, consideration, and love. ((Reviewed March 15, 2000))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2000, American Library Association.)