Space Cat

June 1, 2004
K-Gr 3-These three books are a bit of a mixed bag. In Cazet's title, the bossy bird introduced in Elvis the Rooster Almost Goes to Heaven (HarperCollins, 2003) is forced into learning to say "please" and "thank you." Although the artwork is amusing, the story is confusing and the dialogue is difficult to follow. Expressions such as "Little Willie is busy.- He has a feather in every pie" will most likely perplex the intended audience. In Space Cat, a feline astronaut and his robot encounter some difficulty on their journey. The vocabulary is a bit challenging, and the comic drawings are primarily decorative. Overall, though, the book is an entertaining selection for more competent readers. In Ruby, a raccoon asks her friends, "What does it take to bake a cake?" She throws everything they suggest into the mix, including carrots, worms, flies, snails, and nuts. She bakes the terrible-smelling concoction, and when the friends sit down, they try their best to come up with nice things to say. Easy vocabulary and repetition make this a good choice for beginning readers, and the softly rendered pastel illustrations provide good picture clues. Skip Elvis, but add Ruby and Space Cat where books for beginning readers are in demand.-Melinda Piehler, Sawgrass Elementary School, Sunrise, FL

Copyright 2004 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2004
Gr. 1-2. In this sf adventure from the An I Can Read Book series, Space Cat and his comic sidekick, Earl the Robot, are heading home to Earth when a space rock crashes into their rocket ship's fuel tank. Space Cat quickly lands on a nearby planet and looks for help, while Earl mends the fuel tank and cooks up a batch of his infamous noodles. When Space Cat's overtures to the local king prove useless, Earl's noodles save the day. Though the plot may be a bit silly, the story doesn't take itself too seriously and the words are easy to read. The somewhere-out-in-space setting will appeal to kids who have run through Yolen's Commander Toad books all too quickly. Best of all, Cushman's cartoonlike drawings, zinging with bright colors, give the book instant appeal. The lightning bolt on Space Cat's space suit is evidently an homage to Flash Gordon, who is named on the dedication page.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)