Stretchy McHandsome

September 15, 2019
This appealing orange kitty needs a break from his family. Stretchy McHandsome lives in a big cardboard box with his eight brothers and sisters. "Now Stretchy was different / in more ways than one. / He was streeeeetchy / and handsome, / a soft bundle of fun. // ...One eye was blue, / the other was green, and around his dear neck / was a stinky sardine." It's hard being the baby in such a huge litter, so Stretchy decides he needs a vacation. After a quick bath, he sets out for town, ending up in a bookstore window. There, he's spotted by Beanie McBright, a very special girl: "She had unusual looks, / wore the ears of a kitten, / and round her neck / hung a wild woolly mitten." The two hit it off and have a great day, but the McHandsome clan misses their little brother and follows the clues he left all over town to find him. Beanie adopts the whole lot...and thankfully has eight siblings to help with the care. Schachner's new puss protagonist is every bit as bouncy as Skippyjon Jones, as is her verse, which here does not resort to stereotyped dialect for effect. In the bright, busy cartoon illustrations, Beanie's a white girl whose orange mop matches Stretchy's coat; her siblings are racially diverse, and one uses a wheelchair. Sure to elicit purrs from kitty-loving readers. (Picture book. 2-8)

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October 14, 2019
The youngest of nine feral felines, a likable cat named Stretchy—a “butterscotch boy” with one green eye and one blue—goes on a life-altering adventure in this rhyming tale. Hoping to take a holiday from his “cantankerous” siblings, Stretchy ventures out alone, leaving scratch marks all over town, visiting with his tiger cousins at the zoo, and more. While lying in a bookstore window, he is spotted by his human soulmate—a curly-haired girl named Beanie whose eyes match Stretchy’s—and the pair are so “smitten” they fall into a dual stretch. When the other McHandsomes, one kilt-clad, come after him, Stretchy’s exploits bring friendship into all of their lives. In Schachner’s carefully busy and frequently silly mixed-media scenes, Stretchy seems as cuddly—and as glad to find Beanie—as he is flexible. Ages 3–5.

October 11, 2019

PreS-Gr 2-In this enchanting story, Stretchy McHandsome, the youngest cat in a family of nine, sets off on a vacation away from his family. He eventually meets a girl named McBright, who is his perfect human companion. This story has an extra happy ending because McHandsome's siblings miss him so much they set off on a journey to find him. And when they do, it's a dream come true because McBright is one of nine children; each of her siblings discovers their perfect feline match. The text rhymes and is fun to read. For example, "He (McHandsome) was Tom of the tumble club, lord of the fleas, cuckoo on catnap, a hugger of trees." Schachner sets a sweet, mischievous tone with her illustrations that perfectly complement the text. When on his journey, McHandsome has many adventures. At one point, "The freewheeling kitty made a stop at the zoo for an earsplitting roar from a cousin or two." The illustration shows two friendly tigers. One is roaring and underneath its large arm, McHandsome rests with his paws gripping the cage. VERDICT This delightful story will be a welcome addition to any public or school library. Text and illustrations work well to make this a title that children will want to read again and again.-Robin Sofge, Prince William Public Library System, VA

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from October 15, 2019
Preschool-G *Starred Review* Stretchy's story will amuse readers and listeners with rhymes that scan perfectly and are fun to read aloud. The youngest of nine feline siblings that live together in a box, Stretchy is always at the bottom of the pile ( So was it any wonder that Stretchy hatched a plan to take a small vacation from the wild McHandsome clan? ). Thus begins the butterscotch cat's adventure. Bright, colorful, humorous illustrations using collage, gouache, acrylics, and mixed-media are highly entertaining and put the personalities of Stretchy and his multicolored family on display. Stretchy has many attributes, including his polka-dot and striped coat and two different-colored eyes. He also has the ability to move his long body into positions that resemble yoga poses and are helpfully labeled with descriptions, such as the tube sock and the mister twister. One double-page spread captures the orange cat exploring the town and appearing in more than a dozen places at the same time. When the cat takes a rest in the window of a bookstore, he encounters a young girl with whom he has much in common. The clowder of McHandsome cats have the world opened to them thanks to their brother who thought outside the box.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)