07/18/2016
In debut talent Harnett’s poignant and quietly humorous portrait of a community coming together, there’s a calico cat with a semi-permanent scowl on Blossom Street, and he gets around. “Every morning he visits Mr. Green at number three,” a fisherman who offers him a fresh fish straight from the skillet. Later, the cat poses for a still life painting for Miss Fernandez (who calls him Valentine), digs through a vegetable patch with a Sikh man and his son (who think of him as Tiberius), and watches birds beside redheaded twins with binoculars, among other destinations. After the cat settles in with Mrs. Murray at number 11, who “no one ever visits,” the neighbors take to the streets in search of the cat. Before long, Mrs. Murray’s home has become the center of a street whose residents’ backgrounds and interests are as diverse as can be, but who share, among other things, a love for one particular cat. Mixing small vignettes with larger street scenes, Harnett nimbly juggles her large cast and the twin emotions of loneliness and contented companionship that she threads though this moving story. Ages 3–5. (Sept.)
ONE OF CHICKADEE LIT'S PICTURE BOOKS TO CELEBRATE KINDNESS
The focus on friendly camaraderie and community-building will be appreciated by many adults eager to share their values, and this quiet tale, with the children in their lives.
—Kirkus Reviews
In her debut as both author and illustrator, Harnett gets everything right. Her story is touching without being overly sentimental (which is no easy feat). And her gorgeous illustrations perfectly suit the mood.
—New York Times
[A] poignant and quietly humorous portrait of a community coming together [...] Mixing small vignettes with larger street scenes, Harnett nimbly juggles her large cast and the twin emotions of loneliness and contented companionship that she threads though this moving story.
—Publishers Weekly
Katie Harnett’s charming story celebrates the simultaneous cunning and caring of one very special cat, and his ability to bring together a whole community of humans.
—Janet Minichiello, Politics & Prose
Harnett has created a lovely reminder of the importance of noticing the loneliest, the neediest, in our midst. It is a necessary, touching reminder that will resonate for young and old, paired with warm, expressive, detailed illustrations that depict a beautifully diverse neighborhood.
—Hannah DeCamp, Avid Bookshop
It gets right to the nub of modern urban life – the wonderful diversity, coupled with the isolation and awkwardness that means we may just about know the names of the people next door but, beyond that, it’s a smile and a nod at best.
—A Bookish Life
Archie is truly a cat looking for his forever home, and I'm proud to say he has a home on my shelf!
—Let's Talk Picture Books, Best Picture Books of 2016
An endearing story, beautifully illustrated which provides a stark and welcome reminder about loneliness and the importance of community spirit.
—Picture Books Blogger
This is a sweet and memorable tale about communities, friendship, and the importance of not forgetting those around us - which in this day and age needs to be addressed.
—The Bookworm Baby
The drawings are excellent, and the book has a vaguely 1960s cast to it, which is utterly appealing.
—The Cyber Librarian
10/01/2016
PreS-Gr 1—A neighborhood's orange and white cat with mismatched eyebrows has many names because he claims one at each house he visits on Blossom Street. From a young ballerina to bird-watchers to gardeners, the feline's multicultural family members seem unaware of one another's existence until he goes missing. He's discovered at the home of an ignored woman, where he has decided to take up permanent residence. Luckily for all, the entire clan is eager to visit him, bringing collaboration to the community and providing the former recluse with company. Warm colors and busy vignettes keep the pages engaging. VERDICT This variation on the favorite Six Dinner Sid by Inga Moore is a fun read-aloud that shows how cultural diversity coexists with emotional commonality.—Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA
2016-07-02
A stray cat finds a cozy home, brings comfort to a lonely woman, and enhances the sense of community among a group of neighbors.The multiply named hero of this British import is a simply drawn, rather portly calico cat. He slips in and out of the houses and lives of the people who live on Blossom Street. He enjoys (or merely tolerates) different activities in each house, eating fresh fish for breakfast, serving as an artist’s model, digging in the garden, bird-watching with a pair of binocular-wielding twins, and more. But there’s one house the cat doesn’t visit—until he does, and everything changes. Harnett’s colored-pencil artwork is reminiscent of Maira Kalman’s work, with lots of color and pattern, flattened perspectives, and a mix of double-page spreads, single-page illustrations, vignettes, and panels. The Blossom Street residents are pleasingly diverse in gender, race, and ethnicity, as revealed by skin tone, details of dress, and/or surname. Archie etc., meanwhile, appears utterly impassive and vaguely bored—i.e. totally, convincingly catlike. Dialogue balloons and sly humor enliven the deadpan text, which complements the quirky pictures perfectly. The focus on friendly camaraderie and community-building will be appreciated by many adults eager to share their values, and this quiet tale, with the children in their lives. (Picture book. 4-7)
