A Cat and a Dog

by Claire Masurel, Bob Kolar (Illustrator)

Overview

A cat and a dog live in the same house, but they are not friends. They fight all the time, about everything. Then disaster strikes. Dog's beloved ball bounces up into a tree and is stuck. Cat's precious stuffed mouse falls into the pond. Dog can't climb. Cat can't swim. What are they to do? Claire Masurel's simple text and Bob Kolar's bright, bold illustrations combine in this charming picture book for the very young, a humorous look at the age-old battle of cats and dogs that demonstrates how a simple act of kindness can turn an enemy into a friend.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780735817807
Publisher:	NorthSouth Books
Publication date:	04/01/2003
Series:	A Cheshire Studio Book Series
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	430,326
Product dimensions:	10.52(w) x 8.42(h) x 0.10(d)
Age Range:	3 Months to 3 Years

About the Author

Claire Masurel is the author of many books for children, including TWO HOMES, illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton. She lives in Paris.
David Walker has illustrated several children's books. This is his first with Candlewick Press. He lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Alethea Kontis is a first-time children's book author who works for a book distributor. She lives in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Bob Kolar is the author-illustrator of several books, including DO YOU WANT TO PLAY? and RACER DOGS. He lives in Kansas

Editorial Reviews

These cohabitating pets are fighting like, well, cats and dogs. "See these claws? Stay away from my mouse!" warns the belligerent blue cat. "See these fangs? Stay away from my ball!" rejoins the obstreperous orange dog. But when cat's toy mouse falls in the water, and dog's ball gets stuck up a tree, the animals discover they can help each other. When last seen, they're sharing a once heavily disputed rug as "the best of friends." It's a familiar little fable, but Masurel's (Ten Dogs in the Window) stripped-down text doesn't belabor the moral, while Kolar's (Stomp, Stomp!) highly stylized watercolor-and-ink characterizations against a predominantly white background further distill the drama down to its comic essence. His dog and cat have tiny eyes that are perfect for shooting sidelong glances at each other, and their sausage-like bodies are surrounded by auras of colors that make them look like they are equipped with personal no-fly zones. He color-codes the cat with its mouse toy and the dog with its ball, and conveys a peaceful color harmony when they gather united on the rug. Ages 6 mos.-3 yrs. (Apr.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

These cohabiting pets fight like, well, cats and dogs. But when a cat's toy mouse falls in the water, and the dog's ball gets stuck up a tree, the animals help each other. "The stripped-down text doesn't belabor the moral," wrote PW, "and the highly stylized watercolor-and-ink characterizations against a predominantly white background further distill the drama down to its comic essence." Ages 6 mos.-3 yrs. (Apr.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Very few words are needed to tell the tale of a dog and cat who live in the same house but cannot get along. They fight about everything, from where to sit to their favorite treats, but especially about their toys. The parallels to siblings are all too clear. Fortunately, when they are able to help each other, they finally become friends. Kolar's critters are as visually basic as you can get¾simply painted geometric body parts assembled in positions to convey actions, with no backgrounds and very few props. The large, bold typeface constructs the words, which become a significant part of the page designs. The telling is simple and touched with humor, but the lesson is important. 2001, A Cheshire Studio Book/North-South Books, $13.95 and $13.88. Ages 2 to 5. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz

Children's Literature

PreS-Gr 1-A story about two traditional enemies that share a house. At first, they fight like, well, cats and dogs. They then steer clear of one another until the day that the dog's favorite toy gets stuck in a tree and the cat's best toy falls in the water. It is at this point that the animals help each other out and become friends. The illustration of the two squaring off is very funny. The feline is painted royal blue and the canine is a yellow orange, and they are set against white backgrounds that make them stand out. This is a fun, simple story that youngsters will relate to and enjoy.-Sheilah Kosco, Rapides Parish Library, Alexandria, LA Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

..".a good selection for a pet- or animal-themed story time. Its sly humor may appeal to younger school-age children as well as to the target preschool audience."

From the Publisher