Stunt Cat to the Stars (Mr. Puffball Series #1)

by Constance Lombardo, Constance Lombardo (Illustrator)

Overview

In this hilarious illustrated adventure meet Mr. Puffball, a medium-size feline with a big dream! With amazing humor that appeals to both kids and adults as well as funny illustrations throughout the story, Mr. Puffball: Stunt Cat to the Stars is perfect for dreamers, movie buffs, and fans of Timmy Failure and Stick Dog.

He's a hero for today. Or possibly tomorrow. He's a cat. He's awesome. And . . . wait for it . . . he's going to Hollywood to become a famous movie star! Follow Mr. Puffball on his trip cross-country. (Look at all the postcards to Mom!) See him stumble upon Hobowood! (Not as glamorous as Hollywood, but full of beans.) Watch him land at last in Hollywood, where he meets a cast of thousands (or at least half a dozen) and catapults himself into the next best thing to being a famous movie star: working as a stunt cat to his movie star hero, El Gato!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062320674
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	09/29/2015
Series:	Mr. Puffball Series , #1
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
Lexile:	660L (what's this?)
File size:	16 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

Editorial Reviews

07/06/2015
Mr. Puffball, a determined and optimistic cat from New Jersey, has his eyes set on stardom in this quirky, humorous debut. Although Mr. Puffball doesn’t know much about showbiz, he is certain that his theatrical talent will land him a dream job in Hollywood. He journeys across the country, sending postcards to his mother and eventually settling in with a crew of friendly feline has-beens, whose coaching helps him land his first role (“I play a character named Extra,” he explains excitedly). When Mr. Puffball meets his movie-star hero, El Gato, his life really begins to change. Cat-themed pop culture puns (The Sound of Meowsic, The Great Catsby, Catsablanca) permeate—or is that purrmeate?—the story, as do Lombardo’s scraggly b&w cartoons, which are a big part of its unflagging energy and humor (Mr. Puffball looks a bit like a fame-seeking cousin to Nicole Rubel’s Rotten Ralph). Emotions run high and dramatic moments are many, but Mr. Puffball’s positive attitude and growing understanding that good friends are what matter most light up the pages. Ages 8–12. Agent: Lori Nowicki, Painted Words. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

I couldn’t resist buying this insane book!

Tom Angleburger

A gut-busting breakthrough in kitty litter-ature!

Alan Katz

When Mr. Puffball was born in a place called New Jersey, he was just one more kitten in a litter of kittens. Mr. Puffball watched his siblings play in a basket, pull on string, and smell everything in his surroundings, but Mr. Puffball did not participate. He was restless and he knew that he was meant for greater things. He enjoyed playing a brave and courageous knight or a mad scientist whose experiment has gone bad. He liked to pretend he was someone else, living someone else’s life. He did not understand these differences until the day he saw an old movie on TV starring El Gato (The Cat). El Gato wore cowboy boots, had a mask on his face, and walked with a swagger. At that moment Mr. Puffball decided he was meant to be was an actor. He made a plan and a list, immediately starting to do whatever it took to become a great actor. When he revealed to his mother that he was planning to become an actor, she had a surprise that would boost his confidence in seeing his dream come true. The reader follows Mr. Puffball to Hobowood, then Hollywood, where he makes friends with former actors and directors who will catapult him toward his dream and his first chance at being a real star. The characters in this story are well defined and will capture the imaginations of the intended age group. Author Lombardo has a talent for thinking like her reader and delivering a fun, interesting story. Reviewer: Joyce Rice; Ages 6 to 10.

Children's Literature - Joyce Rice

07/01/2015
Gr 4–6—Mr. Puffball is a medium-sized feline who knew he was different even when he was a mere kitten. After watching the old movie Cow-Cat & Aliens, which stars the world's greatest movie star, El Gato, he realizes his destiny—to be a Movie Star Actor. Readers follow Mr. Puffball on his cross-country trip to Hollywood where he ends up at Purramount Studios. Here he "catapults" himself into the next best thing to being a famous movie star: stunt cat to his movie star hero, El Gato, who turns out to be different from what Mr. Puffball expected. The text is accompanied by humorous black-and-white line drawings. Though the story line and design hint at a younger audience, the narrative is too long for the chapter book crowd. There are places where the pacing slows and many readers will lose interest. The scenes where El Gato pranks Mr. Puffball or loses his temper drag on a bit too long. Although the book ends with a good message, "it's not the whiskers that make the cat, it's what we do with them," it takes a committed reader to reach the end. VERDICT This title is best suited for middle grade readers who appreciate animal fantasies, stories about Hollywood trials and triumphs, and humorous cat drawings.—Paula Huddy, The Blake School-Highcroft Campus, Wayzata, MN

School Library Journal

2015-05-12
Mr. Puffball longs to be a star. Will Hollywood welcome him? Mr. Puffball thinks that El Gato, star of the movie Cow-Cats & Aliens, is the greatest movie star ever. He is determined to be just like his idol, and when he discovers star power is in his genes (his great-grandmother starred in Cleocatra Meets the Mummy) and there are open auditions for The Great Catsby, he decides to head for Hollywood. Several interesting stops later (Roswell and "Hobowood" among them), Mr. Puffball lands in Tinsel Town ready for his audition at Metro Golden Meower. Unfortunately, he's years too late (the audition announcement was from an old newspaper). The oldsters at MGM point him toward Purramount. After some training, he lands a gig...as a stunt cat for El Gato. Mr. Puffball learns the dangers of meeting a hero, but purrhaps with the right cattitude, he'll earn his Hollywood ending. Lombardo's debut, a series opener, is replete with multipanel comics and other illustrations that advance Mr. Puffball's tale. Unfortunately a fair amount of the fun relies on punning riffs on old Hollywood. There are explanations in the aftermatter, but if you have to explain a joke.... "Diary of a Wimpy Cat" or maybe "Lynda Barry's Cat Goes Hollywood," it's decent enough fare for graduates of Bad Kitty but not nearly as funny or inventive. (Graphic/fantasy hybrid. 7-10)

Kirkus Reviews