Where is Catkin?

by Janet Lord, Julie Paschkis (Illustrator)

Overview

A cat's curiosity lands him in a tight spot.

Catkin slithers through the grass, creeps by the pond, and explores a rock pile. Along the way he follows the sounds of animals and insects.

"Kerik-Kerik." Catkin sees something shiny and small in the thick grass. Catkin hops—but the cricket gets away.

"Garrump. Garrump." Catkin sees something green and spotted. Catkin leaps—but the frog hops into the water.

When Catkin hears a rustling by the tree, he climbs up to the highest branch to investigate. But it's a long, long way back down to the ground. "Meeeow. Meeeow." Now who will hear Catkin and rescue him?

Author Janet Lord's simple, satisfying story of a mischievous cat features cheerful animal sounds and an entertaining seek-and-find element, all richly portrayed in Julie Paschkis's gorgeous illustrations that celebrate the patterns and shapes founds in nature.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781561456840
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	08/06/2013
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 10.80(h) x 0.20(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Janet Lord earned her BA in graphic arts and advertising from Concord University and now works as a graphic designer. She is the author of three picture books, all illustrated by her sister, artist Julie Paschkis. She lives in Pennsylvania.

Julie Paschkis grew up in Pennsylvania, then attended Cornell University and the School for American Craftsmen at RIT, where she earned a BFA. She taught art to grade-school children for several years while working on her own art and illustration. Julie now works full-time painting, designing textiles, creating commercial illustrations, and illustrating children's books. An award-winning illustrator and author of books for children, she displays her love of pattern and folk art in all of her illustration work. She lives in Seattle, Washington.

Editorial Reviews

"There are so many ways to engage with this book that multiple readings are in order."—School Library Journal

"Kids will pick up on the story's mood of both love and adventure."—Booklist

"The story will entertain very young children, and the artwork will absorb them."—Publishers Weekly

"Lovely."—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

Sisters Lord and Paschkis (Albert the Fix-It Man) team up again, this time for a search-and-find story about a honey-colored cat whose hunting skills are not all they might be. Skillful use of repetition (“Catkin hops... Cricket hops deep into the grass”; “Catkin leaps... Frog leaps into the pond”) and offbeat animal noises (“Kerik-kerik” for the cricket, “Garrump” for the frog) move the story forward, but it's in essence a series of observations—there's little suspense. Paschkis's bright, peasant-style illustrations bring cheery liveliness to Catkin's world; they're a bit like the art Wanda Gág might have produced had four-color printing been available to her. Stylized borders run along the top and bottom of each page, showing simple silhouettes of the animals Catkin pursues. Between the borders, Catkin chases his prey through a tapestry of curling leaves and waving grasses (readers are directed to find the animals within the vegetation, and several make repeat appearances). In the end, Catkin becomes the pursued, as his owner, Amy, seeks him out. The story will entertain very young children, and the artwork will absorb them. Ages 2–6. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

This third outing from the sisterly team of Lord and Paschkis is a visual feast for young readers. For Amy's golden cat, it is time to hunt. As he slinks through the pages, he sees the creatures that fill his backyard habitat-cricket, frog, mouse, snake and bird-but all elude capture. The author gives readers a chance to guess what animal that Catkin is stalking with onomatopoeic clues to accompany the visual ones. A turn of the page reveals the answer in the text and, for observant readers, in the picture. The last few pages are a seek-and-find dream for children, with Catkin searching all around and not finding the five animals. In frustration, he climbs a tree for a better view, which is where Amy finds him. Paschkis's black-backgrounded folk-art illustrations fill the pages with vibrant colors and simple, stylized shapes-the ideal backdrop for hiding the small creatures that Catkin hunts. The gorgeous red-and-yellow borders are a cumulative collection of the animals. Lovely. (Picture book. 2-6)

Kirkus Reviews