Skeleton Cat

by Kristyn Crow, Dan Krall (Illustrator)

Overview

A spooky Halloween read-aloud guaranteed to tickle the smallest funny bones!

After nine lives, Skeleton Cat is back for his tenth. And he has big dreams: to be a drummer. So he rattles and shakes his way through town to find the perfect band. And this phantom cat cause quite a hilarious scene.

Kristyn Crow's punchy beat, rollicking action, and clever rhyme paired with Dan Krall's ghoulishly charming art makes Skeleton Cat a perfect, catchy read-aloud for all ages.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545153850
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	07/01/2012
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.80(w) x 10.50(h) x 0.10(d)
Lexile:	AD520L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Kristyn Crow is the author of many humorous books for kids including, BEDTIME AT THE SWAMP, illustrated by Macky Pamintuan; COOL DADDY RAT, illustrated by Mike Lester; and THE MIDDLE-CHILD BLUES, illustrated by David Catrow. She lives with her husband and their litter of seven kids in Utah. You can visit her Web site at www.kristyncrow.com.



Dan Krall is an animator by day and a picture book illustrator by night. His first book is Being a PIG IS NICE: A CHILD'S-EYE VEIW OF MANNERS, written by Sally Lloyd-Jones. He lives in California.

Editorial Reviews

PreS-Gr 2—After his grave is zapped by lightning, a skeleton cat pops out of the ground and decides to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a drummer. The ghosts laugh at him, and people and animals try to stop him, but the determined feline arrives at the band audition to prove that those old cat bones have soul. The stylized font and irregular text placement along with the lively page design and comic-spooky digital cartoons keep the story moving. The chorus of "Rattle, rattle./Clink, clink./Rattle, rattle, clink./Tip tap. Clickety-clack./Ka-plink, ka-plink, ka-plink," which repeats throughout the rhymed text, could make for a fun read-aloud, although the final drum solo goes on a bit too long. This original paperback may not hold up to regular library use, but could be an additional purchase for not-so-scary storytimes.—Martha Simpson, Stratford Library Association, CT

School Library Journal

Rhyming verse unfolds in hip-hop rhythm to describe the humorous antics of a most likable, bony feline in this tale of pursuing a dream no matter what. A dramatic zap of lightning opens the story and magically awakens a cat from the grave. When the wind blows in a notice about a drumming audition, the cat rattles and rollicks out of the cemetery and through the city--alarming adults and impressing school kids along the way. When he arrives, the motley band is skeptical at first: "…they called him nuts. / 'Cause ‘You're not gonna make it / if you ain't got guts!' " Skeleton Cat responds with his refrain, "He went: / Rattle, rattle. Clink, clink. / Rattle, rattle, clink. / Tip tap. Clickety-clack. / Ka-plink, / ka-plink, / ka-plink." Krall matches Crow's energetic text with a palette of contrasting graveyard-emerald greens and bright, urban pinky reds set against jet black backgrounds. Just this side of garish, the vibrant palette perfectly focuses readers on the cool white skeleton of the aspiring drummer. The digitally rendered, cartoony art coupled with the "undercat" theme is sure to inspire an entertaining and highly interactive storytime. A warning for those reading this aloud: really practice that finale jam. Applause for this very silly and slightly spooky cool cat that follows his own beat! (Picture book. 4-6)

Kirkus Reviews

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