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Synopsis
When her husband, James, dies suddenly, Jessie neglects William, James’s beloved cat. Then she realizes how lean and mean William has become without affection and that she needs his friendship, too. “This winning story stands among the growing number of picture books using country life as a metaphor and as a setting for playing out fundamental human experiences and dilemmas.”-The Horn Book
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About the Author
JULIE VIVAS is illustrator of I Went Walking, Let's Go Visiting, the Mem Fox classics Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge and Possum Magic, and several other picture book titles. She lives in Australia.
From School Library Journal
Grade 2-3-- A story about relationships, love and loss, survival and recovery. James and Jessie are a farm couple, childless and of indeterminate age. Jessie merely tolerates William, James' beloved cat. On the other hand, William and James spend their days together, "the very best of friends." "Then one Sunday morning James died suddenly." In her grief, Jessie quite literally shuts William out, spurning all his efforts to help. He grows "mean and lean, and he hated everything and everyone." (On the accompanying double-page spread he bares teeth and claws, and hisses, scruffy and ferocious.) William finally gets Jessie's attention when he scratches her. She opens the door, apologizes, and starts to let William take James' place (as she takes James' place for him). William concludes that Jessie is "beginning to love him a lot." Vivas doesn ' t prettify the plain people or the uncuddly animals, but her romantic palette washes the horses in violet and the trees in tender jade, underscoring the sentimental side of this down-home, down-under tale. Despite the happy ending, this is not a "cute cat" story, and some readers may find the undisguised depiction of grief and the rejection of the cat (a child-surrogate) disturbing. --Patricia Dooley, Univ . of Washington, Seattle
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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- PublisherHoughton Mifflin Harcourt
- Publication date1994
- ISBN 10 0152000771
- ISBN 13 9780152000776
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages32
- IllustratorVivas Julie
- Rating
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The Very Best of Friends
Seller: SecondSale, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. Vivas, Julie (illustrator). Item in good condition. Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00068618210
Quantity: 1 available
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The Very Best of Friends
Published by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (edition ), 1994
ISBN 10: 0152000771
ISBN 13: 9780152000776
Used
Paperback
Seller: BooksRun, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Fair. Vivas, Julie (illustrator). Ship within 24hrs. Satisfaction 100% guaranteed. APO/FPO addresses supported. Seller Inventory # 0152000771-7-1
Quantity: 1 available
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The Very Best of Friends
Published by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1994
ISBN 10: 0152000771
ISBN 13: 9780152000776
Used
paperback
Seller: Jenson Books Inc, Logan, UT, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
paperback. Condition: Good. Vivas, Julie (illustrator). This item shows signs of wear from consistent use, but it remains in good condition and works perfectly. All pages and cover are intact , but may have aesthetic issues such as small tears, bends, scratches, and scuffs. Spine may also show signs of wear. Pages may include some notes and highlighting. May include "From the library of" labels. Satisfaction Guaranteed. Seller Inventory # 4BQM2A002XPF_ns
Quantity: 1 available
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The Very Best of Friends
Published by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 1994
ISBN 10: 0152000771
ISBN 13: 9780152000776
Used
Softcover
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. Vivas, Julie (illustrator). Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Seller Inventory # 17446261-6
Quantity: 1 available
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The Very Best of Friends
Seller: ThriftBooks-Dallas, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Vivas, Julie (illustrator). Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.35. Seller Inventory # G0152000771I3N10
Quantity: 1 available
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The Very Best of Friends
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. Vivas, Julie (illustrator). May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.35. Seller Inventory # G0152000771I4N00
Quantity: 1 available
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The Very Best of Friends
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Vivas, Julie (illustrator). Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.35. Seller Inventory # G0152000771I3N00
Quantity: 1 available
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The Very Best of Friends
Seller: ThriftBooks-Reno, Reno, NV, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. Vivas, Julie (illustrator). May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.35. Seller Inventory # G0152000771I4N00
Quantity: 1 available
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The Very Best of Friends
Seller: ThriftBooks-Dallas, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. Vivas, Julie (illustrator). May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.35. Seller Inventory # G0152000771I4N00
Quantity: 1 available
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The Very Best of Friends
Seller: ThriftBooks-Dallas, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Vivas, Julie (illustrator). Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.35. Seller Inventory # G0152000771I3N00
Quantity: 1 available