This and That - Hardcover

Sykes, Julie

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0374374929 ISBN 13: 9780374374921

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), 1996

Synopsis

Cat's making the rounds of the farm, borrowing "this and that" from each of her barnyard friends. The animals are curious, so they follow her to the stable, where they discover Cat's secret-newborn twin kittens named This and That!

About this title

From Publishers Weekly:

Linch makes an auspicious picture book debut in this winsome British import, as the country-morning feel of her torn-paper collages perfectly suits Sykes's gentle, springtime story. A resourceful cat accumulates various materials from a succession of barnyard animals, but leaves them-and the reader-in mystery as to her purpose. Horse loans his stable, Pig supplies straw, Sheep donates wool, even Hen gives up some feathers. Asked what the supplies are for, the cat merely purrs, "This and that." In the end, two new kittens, aptly named "This" and "That" by their farm friends, snuggle in the nest their mother has built them. Though employing an inexact medium, Linch conveys expression, depth and detail; soft angles offset unusually dense colors for a cheery, even-keeled presentation. Ages 4-7.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist:

Ages 2^-4. Brightly colored cut-paper collages and simple words tell a warm farmyard story with an ending that is both inevitable and surprising. Cat asks each of the animals in turn for something she needs. Horse lets her borrow his stable. Pig gladly gives her some straw. She collects feathers from Hen, wool from Sheep, tail hairs from Cow. Each time the animals ask Cat why she needs these things ("What do you want it for?" ), she purrs her answer, "This and that." When the farm animals follow her to find out what she's doing with all their stuff, they discover the nest she's made, and everyone helps her name her two newborn kittens, This and That. The pictures are lively, and even when preschoolers know the answer to the repeated question ("What do you want it for?" ), they will enjoy being in on the cozy secret. Hazel Rochman

About this edition

• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0374374929
• ISBN 13: 9780374374921
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Linch Tanya