Fred

The night Sophie and Nick bury their dearly beloved cat Fred, all Fred's cat friends arrive to reveal his nighttime self and give him a proper funeral and farewell.

Kindergarten-Grade 3 Fred, Sophie and Nick's old cat, has died, and the children bury him in the backyard. That night they are awakened by a large group of cats who have come to pay their last respects to ``Famous Fred.'' It seems that old Fred, a prodigious sleeper by day, was also a famous singer by night, and now his friends and fans wish to give him a proper (albeit noisy) funeral, which they do with gusto. In the morning, several small signs convince the children that the events of the previous night were not a dream. Told in cartoon-like panels of line and crayon with dialogue (sometimes in bold print) in balloons, this is an offbeat tale which veers toward the macabre on occasion, and it is difficult to determine its focus. There is not enough depth of feelings to use it as a tool in comforting a grieving pet-owner, yet there isn't enough humorexcept for highlighting the differences between cats and peopleto justify that aspect as the premise for the story. In addition, Nick's lapses into baby talk are annoying, particularly as he appears to be well out of the toddler stage and has an otherwise adept vocabulary. Marginally amusing, but this is one you can put outside at nightwith the cat. Kathleen Brachmann, Highland Park Public Library, Ill.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Simmonds, a popular British cartoonist, uses a comic-strip format to relate the unusual events that occur the night Sophie and Nick bury their beloved cat. "Poor old Fred" had a lively secret life, as they learn when scores of neighborhood animals gather, in funeral attire, to eulogize the cat they called "Famous Fred." The children discover that each night after Mom let Fred out, he would take to the stage and sing "Meeyowley-yowley-yowl!" with his band, the Heavy Saucers. Now, after the mourners pay their respects, theyand the childreneat and drink and sing and dance, in a glorious fitting tribute to their dear departed Fred. This is an offbeat book, with droll humor and silly good fun in both dialogue and illustrations (the top-hatted feline mourners are a particular treat). At the same time, it bears witness to the comfort to be had through the sharing of sorrow and reminiscence. Ages 5-up.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.