Solo Plus One

Solo, a cat with a penchant for smashing eggs to get at their delicious, runny insides, is disgusted when his expected treat breaks open to reveal a little duckling, who promptly adopts Solo as its mother.

PreSchool-Grade 1-- Solo, a ``bad'' cat, loves to break and eat eggs. When he sees a mother duck on her nest, he scares her away to get her eggs but is taken aback when one egg hatches and the duckling thinks he is its mother. Solo makes several attempts to rid himself of this unwanted foster child and finally succeeds by pushing it in the water where it rejoins its mother. After this experience, Solo is partially reformed. There is some charm in this story, but the plot has some huge implausibilities. The duckling hatches and immediately waddles after Solo--no drying or fluffing time needed? Why would this experience cause the cat to cease eating food from the bird feeder and catching moths? Martland's textured paintings are simple with strong, large figures suggested rather than detailed. While they suit the story well, they fail to give either cat or duckling much personality. This would contrast well with the classic feline-duck encounter in Marjorie Flack's Angus and the Ducks (Doubleday, 1989) but doesn't hold a candle to it for storytelling or illustrations. --Louise L. Sherman, Anna C. Scott School, Leonia, NJ
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

"Solo was a bad cat" whose favorite mischief is knocking eggs off tables so that he can lick up the resulting mess. One day Solo chases a duck from her nest, but rather than raw egg, he gets a duckling who "thought that Solo was its mother, and it kept following him." Solo solves his problem by pushing the hanger-on into the pond, where it joins its mother. Thereafter, a somewhat reformed Solo sticks to a cat-food diet--a bit leery of what might appear when the cans are opened. Though somewhat lacking in zip, this slim story may entertain little ones--especially in its gently true-to-life portrayal of a cat's activities. Martland's broad-brushed, childlike images in sunny hues enliven the proceedings, offering an endearing family of quackers and a sharply contrasting black puss. In spite of the author's sometimes intrusively judgmental tone, this debut produces a generally diverting animal story in the tradition of Marjorie Flack. Ages 3-8.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Solo, a ``bad'' cat, especially enjoys breaking eggs and licking them up--until he happens on a duck's egg just as it's hatching. The duckling pursues Solo, assuming he is its mother; Solo finally pushes it into the water with its real mother. Though loosely based on animal behavior, the story isn't very likely--especially Solo's partial reformation as a result of his experience--but it's amusing and economically told, with a satisfying if unusual form of poetic justice. Best are Martland's bold, freely painted illustrations in sunny colors, with Solo announcing his presence in solid black. Children will enjoy identifying with this appealing antihero; a good choice for reading aloud or for dramatic play. (Picture book. 3-8) -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.