Cat Up a Tree - Hardcover

Hassett, Ann

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0395884152 ISBN 13: 9780395884157

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers, 1998

Synopsis

Worried when she spots a cat up a tree, Nana Quimby frantically rings the firehouse for help, only to discover that the firemen no longer rescue cats in trees. What is she to do? She looks out the window again to discover five cats up the tree. And the cats keep coming - too many to count - in all sorts of zany colors, shapes, and sizes. Frantic, Nana Quimby calls the police station, the pet shop, the zoo, and even city hall, but no one will respond to her plea. Children will love counting all the irresistible cats in John Hassett's lively artwork, as the town that refuses to help finds itself caught in a hilarious quandary and finally learns the importance of lending a hand.

About this title

About the Author:

John and Ann Hassett have been collaborating on picture books for more than ten years. Their books are known for their quirky humor and lively illustrations. The Hassetts live and work in Maine, where their “commute to work is short (upstairs, and first door on the right).”

From Publishers Weekly:

In this stylized primer, characterized by an old-fashioned coziness, the Hassetts (Charles of the Wild) tally no fewer than 40 felines and sum up with a gentle sting. The kitty quantifying begins when elderly Nana Quimby spies a single black-and-white cat atop a leafy, lichen-green tree. Nana calls the firehouse for assistance, but the dispatcher informs her, "Sorry... we do not catch cats up a tree anymore. Call back if that cat starts playing with matches." Dismayed, she looks out the window again and sees five cats, then 10, up the tree. Yet she can't rouse a rescuer from the police ("Call back if the cats rob a bank") or city hall ("Call back if you need a sign that says Danger! Look up for Falling Cats"). But Nana gets her chance for a subtle rebuke when the town is overrun with mice, and the purring denizens stay at her side. The husband-and-wife team enumerate the crowd of cats while poking fun at public affairs. The authors' feather-light felines could prove difficult to differentiate for beginning readers. They stand in tight formation, as slender and ethereal as mayflies (each is about two inches long, including a long, curlicue tail) and they're painted in dreamy shades of gray-green, pale blue, creamy yellow and white. Nevertheless, the Hassetts' gentle humor and equally light brushwork possess a delicate charm, and the careful Nana ensures that every cat leaves its lofty perch. Ages 3-8.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0395884152
• ISBN 13: 9780395884157
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32