book review: Houndsley & Catina

Just found a fabulous new set of children's lit titles by James Howe, illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay.

The Houndsley & Catina series is reminiscent of the beloved adventures of friends like Frog & Toad and Mr Putter & Tabby... Built around the sweet friendship of a cello-playing dog who appreciates the simple things in life and loves to cook and a fashion-conscious cat who wants to be a famous writer but settles for writing really bad poetry, they also include a third friend, Bert, who is a bird and subsequently loves worms and wishes Houndsley would cook with them.

The words are lyrically beautiful; the watercolor illustrations, simply charming. Useful for encouraging your child to enjoy listening to the sounds of well-chosen words strung together, these books are also excellent for engaging your child in discussions about the essence of friendship. A treat for the child as well as the parent!

There are four titles that I am aware of:

Houndsley and Catina

Houndsley and Catina & the Quiet Time

Houndsley and Catina & the Birthday Surprise

Houndsley and Catina Plink & Plunk

At least three of these titles are available at the Greenville County Public Library.

If they're not at your library, they're worth requesting the library to order.

I hope you'll enjoy them as much as we have... Sincerely, michelle