Buster

My kids love Buster so much that when I asked what the wanted to get their cousin for Christmas, they chose Buster. I guess they really identify with the jealousy he feels toward the cat and the fear he feels when he's lost. They squealed with joy about the ending. From an educational standpoint, I like the book for the map on the last page--good for early map reading skills. I also explained the artist's techniques to the kids (I learned from the back dust-jacket flap), and we discussed how much work each picture would require--I thought that might help them learn about perseverance.

I always get books from the library to see if my kids will like them before I buy them. Needless to say, Buster is now part of our permanent collection. Our kids (ages 2 & 3) love the easy to follow story with a sweet message, and the colorful illustrations. We have also discovered Buster on tape, so the kids can read along with the tape and that's a huge hit - we have been listen to nothing but Buster for the last three weeks. Great kids' book!

Buster is a dog who is used to being the center of attention -- until the introduction of a kitten named Betty. Suddenly, Buster's happy days of engraved dishes, his own radio, and the ever-adoring "Brown Shoes" is turned upside down and he leaves his "Betty infected" home. At first the outside world is refreshing and gratifying -- but then night falls and Buster finds himself scared, alone, and unable to find his way back home. That's when Betty (perched in a tree across town) serves as a beacon for Buster to find his way back. From then on, Betty and Buster are the very best of friends. Denise Fleming's unique illustration style (she pours colored cotton pulp through hand-cut stencils) is as unique as her story of Buster and Betty is original and very highly recommended.