Crispin the Terrible

What a delight to run across a book that makes me feel so much love for my own Crispin the Terrible. Chrildren and adults should be able to relate to such a sassy malcontent. I can't wait to share this with my fiesty little nephew over the holidays.

Could a book be any more fun, more charming, more silly? I think not! Yesterday, I was reading "Crispin the Terrible" with my three year old niece and we had such a great time. We crawled around on the floor and acted out all of the mad-cap crazy Crispin antics. All I can say, is that is too bad that Halloween was last month, otherwise, I know exactly what we would be- Crispin the Terrible.

My kids love this book: The story is great, the illustrations are funny, and the hero Crispin is simply charming. What else has this great illustrator done??? As an adult (so what do I know), it strikes _me_ as a highly sophisticated book that is directed towards urbane city children--or their parents. I don't think it's coincidental that the book is set in New York City. The characters/plot/tone couldn't ring so true anywhere else... could they?

My wife and I have been reading this book to our kids. Our five year old loves the story and pictures. Our three year old has really responded to the story of a cat imagining himself in different relationships to his (human) family. I think this theme has really hit a nerve with her as she starts to realize the ways in which she can relate to the world around her. Fantastic pictures and an amusing story make this one of those books that appeals to the adults as well as the kids. But unlike some books that are hailed for appealing to the whole family, this one stays focused on the kids reading it.