Houndsley and Catina and the Quiet Time

We borrowed this from the library before we bought it. What a lovely little book and what a great lesson. By how much it is loved around here, it is sure to be a classic in the history of our family.

Houndsley and Catina are a continuing set of characters. It's the first book I've read, so I can't say if one should read them in order or not. Houndsley, a dog, and Catina, a cat, appear to be roommates and best friends, although there may well be a romance or familial relation. It's the first snow of the winter, and Houndsley is thrilled. He loves to be snowed in an imagines their home to be like an island. Catina is not thrilled because she is very much looking forward to the concert tonight. She's been practicing for months. Slowly, Houndsley convinces her to join him on the island and think of all the fun things they can do without leaving home. Houndsley and Catina are cute, and they both manage to have a mix of childlike and grown-up sensibilities. I appreciate that the story is mostly devoid of gendered behavior. Most importantly, Houndsley and Catina build snow creatures (rather than the ubiquitous snowmen)! I laughed out loud a few times, and it was an enjoyable book. It reminds me very much of the Frog and Toad books I loved when I was young. If Elephant and Piggie books are what your young, hip aunt buys for you, then Houndsley and Catina books are what your sweet grandmother buys for you. It was a nice book, but it does lack a little bit of the fun factor. It is also a wonderful transition to chapter books. The pictures would not be out of place in a picture book. Marie-Louise Gay does a fantastic job illustrating. Houndsley and Catina would be a good choice for early chapter book readers and for reading aloud. It's divided into three chapters, but quick readers will finish it in one sitting.

Houndsley the dog peered out the window and watched as the first snow of the winter started to fall. He loved winter and told Catina the cat that is was the "quiet time." She didn't really care for it, but it was his favorite time of the year and when he nonchalantly mentioned the fact that they could be snowed in she got a tad upset. She was looking forward to the evening concert and was getting ready to have her "whiskers curled and buy a new dress." Besides, they were supposed to take care of the refreshments. He reassured her that things would be fine and perhaps they should just enjoy the quiet time and practice. Naturally Bert, the goose next door, started banging away on his cymbals. As the day wore on, Catina still worried, but Houndsley told her "not to fret" and suggested they pretend they were on an island. They read poems and wrote to one another, played games, baked cookies and played board games. Quiet time was starting to be very comfortable. They lit a fire and began to dream in their made up island life. Later they played outside "building snow creatures and making snow angels and catching snowflakes on their tongues." It looked like they might be able to make the concert after all. What would happen to their precious quiet time if Bert clanged those cymbals at the concert? This is a charming, quiet, cozy tale that expresses to children that their "quiet times" can be as much fun as raucous, active playtime. As the story goes along, the reader can almost sense the beauty and peacefulness during the snow day. The watercolor, pencil and collage artwork beautifully expresses the theme of the story. This, of course, is a wonderful quiet time book, but can also be used as a read aloud, discussion book in the homeschool or classroom setting. Don't you just love to feel the magic of your quiet times?

My children have asked me to read this over and over since it arrived. The dialogue between the two main characters is clever and the picures are gentle and soft. A fun book for a cold weather day. I look forward to adding more books from the series to our library.

Will appeal to children and adults, lap read to younger children. Independent reading aprox. second grade. Use for visualization and questioning. Read aloud prek- 3rd. Pair with books about snow or friendship. Perfect for a winter theme.