The Seven Dwarfs

"The Cat Who Invented Bebop" introduces the reader to Stringbean McCoy, a very cool , saxophone playing young cat born to very square parents in the Mississippi Delta. "His parents and sisters, who were square as boxes, loved him but not his music.(p. 7)" Thus it develops that Stringbean is exposed to the guitar/vocal blues style of Pops, an old blind cat down by the train station with a deep, mellow voice who memorized the words to hundreds of jazz and blues songs. Stringbean tries to imitate the sound of Pops voice with his rusty, dented old saxophone. It takes time and lots of less than perfect practice. He decides that "two paws just aren't enough to play all the music I have in my head (p. 11)." Finally he graduates from Catsville High and spends all his money on a one way train ticket to New York City. Luckily he is appropriately dressed in a purple pinstriped suit with a jazzman's beige hat over his ears, looking very cool. This same lucky hat blows off his head in his first snowstorm in New York and leads him to a new friend, Cat-Dance Johnson. Cat-Dance takes Stringbean to The Blue Devil Lounge to hear real live jazz. With his hot chocolate from the milk bar in hand, Stringbean asks if he can sit in with the band, a jazz quartet consisting of Hammerfingers on piano, Thumper on bass, guitar player Porkchop LaMar (who Stringbean knows by reputation), and Sticks Warmack, the drummer. Stringbean joins in on a jazz version of "Don't Start Me Talkin'" and just to keep his audience interested, he decides to use his hind paws to play a countermelody of a different song, "Mississippi Mud Blues!" This blows the cool cats' minds completely. Hammerfingers, the band leader, shouts "Follow the cat's lead (p.30)," and they do. All the cats start playing with all four paws, two songs together. They are a hit with all the cool cats in the audience, but of course, the square cats don't get it. They say, "What is this chicken scratching?... We can't hear the melody!" But Cat-Dance asks Stringbean what he calls his new sounds, and Stringbean answers, "This be for you, Pops!' "What's that, kid?" said Cat-Dance, who was a little hard of hearing. "Bebop?" Stringbean smiled. "Right on. Bebop it is (p. 32)!" Thus a star and an art form is born. "The Cat Who Invented Bebop" is peppered with colored key names and rainbow pictures of the square and cool cats who surround Stringbean. It is a wonderful book and a wonderful experience. I am sending a copy to my uncle who has been a bebop jazz sax player since the 50's. I'll see what he says about Stringbean and his buddies.

Everyone knows the fairy tale story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. But few know what happened after the handsome prince found her, and brought her home to his castle to live happily ever after. Well now, thanks to dwarf, Stephane, we do. When the king's messenger arrives at their little cottage at the edge of the forest to invite the dwarfs to the royal wedding, they are eager to see their beloved Snow White again. Here is the story of that wonderful reunion, told in detail by Stephane, as he looks back and remembers the past, is fascinated and enticed by Snow White's life in the present, and finally looks forward to going back to their simple life at the edge of the forest, in the future..... Written in the first person as a journal or diary entry, Etienne Delessert has authored a unigue continuation of this much-loved fairy tale from the viewpoint of the dwarfs. His quiet, gentle, lyrical text is personal, sometimes poignant, sometimes amusing, and complemented by charming and engaging, detailed artwork in rich tones. Together word and art present an evocative story, full of imagery and magic, that will delight readers of all ages. Perfect for youngsters 4-8, The Seven Dwarfs is an endearing and entertaining story, complete with feel-good, satisfying ending, that ties up all the Snow White loose ends, and leaves you smiling.