Synopses & Reviews
Apart from sticker burrs and sand fleas, Cardelland#8217;s life is mostly wonderful. He knows heand#8217;s loved through and through by his perfectly good mama and his perfectly good daddy. They live in different parts of the desert, but thatand#8217;s okayand#8212;Cardell is mostly used to it. Then Otis comes calling, and Cardell feels aand#160;grrr form in his throat. Otis canand#8217;t make jalapeand#241;o flapjacks or play Zig-the-Zag anything like Cardelland#8217;s daddy. And so Cardell waits for Mama to say "Adiand#243;s, Otis." But what will happen if she doesnand#8217;t?
Review
* andquot;This excellent take on modern, blended families melds a believable, resonant story arc and winsome, child-appealing illustrations.andquot;
andmdash;Kirkus, starred reviewand#160;
Review
* andquot;This excellent take on modern, blended families melds a believable, resonant story arc and winsome, child-appealing illustrations.andquot;
andmdash;Kirkus, starred review
andquot;McElmurryand#39;s...gouache illustrations revel in the desert setting, her homey paintings evoking the look of weather-beaten folk art while contributing to the storyand#39;s overall humor and sweetness.andquot;
andmdash;Publishers Weekly
andquot;Like Otis, Appelt is a gifted storyteller, and families whose circumstances echo Cardellandrsquo;s will welcome this gentle story, which is nicely augmented by illustrator McElmurryandrsquo;s gouache pictures, with their vivid desert colors.andquot;
andmdash;Booklist
* andquot;Well, like Otis, this exquisitely told tale is a welcome addition to any collection.andquot;
andmdash;School Library Journal, starred review
andquot;Author and illustrator deliver on both substance and humor, capturing childlike emotions and conveying them in witty, comforting prose and in accompanying pictures of coyotes in bandanas and ten-gallon hats...With a sympathetic and charming main character, this story will be particularly relevant for a child with a blended family.andquot;
andmdash;Bulletin
and#160;
Synopsis
A poignant picture book about a young girl, who in the face of her parents' divorce, turns to the one constant in her life-her dog Fred.
Sometimes I live with my mom. Sometimes I live with my dad. But Fred stays with me.
Told from the point of view of a young child whose parents are divorced, Fred Stays with Me follows a girl and her dog, Fred, from one parent's house to the other's, giving her a sense of continuity and stability. With a simple text and childlike language, the story expresses and addresses a child's concerns, highlights the friendship between child and pet, presents a common ground for the parents, and resolves conflict in a positive way. Tricia Tusa's charming and whimsical artwork adds a light, happy feel to this poignant--but not overly sentimental--story.
Synopsis
Fred Stays with Me! is an award-winning story that follows a young girl who turns to the one constant in her life, her dog Fred, in the face of her parents' divorce.
In this poignant but not overly sentimental story, Coffelt's accessible and kid-friendly language alongside Tusa's charming artwork create a light, cheerful, and reassuring mood that will comfort any child who has two homes.
Synopsis
Newbery Honor winner Kathi Appelt and best-selling illustrator Jill McElmurry (Little Blue Truck)and#160;offer an endearing, accessible picture book about accepting a new step-parent and appreciating everything that makes one's own family special.
About the Author
Nancy Coffelt is the author/illustrator of the several picture books for Harcourt: The Dog Who Cried Woof; Good Night, Sigmund; Tom's Fish; and Dogs in Space. She began writing and painting children's books when she started a family of her own. She lives in Portland, Oregon.
Tricia Tusa has written and illustrated several acclaimed picture books, including Mrs. Spitzer's Garden; Maebelle's Suitcase; Camilla's New Hairdo; Bunnies in My Head, which features drawings by young patients at the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center; and our own Wing Nuts. She lives in New Mexico.