Skippyjon Jones (original 2003; edition 2003)

A Siamese kitten with a big imagination, Skippyjon Jones has fun pretending to be a bird, until he's busted by his mother, who orders him home, and sends him to his room to think things over. You can't keep a good cat down, though, and Skippyjon is soon setting off on an epic journey into his closet (also known as "Old Mexico"), disguised as a sword-fighting Chihuahua named Skippito Friskito, and becoming embroiled in a quest to save the local dog population - Los Chimichangos - from the ravages of Alfredo Buzzito, El Blimpo Bumblebeeto Bandito...

I didn't really take to this one as much as I'd expected, after enjoying Schachner's marvelous The Grannyman, also about a Siamese cat. I see that quite a few online reviewers feel that the Spanglish wordplay here is racist, and that the story promotes negative stereotypes of Mexicans. I didn't feel that way myself - although I'm far from jumping all over those that do feel this way, as so many of these reviewers' detractors seem to have done - and I can see how this would be a great title for kids and classrooms that are already familiar with some Spanish. Children always love that feeling of being "in" on the joke, after all! But while I found the rhyming and wordplay here fun at first, and thought that the artwork was cute, I also got bored after a while. Adding "ito" to the end of everything isn't quite as clever as people seem to think. Somehow - perhaps because of all the rave reviews this one has gotten - I expected something a little more creative. More Seuss-like.

Still, I think that, for what it is, it works well enough, and those looking for a fun read aloud will not be disappointed. I'm glad I read Skippyjon Jones, just to see what the series was all about, but I don't think I'll be picking up any of the many sequels. ( )

My much-younger cousins introduced me to these. I don't actually remember reading them until I bought them for two little boys I know. So my husband and I are sitting in the living room floor, wrapping Christmas presents, and I pick this one up and start reading aloud. No more wrapping from me! I had to read both of them out loud, complete with claps and my very best Spanish accent! Tons of fun and highly recommended for family read alongs. ( )

Skippyjon Jones is a sublimely silly romp. Skippyjon is a Siamese cat who gets sent to his room where he entertains himself by pretending he is El Skippito Friskito, a sword-fighting chihuahua. Filled with Spanish phrases as well as made-up words, the text just begs to be read aloud - although a practice run-through is advised; the songs could even be sung by those brave enough. Sadly there is no note included on the medium, but the illustrations, done by the author - possibly in pastels, and design match Skippyjon's frenetic character with Skippyjon bouncing here, there and everywhere. Skippyjon is likely to be a winner for preschool and older storytimes and, luckily for Skippyjon fans, this is the first of several titles featuring the mischief-making Siamese kitty. ( )

I had read another Skippyjon Jones book earlier, but I hadn't read the original until today. It is a riot! ( )

A wonderful friend of mine once owned a bookstore where she did a regular Saturday morning reading group for children. While wandering there one weekend morning, I heard her start reading this book. I had to find a chair of my own amid the 5 year olds so I could enjoy this story. Yes, it's a book for young readers, but it's funny and sweet and the illustrations are wonderfully imaginative. It helps, of course, that I can hear Ruth's voice (and her fake Mexican accent) in my head whenever I look over the pages of this book. ( )