John Stadler

This book was rather amusing, but a tad bit confusing. A horde of animals, led by the main character Dog, are on the run from one confused illustrator. He drew Dog into the wrong book and now has spilled his own paint all over the animals book. The animals are on the run from the paint and there is only one way to run, towards THE END. What does THE END hold? The animals won't know until they get there. There is humor to this book, and the artwork is fairly good. It could possibly be used to show more teach children about the art in books and those mysterious people called illustrators. It could also be just a fun read aloud. show less

In picture books, neither the story nor the illustrations should stand alone, and THE CATS OF MRS. CALAMARI makes this point perfectly. A simple story of a woman with dozens of cats who assume disguises to trick the cat-hating landlord gains humor and depth when married with watercolor illustrations that let the reader in on the joke. Repeated phrasings and sequences make this book a delightful readaloud for small storytime groups, as the illustration details might be lost if viewed from a show more distance. Recommended. (59) show less

as far as I can tell, the "message" of this book is something like "don't bother to talk to adults about things that matter. They won't believe you, even with proof. Even if they maybe do believe you, they will pretend they don't in order to preserve order". This is a damned awful thing to teach a kid.

I loved the vibrant illustrations and cheerful language, the book creates an engaging and fun atmosphere for young readers. Its themes of community and appreciation make it a perfect story for classrooms or family time.