Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Alby and the Cat

Alby and the Cat
by Leanne Davidson


Leanne Davidson is an Australian author, which is always fun for American readers because of the differences in words and spellings - like tyre instead of tire! Too fun.

I enjoyed this book because of the relationship between Alby and the cat next door, who is not at all impressed with Alby at first. The extra twist is that Alby is not just a normal dog - he's a guide dog.

I read this book with my 6-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son. They loved it. My son's favorite part in the book was when Alby and the cat have a near-miss with a car. Alby wonders where the cat disappeared to:
Soon he found himself thinking about the cat. There had been no sign of it on the road after that lunatic driver had sped past them. No blood. No guts. Nothing remotely resembling a flat cat...But if that was the case, surely there would be some of the cat left on the road. A bit of fur, part of a tail, maybe even a squished eyeball...but there was nothing.
You can see why that would be appealing to an 8 y.o boy!

My daughter loved Pussums the cat and the way he finally saves Alby. They both loved the way the friendship builds between the two animals as they learn to appreciate each other.

I loved the way she incorporates the guide dog information into the story.
Here's what Leanne has to say about that part of the storyline (taken from her blog):
I'd always hoped to write a series of stories about Alby the guide dog, because I felt there wasn't much information around about guide dogs - what they do, and what's expected of people when they're around them - especially for kids. My aim has never been to preach to kids, more to intersperse educational tidbits throughout my stories so that if a child comes away from reading one of my books and has learned something they may not have previously known, then I am happy.
I recommend Alby and the Cat, as well as her second Alby book Alby and the Cat: Showbusiness. Despite a few difficult words, both of my kids really enjoyed the story and characters.

Visit Leanne's website for more info about her books.

20 comments:

Slamdunk said...

We are always looking for new reads and dog and cat stories are big hits.

Thanks for the suggestion--I'll check out the site.

Diane said...

Sounds nice. Thanks for the review! :O)

Jemi Fraser said...

Sounds terrific - I'll mention this one to our primary teachers at school :)

Lindsay said...

Sounds great, Shannon. I'm always on the lookout for books for the goddaughter. :)

Laura S. said...

LOL, yes boys would like that part! Thanks for the recommendation. I bet my 5-yo nephew would like these!

Lenny Lee said...

hi miss shannon! i love animal books so even though im 10 and gonna be 11 id could like those books. i like happy ending stories and one that teach you something. that in all my stories.
...smiles from lenny

Tahereh said...

aww thanks for the rec! it sounds great!

Tahereh said...

aww thanks for the rec! it sounds great!

Sharon K. Mayhew said...

Fun review, Shannon! I love the language.

Carolyn V. said...

Oh, great review! I had no idea about the different spelling of words. That's fascinating!

Susan J. Reinhardt said...

What a cute book! This is a great way to teach kids about disabled people and how they cope with life.

A friend wrote a couple of books that incorporates information about deaf people and sign language.

Blessings,
Susan :)

Tamika: said...

Thanks for the recommendation:) I'm looking for new bedtime reading material.

Kittie Howard said...

Thanks, Shannon, for a lovely review and a super recommendation. With Christmas coming (hard to believe), I'm on the look-out for gifts that are fun but quietly teach.

Elana Johnson said...

Very cool. My daughter would probably love these books. She adores cats.

Kelly H-Y said...

Sounds wonderful ... thanks for the review and recommendation - - had never heard of the author or books before!

Patti Lacy said...

Thanks for a new and refreshing suggestion!
Miss you, girl!

Patti

Angela Ackerman said...

Sounds like an awesome read. :)

Mary Aalgaard said...

Sounds like a fun bedtime story. I'd like to write one about my cat and how she enjoys piano lessons, sits by my students during lessons and purrs.

kah said...

I need a good children's book now and then. Thanks for the cute suggestion.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a fun book to read. Cat and dog books seem to go over quite well with kids (and most adults).

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