Broken Cat Book

Something is wrong with Andy's cat, Frank. He won't eat or drink. He barely moves. What will the veterinarian say? Andy is afraid to find out. But while they are waiting, he wants to hear Mama's broken-arm story from her own childhood. It's a scary story, but a good one. He's heard it before, and he knows it has a happy ending.

Innovative, authentic, and absolutely pitch-perfect, here is a beautifully illustrated and fascinating story about a familyӣand about the poignant and funny moments that can lead to understanding and healing. It's a book that can change the way you look at the world.
About the Author: Lynne Rae Perkins is the author-illustrator of a novel, All Alone in the Universe, as well as the picture books Clouds for Dinner and Home Lovely (a Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor Book). She lives in Cedar, MI.

Publishers Weekly

In this quirky, effective slice-of-life memoir, Perkins (Home Lovely) shows a family reassuring a child by recalling a previous crisis that turned out all right. Andy's cat, Frank, hasn't moved or eaten since Andy let him out after breakfast, the previous morning. Andy sits with his family in the veterinarian's waiting room and a question reveals his concern about his pet: "Mom,... can you tell me about that time... you fell and broke your arm?" His mother, grandmother and aunt remember the accident, interrupting and adding forgotten details. Perkins's pen, ink and watercolor figures wear '60s plaid dresses and cat's-eye glasses; they play out the action in a series of vignettes. Comic-book highlights such as thought balloons and alternating viewpoints of the same scene counter Andy's sober concern for his cat and the pain of his mother's broken arm. After they conclude their reminiscence, the vet calls for Frank, dresses his head wound and sends him home. "Did your arm hurt the whole time it was broken?" Andy asks. A split-scene sequence then follows Andy's mother (in girlhood) and Frank healing together. "No," she reassures him, "Pretty soon... I didn't think about it at all." Her youthful counterpart stands on her head as Frank, in a corresponding panel, sniffs gently at Andy's hand. Like Andy, young readers may well return to this tale when they need reassurance. Ages 5-up. (Apr.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.