Review by Elikem -- Puffy and the Formidable Foe

[Elikem]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Puffy and the Formidable Foe" by Marie Lepkowski and Ann Marie Hannon.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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My parents cannot forget how as a child I constantly grumbled about being bored on weekends. Written by Marie G. Lepkowski, Ann M. Hannon, and Margaret B. Hannon and illustrated by the latter two, Puffy and the Formidable Foe teaches children the value of contentment on a boring day.

Puffy is a male cat with a pink nose and short black whiskers. From the look of his clean grey fur, one can be certain he is well taken care of. His cute fascination with his surroundings tell he is either on the brink of getting out of “kittenhood” or has just recently entered “cathood” and is still fairly new to the world. He leaves the greenish-black house where he lives with his owner and goes off hunting for a rat. Scampering through paths, woods and meadows, he comes across a strange “kitty” and learns a few lessons that are sure to last his nine lives.

Right from the onset, the authors’ intention is clear: to create a great learning tool for children. The book opens with an instructive note to adults on how to help children learn while reading the story. The note suggests a number of ways this can be achieved; from the traditional reading aloud to the more contemporary discussion of what the main character should have done and the unique identification of rhyming words. There is also a colouring page provided at the end of the book to reward children for reading well. In addition, the authors provide an email address in order for a glossary to be requested, if needed, “to encourage a rich vocabulary”. With these methods, they promise children and adults alike lots of fun.

Each page of the story is filled with a picture along with a few lines of text in white clouds. The pictures are refreshingly modest; colourful and detailed yet easy on young eyes. With their mostly two-dimensional drawings and deliberate not-so-perfect shading, the authors give the semblance of a colouring book. They also seem to portray a child’s simple conception of nature. Puffy, for instance, has tiny white spaces in his fur intentionally missed by the stroke of a grey colouring pencil. He has human-like eyebrows and eyelashes and his varying emotions of excitement, sadness, disappointment and shock are well conveyed in the drawings of his face. The pictures also animate the various settings in which the story takes place. Blue and white butterflies, red, pink and purple tulips, yellow-green hedges, clear blue ponds, evergreen pines; Puffy’s environment is bursting with life.

The first few words of the story read, “Puffy is an amazing cat….” I love the use of ellipsis in this sentence. I picture a parent or teacher reading this and pausing here to ask the child listening, to guess in what ways Puffy could be amazing. There are similar employments of exclamation marks and commas for sensory effect throughout the story. Each line of text has a word at the end that rhymes with that of the previous line. Far from the tired rhymes in nursery songs and poems, the authors cleverly pull off rhymes such as “episode and road”, and “vow and meow”. At the beginning, the text is written in verse aiding the easy recognition of these rhymes. However, towards the end, the text assumes a prose style, which may make it less easy for children to identify the rhymes.

Puffy and the Formidable Foe can very easily teach a child about the colours of spring. It can also teach him or her many new words. However, more importantly, the story resonates with lessons on growing up and discovering new things about the world, finding ways to avoid the repeat of unpleasant situations and simply being content. Considering the fact that he is well cared for by his owner, Puffy surely does not need a rat; at least not for lunch and it is his uncalled for boredom that prompts his hunt.

I rate the story 3 out of 4 stars for its laudable efforts at helping children learn in a fun way. Certainly, the authors do a great job highlighting the important themes of contentment and discovery and teaching children about nature. I am hesitant to give it 4 stars because the way the story ended may discourage adventurous spirit and encourage non-perseverance. Again, there were a few inconsistencies in the drawings of Puffy, he being portrayed as lean at the beginning and fluffy at another point. The difficult words in the story such as “episode” and “obscene” may also prove a challenge for children as well as adults who may struggle at simplifying their meanings. In that regard, I would have preferred it if the authors had included the glossary in the book instead of asking that it be requested via e-mail. I did send an e-mail a week ago requesting one but have not, as at yet, received it. I am therefore unable to comment on its adequacy and helpfulness to the reader. Overall, I am certain children aged four to six will find the story enjoyable and especially if they love animals or have their own little Puffy at home.

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Puffy and the Formidable Foe
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[sirrr]

lovely :')

[Elikem]

lovely :')

Thanks sirrr!