Stunt Cat to the Stars by Constance Lombardo (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Stunt Cat to the Stars by Constance Lombardo Jeannette Hulick Lombardo, Constance Stunt Cat to the Stars; written and illus. by Constance Lombardo. Tegen/HarperCollins, 2015 233p (Mr. Puffball) ISBN 978-0-06-232065-0 $12.99 R Gr. 3-5 Young cat Mr. Puffball has always dreamed of following in the footsteps of his cinematic idol, El Gato, and making it big in Hollywood, so when he spies an ad for auditions for The Great Catsby, it seems like kismet. Mr. Puffball confidently makes his way west from New Jersey to the land of the silver screen, but he quickly discovers that fame doesn’t come easily. He befriends some older mentors and eventually lands a job as a stunt double for—gasp!—El Gato, only to find that the real El Gato is actually kind of a jerk. Mr. Puffball rallies, however, and works his way up to the top, eventually winning over (and changing for the good) El Gato himself and landing a buddy role in E. G.’s upcoming film. In this heavily illustrated novel, Lombardo positively revels in loading on the cinematic clichés and topping them with a generous sprinkle of cat-themed wordplay (a song from “My Fair Kitty” includes the line, “Wouldn’t it be love-fur-ly?”), and Mr. Puffball’s breathless, straightfaced delivery of one droll line after another adds to the fun. Mr. Puffball’s tale (much like his tail) is fluff, but it is clever fluff, and while the plot line rambles and wanders a bit, the absurd humor is so diverting that kids likely won’t care a jot. The numerous comical black and white line drawings continue the jokes, with plenty of speech bubbles (“This milk is not organic!” snarls El Gato in one picture) and amusing visual details adding another layer of fun. Cat lovers, budding cinephiles, and fans of Federle’s Better Nate than Ever (BCCB 2/13) will find this the cat’s meow. Copyright © 2015 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois