Review by Booklist Review
Cash, son of June Carter and Johnny Cash, taps his country-music roots in this original folktalelike story about Cat, who wears a rhinestone suit while riding his bandicoot through the desert. Twangy patterned rhymes, which beg to be read aloud (or better yet, sung), describe the longtime dispute between Cat and Del Moore the snake and how Cat came to don his sparkling attire as a result of the snake's thievery. But when Cat, Bandicoot, and sidekicks Mouse and Camel trip over a stump and find themselves dangling from the side of a mesa, it's Del Moore who lends a tail for the four critters to climb to safety. With the score now settled, Cat and Del Moore become fast friends. Comical mixed-media illustrations emphasize the story's Wild West zaniness, a letterpress font highlights the rhyme scheme and the feel of yesteryear, and amusing fictional photographs on the endpapers offer more details. A rousing addition to storytimes and folktale studies.--Leeper, Angela Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Flashily dressed cowboy animals and even flashier typography give high visual interest to Cash's (Daddy Loves His Little Girl) rhyming western tale. Nash's (Catch That Baby!) animals are heavily outlined and cross-hatched, and the old-fashioned lettering makes the pages look like a series of "Wanted" posters. Cash makes some odd word choices in service of his unusual A-A-A-B rhyme scheme (bandicoot for suit, Bombay with sway), and although the results can be halting, the lines land with a satisfying thunk. The feud between the cat and his rattlesnake adversary, Del Moore, goes back to kittenhood, when Del Moore grabbed the cat's catnip ball. But now the cat and his friends are dangling inches from certain death, and Del Moore generously extends his tail to them: "Would it be crazy to say/ they'd still be hanging today/ had Del Moore not passed their way/ and offered them some help?" The treacly ending-"To be a fine friend indeed/ is to lend to a friend in need"-is accompanied by enough manly cowboy action to keep it from sappiness. Ages 4-8. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-A Wild West tale of trouble, old grudges, and newfound trust. When Cat seeks revenge against an old enemy who did him wrong, an unlikely rescuer appears when a stumble causes Cat to tumble in the air. His action proves that personalities can change and that help may arrive from the most unexpected source. Illustrations drawing inspiration from the 19th-century American West show desert horizons, a small-town main street, and framed portraits of the major players. The ballad-humming cat and his friends mouse, camel, and bandicoot personify the local heroes, while a slick-suited slithering snake sporting a bowler hat gives cause for concern. Font and color reminiscent of old newspaper headlines and a variety of page layouts draw readers' eyes toward the AAAB rhyme scheme and detailed pen-and-ink extensions of the story. Is snake Del Moore a true villain? Will Cat and Del face off in a gunfight on the town's main street? Readers can only guess as rhythmic text without a tune rolls this tale from page to page. This well-crafted story offers a light lesson to young readers framed on the final pages: "To be a fine friend indeed is to lend to a friend in need."-Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
While walking in the desert, the Cat and his animal friends land in trouble; among the passersby, only the Cat's mortal enemy, snake Del Moore, offers help. It's no surprise that the unequivocal message (of forgiveness) and the easygoing but right-on-the-beat rhymes, illustrated with dignified humor, call to mind a country song: the author is the Man in Black's son. (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Cash's latest is plagued with problems similar to those facing his previous two children's offerings, awkward syntax and poor scansion being the worst of these, but he also adds a new one to the mix: a thin, if enthusiastic plot. Rhyming verse tells the tale of Cat and Mouse, who travel together, singing as they ride their bandicoot and camel, respectively, through the desert. Cat has a score to settle with Del Moore the snake, who stole his catnip ball when he was just a kitten. But before a showdown can take place, disaster strikes: The bandicoot trips, and the four travelers wind up precariously hanging from a cliff. Snake is the only passer-by who hears their cries and stops to help. "Snake offered Cat his tail end. / Out the Cat's paw did extend. / Del Moore said, / Let's just be friends!' / And the Cat gave a smile." Instead of allowing readers to infer the moral offered by this pat ending about second chances, the author supplies his own, which has little to do with the story. Nash does his best to meet the underlying good intentions of the text. From his palette to the clothing his characters wear, the illustrations have a retro feel that suits the Old West setting. His characters have a Richard Scarry look to them, especially the cat. With phrases seemingly thrown in because they rhyme, not because they advance any sort of plot, this is one to skip. (Picture book. 4-7)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
