Mr. Putter & Tabby Feed the Fish

Mr. Putter and his fine yellow cat, Tabby, both getting on in years, love going to the tropical fish store. Mr. Putter owned goldfish as a boy, and Tabby loves watching the fish because it makes "her whiskers tingle and her tail twitch." When the pair decides to bring home three fish one day, neither one of them is aware that, well, how shall we put it delicately... Tabby has a "fish problem." Each evening Tabby wants to go to bed, she needs to go to bed, but she can't drag herself away from the fishbowl. Day and night she finds herself batting the bowl, twitchy and dazed, in spite of Mr. Putter's gentle admonitions. After failed attempts to cover the bowl with a pillowcase and a bucket, Mr. Putter finally decides to find a new home for his goldfish and finds a willing beneficiary in his neighbor Mrs. Teaberry and her good dog, Zeke. Will Zeke turn out to have a fish problem too, or is this happily ever after for the goldfish?

Cynthia Rylant and Arthur Howard's series about the lovable Mr. Putter and his skittish cat, Tabby, is a terrific boon for early readers. Howard's detail-rich illustrations of these utterly charming characters perfectly complement Rylant's humorous, entertaining, and very readable stories. Kids will love reading these beginning chapter books, which include Mr. Putter & Tabby Pour the Tea and Mr. Putter & Tabby Toot the Horn. (Ages 4 to 8) --Emilie Coulter