May 1, 2012
Gr 3-6-Miss Annie is a four-month-old kitten who thinks she is old enough to venture outside into the great wide world. In Freedom, she tries to tell her masters this by doing a fabulous job of guarding the house while they are away. Unfortunately, the humans and the feline don't see eye to eye on what is and what isn't a threat to their home. Good thing they don't know she's befriended a little mouse that has moved in. When she discovers an open window, she decides it is time to experience the sweet taste of freedom and soon finds out that there are rules outside the house, too. Eager to show her the ropes are two older and much wiser neighbor cats, and Miss Annie follows along. In Rooftop, Miss Annie's masters have finally installed a cat door, and she begins venturing forth immediately despite her mouse friend's worries. She finally gets the night of excitement she has been dreaming of when she and the neighbor cats must defend their territory from a band of roaming alley cats. Things look dire until a new cat appears to help them defeat the invaders and cope with the tragic aftermath of the battle. Cat lovers will enjoy seeing things from this feline's perspective. She might be small, but she is full of personality and it shines through in the stories as well as in the colorful illustrations, laid out in eight frames per page.-Carol Hirsche, Provo City Library, UT
Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
May 15, 2012
Grades 2-4 Miss Annie's adventures pick up where they left off in Freedom! (2012), as the kitten continues to explore the world around her. When Miss Annie hears the cries of some male cats, it is explained to her that they are responding to their instincts. Miss Annie isn't sure she is on board with having instincts, especially if it means she has to chase mice, eat birds, and fight alley cats. Balthazar's art continues to charm. While Le Gall writes slightly beyond his character's level of understanding, like Miss Annie, most readers will make the effort to keep up with what the grown-up cats are talking about.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)
January 1, 2013
Coloring by Robin Doo. Innocent house kitten Miss Annie describes her life, the people who provide for her, her friendship with a mouse, and her introduction to other cats and the world outside her master's home. Annie is appealingly drawn in these lighthearted feline coming-of-age graphic novels, but her very adventurous spirit sometimes feels forced.
(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)