High Water at Catfish Bend

by Ben Lucien Burman

Book Overview

Caught in a Mississippi flood, a group of animals takes over the problem of flood control from the incompetent humans. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0140307117
• ISBN13: 9780140307115
• Release Date: January 1974
• Publisher: Puffin Books
• Length: 123 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.

Customer Reviews

An overlooked treasure

Steeped in southern folk tale tradition, this series about an odd assembly of wild animals at Catfish Bend (on the Mississippi River) is a forgotten treasure. The animals at Catfish Bend are always working to make their corner of the world more like a utopian society, but outside forces always seem to create a crisis that takes all of their mettle to overcome. This is the first book in the series, and it introduces all of the characters that form the nucleus for the later books. Doc Raccoon is the storyteller, and he tells us about a giant flood that caused himself, a bullfrog, a snake, a fox, and a rabbit to all pull together to try to set things right. The animal characters are rather plain, most of them exemplifying a particular attribute (such as the sneaky and self-serving fox), but the story is so entertaining and satidfying that the plot is what makes this book tick. The animals come up with plan after plan, and in each we get a glimpse of the proud tradition of southern folk tales, sans racist overtones. There is a unique chatty tone to the narrator's voice that does indeed remind one of Mark Twain's frame story narratives. I highly recommend this charming set of books for any child who likes fairy tales or books about talking animals.

Catfish Bend rocks!!!!

This is book #1 in the Catfish bend series. I like the way Ben Burman makes the animals seem real. I have read every one of these books and they all deserve more pulicity.