Hondo & Fabian

by Peter McCarty

Book Overview

Hondo the dog has a fun day at the beach while Fabian the cat stays home.

" Wake up, Hondo. Time to go "
Hondo will have an adventure.
Fabian will stay home.

A dog named Hondo and his friend Fred are going to the beach for a day of excitement. Fabian the cat is left behind at home to play with the baby. Who will cause more trouble? And who will have more fun?

Peter McCarty's exquisite illustrations...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805063528
• ISBN13: 9780805063523
• Release Date: April 2002
• Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
• Length: 40 Pages
• Weight: 0.67 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.3" x 9.3"
• Age Range: 3 to 6 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 1

Customer Reviews

Simple story and beautiful illustrations

Yes, the story is simple. However, there are times when that is exactly what I want to read to my 5-year-old son. This book is great for those nights when you don't want to wade through a really long story book. I also think it will be a great book for my son to practice his beginning reading skills. The illustrations are exquisite. I can't think of a children's book that can top them. The drawings lend a general whimsy to the book because there are sharp lines. These books are ones that I actually purchase instead of borrowing from the library.

Beautiful little book!

I don't know how your child will like this short and simple book, but I thought it's about the sweetest thing I've seen! The author is a gifted artist and evokes what people love about animals. Warm and fuzzy!

I bought this for myself!

I found this book in the library one day, and I was charmed by the illustrations and the sense of humor. I love to own children's books that really appeal to me, and I immediately ordered it. It gives me a lot of pleasure.

A Big Beautiful Hit with my toddler

After reading about Hondo and Fabian in the NY Times book review, I picked this up for my two-year-old daughter. This quickly became her favorite book, which brings on cries of "Again! Again!" Reading this to her is a pleasure as the pictures are gorgeous and the simple story is easy for her to relate to and get excited about every time we turn the well worn (already!) pages. This would make an excellent board book. We have given it to several neices and nephews since we discovered it, and everyone from the two-year-olds on up love it.

It's Not Just Puppy Love

The Publishers Weekly editorial review of this book is entirely accurate so I'll leave the details to them. I loved this book for the perfection of the way the artist/author captures the exhuberant love for life expressed by the dog and cat characters, Hondo, Fred and Fabian. Peter McCarty manages to give us the essence of a happy day in the lives of these animals. It is so infectious that I felt happy just looking at the simple yet evocative illustrations. This is a book for very young children, I suppose, and I'm sure toddlers will love it and will be readily able to appreciate the fun it celebrates, but as an adult I loved the way it illuminates the feelings of non-verbal beings and the opportunity it gives us to glimpse the richness of those feelings that we so often overlook. It's a wonderful book.