Sneakers, the Seaside Cat

by Margaret Wise Brown

Book Overview

Sneakers saw something. It was yellow and pink on the outside.... Then he crept up to it and peeked in. On Sneakers' first trip to the seaside, his curious paws find surprises in the sand. There's a mischievous crab, playful shrimp, and a shell that echoes the roar of the ocean. The lyrical prose of Margaret Wise Brown, beloved author of Goodnight Moon , and the masterful miniaturist paintings of Anne Mortimer perfectly capture the spirit and essence of one lone feline and the sea, too. Adapted from stories in the 1955 publication of Sneakers Seven Stories About a Cat , this picture book will find a happy home in the hearts of those who love cats and the seaside.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 006028692X
• ISBN13: 9780060286927
• Release Date: April 2003
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.77 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 10.0" x 8.8"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

The book looked just fine to me.

I was real happy with the book. I'm super excited that I got the book

Wonderful Seaside Story for Little Ones

A sweet and simple story with beautiful pictures. Perfect for a small child who has a cat (or would like one...) or who visits the beach (or would like to...).

Sneakers

Great ilustrations and a nice story. Great for any child that loves cats and animals. author of Hobo Finds A Home

A great gift for any child.....

I was shopping extensively for an outstanding children's book one Christmas and was lucky enough to stumble upon this gem. As other reviewers have pointed out the illustrations are stunning and the book as a whole teaches an appreciation for nature and the wonders that can be found near the sea. The story is good, but the illustrations bring the characters and scenery to life. The cat, Sneakers, is particularly charming and a big hit with children. Over a year after I gave this as a present, it is still this particular child's favorite book and as an adult I appreciated it. There is some special intangible that comes alive through the combination of the author's narrative and illustrators ability. This is a book that you can't go wrong with and that you can appreciate as an adult. Your child will also learn a lot about the sea and beach and be able to identify with the curiosity of the main character. This is a nice launching point for the imagination and good two-way conversations.

Mom of three boys

After purchasing this book, we found 'Sneakers, Seven stories about a cat' to read all the stories in their original form. The cat illustrations are darling.

Brown & Mortimer-- winning combination

Margaret Wise Brown, best known for her classic "Goodnight Moon" book, was a prolific author. Her books have been reprinted often of late, usually with a new illustrator more suited to modern tastes and the better printing techniques. In this case cat artist extraordinaire, Anne Mortimer, has been selected and the results are simply stunning.The story itself is fairly simple: Sneakers, a plump and handsome black and white cat, accompanies his human family to the seaside for the first time. He explores the seashore flora and fauna; the repeating line is "My, I am glad I saw that." Brown's writing never condescended to children, who may enjoy the childlike adventures of Sneakers (although adult cat owners may not like the fact that Sneakers is allowed to roam about by himself; the current trend seems toward all indoor cats.)As for the illustrations, they are just stunning. I do like Ms. Mortimer's work as a rule but this time she has outdone herself. The posture and expressions she has captured are among the best I have seen: incredibly naturalistic. On the basis of illustration alone I would recommend this book, but it would work very well for a pre-school beach/seashore/summer book.