A Prickly Problem (Calpurnia Tate, Girl Vet Series #4)

by Jacqueline Kelly, Jennifer L. Meyer (Illustrator)

Overview

In this fourth book in the illustrated Calpurnia Tate, Girl Vet chapter book series, a young Callie Vee tackles a conundrum involving the rambunctious family dog and some very prickly quills

When the Tate family dog, Ajax, has a run-in with a porcupine, things get prickly—and dangerous—quickly. It'll take Callie's quick thinking and doctoring, along with a little help from Dr. Pritzker, to make things right. Will Ajax learn to leave other critters alone?

From Jacqueline Kelly, the author of the acclaimed books, The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate and The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate, comes a series for younger readers, featuring a smart and spunky heroine and the lushly imagined world of turn-of-the-century Texas.

- GODWIN BOOKS -

Read the whole series:
Skunked!
Counting Sheep
Who Gives a Hoot?
A Prickly Problem

Praise for the Calpurnia Tate, Girl Vet series:

"Animal husbandry done right for the young reader set." —Kirkus Reviews on Counting Sheep

“Expect a fresh crop of Calpurnia readers to simply enjoy this on its own considerable merits.” —The Bulletin on Skunked!

“This is a great progression from the Lois Lowry books and Laura Ingalls Wilder’s ‘Little House’ books.” —Children's Literature on Skunked!

"This engaging introductory chapter book contains the added benefit of introducing readers to science and nature terminology as well as a bit of Texas history. . . . Entertaining, humorous, and informative." —School Library Journal, starred review on Skunked!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250177193
Publisher:	Square Fish
Publication date:	10/02/2018
Series:	Calpurnia Tate, Girl Vet Series , #4
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	112
Sales rank:	377,932
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Jacqueline Kelly is the author of The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate, Return to the Willows, and Newbery Honor winner The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate. Born in New Zealand, she now lives with her husband and too many cats and dogs in Austin, Texas.

Jennifer L. Meyer is an award-winning artist whose work has been featured multiple times in the Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art annual, Spectrum. Born into a fantasy-loving military family, she grew up a big fan of comics, reading, and drawing animals (especially bunnies). Jennifer's art has appeared in comic books, children's books, graphic novels, and other media. She is the illustrator of the Calpurnia Tate, Girl Vet series by Jacqueline Kelly.

Teagan White is a freelance illustrator who specializes in intricate drawings of flora and fauna. Originally from Chicago, Teagan now lives and works in Minnesota, where she received a BFA in illustration from the Minneapolis College of Art & Design in 2012. She is the cover artist for the Calpurnia Tate, Girl Vet series by Jacqueline Kelly.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate:
“Six years after debuting in Kelly's Newbery Honor-winning The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, the budding Texas scientist returns, as curious and charming as ever, and now preoccupied with fauna instead of flora . . . Happily, the episodic narrative leaves the door wide open for further adventures—if we're lucky.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review on The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate

“Animal lovers will revel in the abundant anecdotes about the benevolent country vet and Travis' mangy strays—some heart-wrenching, some hilarious—while learning plenty about nature ("from pond water up to the stars"), the deadly 1900 Galveston hurricane, and early Texas history as recounted by Callie's scholarly and beloved Granddaddy. A warm, welcome stand-alone companion to Kelly's lauded debut.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review on The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate

“Well worth waiting for . . . Readers will flock to this sequel” —Booklist, starred review on The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate

“Humor and little heartbreaks abound as Callie learns animal care under the tutelage of Dr. Pritzker, the town's veterinarian. . . .” —School Library Journal, starred review on The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate

Praise for The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate:
“The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate is the most delightful historical novel for tweens in many, many years. …Callie's struggles to find a place in the world where she'll be encouraged in the gawky joys of intellectual curiosity are fresh, funny, and poignant today.” —The New Yorker, "Book Bench" section on The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

“In her debut novel, Jacqueline Kelly brings to vivid life a boisterous small-town family at the dawn of a new century. And she especially shines in her depiction of the natural world that so intrigues Callie . . . Readers will want to crank up the A.C. before cracking the cover, though. That first chapter packs a lot of summer heat.” —The Washington Post on The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

From the Publisher

04/01/2018
Gr 2–5—It's early autumn in 1901 in Fentress, TX, and the Tate family is getting ready to go back to school. After a trip into town, the Tates notice that Father's prized bird-dog Ajax had slipped his leash. When he comes home, he has a snout full of porcupine quills. Dr. Pritzker is called for, and Ajax is soon put to rights. Most dogs would learn from a snout full of quills, but Ajax is not most dogs; when Calpurnia is out one morning with Ajax he manages to once again get into a scuffle with a porcupine—this time getting a mean dose of quills numbering in the hundreds. With no adults around to help, Calpurnia must rely on her own knowledge and instincts. As with previous installments, this title embeds scientific and veterinary terms, time and place are set out clearly, and Calpurnia is shown as a strong and independent girl who stands up for her friends and tries to do the right thing. This series could benefit from a glossary for the more challenging vocabulary. VERDICT Another strong entry in this well-written and engaging series. Purchase where the previous titles circulate well or for collections in need of historical fiction for young readers.—Stacy Dillon, LREI, New York City

School Library Journal