Glamourpuss

by Sarah Weeks, David Small (Illustrator)

Overview

A sassy, delicious picture-book gem from award-winning author Sarah Weeks and Caldecott Medal winner David Small.

Glamourpuss has it all.She has style.She has charm. And she knows how to strike a pose.Glamourpuss loves being the center of attention. So when an unwelcome guest (a dog, no less!) steals the spotlight with some tasteless bow-wowing and undignified tail-wagging, Glamourpuss worries that she's going to fall out of fashion. Is there room for only one superstar in this mansion? When Glamourpuss makes her most majestic move to find out, the result is pure purrfection.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545609548
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	02/24/2015
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 11.20(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	AD780L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

David Small is the illustrator of many award-winning books, including The Library, the Caldecott Medal winner So You Want to Be President?, and the Caldecott Honor books The Gardener and One Cool Friend. He lives in Michigan with his wife, the writer Sarah Stewart, and an outdoor cat named Mabel.
Sarah Weeks was born and raised in the United States. She is the author of numerous award-winning novels, including Save Me a Seat with Gita Varadarajan, Honey, Pie, So B. It, Oggie Cooder, and Oggie Cooder: Party Animal. She lives in New York and teaches in the MFA program at the New School in New York City. She can be found on the web at sarahweeks.com.

Editorial Reviews

10/27/2014
The eponymous angora, a pampered pet of childless “gazillionaires,” has one job: “to be glamorous, and she was very good at it.” But when a pampered Chihuahua named Bluebelle—who seems to have no compunction about dressing up as Carmen Miranda and Scarlet O’Hara, or doing tricks to get attention—comes for an extended stay, Glamourpuss is nonplussed. Are her diva days over? Or could it be that this rival is, deep down, a soul mate? Weeks’s (Pie) narration is fittingly over-the-top (on one page alone, characters boom, squeal, and drawl) and helps build empathic envy for a character who could otherwise come off as a spoiled brat. But it’s Small’s (Catch that Cookie) exuberant ink line and strategic washes of colors that make this book—he shows that it’s possible to spoof the 1% without eating the rich, all while giving Bluebelle and Glamourpuss outsize emotional lives. Glamourpuss’s darkest moment, which finds her sprawled on a staircase in despair, is worthy of Douglas Sirk, while Bluebelle channels the neurotic energy of Judy Garland. Ages 3–5. Agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Sarah Weeks's PIE:* "Weeks deftly leavens moments of hilarity with the process of grieving in this sweet coming-of-age story in which Alice learns from Aunt Polly to follow her heart and to open it as well. Readers will close the book with a satisfied sigh and may seek out an adult to help them bake a pie." — SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, starred review* "What do you get when you take some scrumptious pie recipes, stir in a mix-up of a mystery involving an overweight cat and a legacy, then add a sly satirical nod to the Newbery Medal? This irresistible confection. . . . Warm, delicious and filling." — KIRKUS REVIEWS, starred review"The text richly describes the pie-making (and eating) process and includes multiple mouth-watering recipes for readers to try themselves. This would make a tasty readaloud for classrooms or families; stock up on pie ingredients first." — BCCB"This enjoyable chapter book is a real charmer." — BOOKLIST"Stimulates both sweet tooths and sweet nostalgia." — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

From the Publisher

2014-10-22
A lighthearted twist on the traditional antagonism between cats and dogs takes place in an over-the-top upper-crust world.Weeks includes several nods to fairy-tale conventions in her slyly amusing text. The saga begins "Once upon a pillow," and the eponymous heroine turns to her mirror for confirmation that she is the "most glamorous of all." Meanwhile, classic films are clearly the inspiration for Small. Created with ink, watercolor, pastel and collage, illustrations include a flat-screen TV showing Theda Bara as Cleopatra, a scrawny Chihuahua with Shirley Temple, Carmen Miranda and Scarlett O'Hara costumes, and a setting that evokes the glamour of old Hollywood. Bluebelle, the dog, is a visitor in the home of Glamourpuss' owners and, in the cat's eyes at least, a rival for their affections. Well-pleased with her luxurious lifestyle, cheerfully cataloged in scratchy, energetic artwork, Glamourpuss tries her best to sabotage Bluebelle. While her efforts don't pan out, and the dog definitely has her day, young listeners will likely be pleased with the (not entirely) unexpected rapprochement between the two pets. Sophisticated vocabulary and pop-culture references may well fly over the heads of children, making this fizzy, exuberant entertainment a treat that is best shared by an adult with a penchant for screwball comedy. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews