My Cat Charlie - Softcover

K-Gr 3-A simple story with a positive message. Charlie waits for his best friend, a little girl, to come home from school every day. Then they sit by the pond and watch goldfish swim by, or climb a tree and watch clouds float by, or chase butterflies in the garden. When the child and her family must "move house" to a flat in the city where she will have a playroom and a "lift," she is disappointed to learn that there will be no garden or trees for the big, black cat. She finds it difficult to leave her pet behind, but realizes that "Friends always want each other to be happy," and arranges for Charlie to live with her cousins in the country. When she visits him, she finds that friendships that are special don't go away because of distance. While the book just touches on the subjects of separation and loss, it does its best to put an upbeat, reassuring spin on a difficult situation. Armitage's watercolors in luminous jewel tones reinforce the sense of love and friendship that pervades the text. Suitable for independent reading or sharing with a group.

Patti Gonzales, Los Angeles Public Library

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