Christina Katerina and Fats and the Great Neighborhood War - Hardcover

PreSchool-Grade 2. Another installment about a feisty heroine. This time, Christina Katerina's best friend, Fats Watson, decides to side with the obnoxious Tommy Morehouse in an argument about who should be the general in a game of soldiers. Before long, the whole neighborhood is at war and the mean pranks begin. The acrylic and gouache illustrations are expressive, artfully capturing the emotions of anger and childhood revenge. The disagreement among friends is a realistic theme and the resolution is predictable but satisfying, with Fats ultimately defending Christina Katerina from Tommy Morehouse. While the girl's habit of spelling out adjectives reflects a certain arrogance prevalent in her character, it creates a stuttering effect in the text that does not lend itself to reading aloud. A nice but not outstanding purchase.?Christy Norris, Valley Cottage Library, NY
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ages 4^-7. Christina Katerina shows she's no pushover when it comes to fair play or friendship. When new kid Tommy Morehouse moves into the neighborhood and shows favorites in a game, Christina objects, expecting her "true" friend Fats to stick up for her. When he doesn't, a neighborhood feud erupts, with Christina and Fats on opposite sides. Tempered with humor, Schuett's sturdy, brightly colored paintings catch Christina's anger and pride as she waits for her best friend to come around. Kids will easily recognize the situation, and most will understand the messages--the main one about friendship as well as the more subtle one about gender. Stephanie Zvirin