The McHandsomes are a big clan. There are nine of them, and they live together in a box ‘with no one in charge.’ The McHandsomes are cats, each one unique. But Stretchy is different in so many ways. He is not only able to stretch, but also twist and twirl. And he has one blue eye and one green.
There comes a day when Stretchy decides to leave his overcrowded home and find adventure in the city. It is exciting, scary, and challenging all at once. But then he sets his eyes on a young lass named Beanie McBride and there is an instant connection. They stretch and twist and twirl together. Fast-forward to the afternoon when Stretchy’s ragtag family of cats have followed and found him. Beanie invites them all home, and so the cats lug their box to her backyard. What do the cats discover? Well, that is for you, the reader, to find out.
Author Judy Schachner loves cats and is well-known for creating the Skippyjon Jones series about an unstoppable Siamese cat. Schachner has not only created a loveable new character in Stretchy but accompanies the illustrations with great text and rhyme: words like feral and cantankerous, akimbo and window. Readers will fall in love with Stretchy and Beanie. A perfect picture book for any child who loves cats. (Ages 1 – 10) (Penguin Random House)
About the Author
Jenny deGroot is a freelance media review and news writer for The Banner. She lives on Swallowfield Farm near Fort Langley B.C. with her husband, Dennis. Before retirement she worked as a teacher librarian and assistant principal.