The Cool Crazy Crickets to the Rescue - Softcover

David Elliott says that his sister really does have a cat with one eye and that she was the inspiration for the cat in this story (the cat, not the sister). Author of The Transmogrification of Roscoe Wizzle, the Evangeline Mudd novels, and the best-selling picture book And Here's to You!, David Elliott lives in Warner, New Hampshire.

Paul Meisel’s warm and whimsical style is well known, both through his many years of editorial work for the New York Times and the numerous children’s books he has illustrated, including How to Talk to Your Cat by Jean Craighead George. Paul Meisel spends his days drawing in his "clubhouse" in Connecticut, where he lives with his wife, three sons, and their "mascot," Rusty, a Brittany spaniel.

Gr. 2-4. Perky watercolor-and-ink art injects humor as well as color into the activities of the four members of the Crickets club, first introduced in the chapter book Cool Crazy Crickets (2000). Although the Crickets have a clubhouse, they have no dues and, therefore, no money. In this book, the members set out to earn cash, with each brief chapter about a different fund-raising endeavor: the kids baby-sit, pet-sit, and sell lemonade and cookies. Each member has a different idea for spending the hard-earned income--even Noodles, the club's canine mascot. But when the Crickets discover the neighborhood stray cat has taken ill and sought refuge in their clubhouse, they unanimously agree to use their money to pay for veterinary care. The camaraderie among the friends, the believable dialogue, and the rewarding enterprises are attractively presented in manageable chapters that invite youngsters to join in the fun. Ellen Mandel
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