June 4, 2001
PW
called this tale of an adventuresome Nantucket cat "a visual treat Brett's fans shouldn't miss." Ages 4-8.
December 1, 1996
PreS-Gr 1-Comet, a white cat with orange markings, goes through eight of his nine lives in one of Brett's more playful offerings. Readers will enjoy anticipating how Comet will lose his next life: eating foxglove, having a shoe thrown at him by a famous actress, falling into a tuba-these are just a few of the humorous demises he suffers (and he always manages to look catlike, dignified, and somewhat surprised that any of these disasters should be happening to him). The Nantucket setting is lovingly shown and expertly woven into every picture. Elaborate borders are fashioned with shells, wildflowers, and fishing line; the island is populated by dogs, all quite realistic looking and all wearing human clothes. Attentive children will enjoy poring over these detailed pictures and will feel satisfied by the conclusion, which has been nicely foreshadowed throughout. Brett's many avid fans are sure to love this book.-Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
October 15, 1996
Ages 4^-8. Comet, a white cat with orange markings, lives on a Nantucket populated by dogs in humans' clothing. After losing the first of his nine lives by nibbling foxgloves, he decides to find a home, only to use up another seven lives during the search. Side panels give a preview of Comet's eventual home in a lighthouse, but the rather macabre concept, with Comet repeatedly biting the dust (for example, by falling into a tuba), gives the book an edgy feeling that will leave many readers--both adults and children--wondering just how long Comet will hang on as a lighthouse cat. As always, Brett captures the essence of her setting, painting seascapes, shells, flowers, and dozens of comically distinct dogs in a luscious and loving tribute to New England. ((Reviewed October 15, 1996))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1996, American Library Association.)
August 26, 1996
Brett (The Mitten; Armadillo Rodeo), a Massachusetts resident, stays close to home with this latest book, setting it on Nantucket. Capturing the island's rustic charm, her characteristically bustling, elaborately bordered art showcases weathered shingle buildings, a gray-blue sea and shell-sprinkled beaches. Comet, the protagonist, appears to be just about the sole feline in a Nantucket otherwise populated by nattily dressed canines. In search of a home--as well as adventure--the roaming cat meets with peril. Snoozing in a bookstore, he is buried under a pile of books; taking a ride on a scallop boat, he's swept overboard by a huge wave; visiting an ice cream shop, he falls headfirst into a milkshake. Though some of these scenarios have comic potential, all eight of them prove fatal to poor Comet, whose ghostlike, winged image is in each case seen fleeing the scene. Brett, of course, makes it all better in the end; observant readers will have noticed that Comet isn't the island's only cat: side panels throughout show another cat in obvious search of a companion. Though not the author/artist's most finely wrought story, the book delivers a visual treat her fans (and Nantucket admirers) shouldn't miss. Ages 4-8.