A VERY FUDDLES CHRISTMAS

In this second story about Fuddles the cat (Fuddles, 2011), he is accidentally locked out of the house on Christmas Eve, leading to a snowy adventure for the pampered feline.

In the self-centered manner of most cats, Fuddles thinks all the special Christmas decorations and preparations must be there just for him. There’s an unguarded table with a huge turkey, packages with interesting ribbons, and an enormous tree with lights and sparkly ornaments, just waiting for him to climb. After the Christmas tree topples to the ground, a befuddled Fuddles runs out the open door just as guests are entering. But Fuddles is clearly an indoor cat. Suddenly, he is in a frozen, white world, and he can’t get back into the house. He rambles around his yard, plowing through the snowdrifts, before finding his way back into the house by sliding down the chimney. Vischer, an animator for Disney, provides polished, computer-generated illustrations, showing off the cat’s comical, high-energy antics with effective use of display type and white space. He uses a satisfying array of perspectives, including a surprising, all-black spread of the cat sliding down the chimney that is laugh-out-loud funny.

Fuddles is quite a character, and kids (and adults) who love cats will love Fuddles too.