From School Library Journal
Gr 1-3-This quirky, often bizarre story collection follows the lives of kids who live on Cattywampus Street, described as "long and twisty, way out in the middle of Nowheresville." It is home to a diverse cast of kids who experience a mix of silly, scary, weird, and magical events. The short stories often speak directly to readers and focus on one Cattywampus resident at a time: Lindalee, a mean girl who tries to be nice, only to be rejected by everyone until she decides to be mean again; Hans, dressed in a robot t-shirt and pink hair bow, who eats waffle after waffle made by a creature pretending to be his "mommy" who then eats him and promptly throws him up; and Charlotta, who gets pulled into her beloved dollhouse and lives happily ever after. The stories are reminiscent of those by Roald Dahl and even Edward Gorey, but lack the originality and consistent humor of those authors. The plot of each story veers from peculiar to genuinely creepy and nonsensical, almost as if a child is dictating them. The magical mayhem of Cattywampus Street, particularly the narrator's tendency to engage the reader, will appeal to some, but the collection as a whole remains marred by its uneven tone. VERDICT A secondary purchase for larger library collections where droll, curious fiction is in demand.-Kristy Pasquariello, Westwood P.L., MAα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review
“As I read this book, I felt so happy, sad, frightened, and confused that I wondered if I’d lost my mind. As we know, this is a sign of an extraordinary book.” —Lemony Snicket, author of A Series of Unfortunate Events
“If you are looking for stories that are odd or mysterious or happy or sad or just plain weird, you should get over to Cattywampus Street. Right now!” —Jon Scieszka, author of the Time Warp Trio books
“You won't know what's coming at you in these stories, but you will know that you’re with a master storyteller who is going to take you on a remarkable ride—so hold on tight!” —Gary D. Schmidt, author of Newbery Honor Book The Wednesday Wars
“The kids who live on Cattywampus Street are just the kinds of kids I want for neighbors—full of whimsy and magical wishes and frogs and monkeys. These stories make me feel like anything is possible.” —Kathi Appelt, Newbery Award–winning author of The Underneath
“Welcome to Cattywampus Street—a plum collection of stories for readers who love the magic and mystery of a town just around the corner from your imagination.” —Jack Gantos, author of Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key
“These surprising, silly, sometimes spooky stories are magical, inclusive, and always, always funny. Read them aloud. Jahn-Clough knows how the hearts of children beat.” —Emily Jenkins, author of Toys Go Out and Harry Versus the First One Hundred Days of School
“This quirky, often bizarre story collection follows the lives of kids who live on Cattywampus Street, described as “long and twisty, way out in the middle of Nowheresville.” It is home to a diverse cast of kids who experience a mix of silly, scary, weird, and magical events.” —School Library Journal
About the Author
Natalie Andrewson is an artist from Charlotte, North Carolina, currently living in Los Angeles, California. She graduated Ringling College of Art and Design for Illustration in 2013 and She makes lots of different types of art like comics, editorial and book illustrations, band posters, advertising campaigns and visual development for animation. Her client list includes The New York Times, NPR, Simon & Schuster, Penguin Random House, First Second, Disney, Dreamworks and Bento Box. She loves to draw vibrant, dream-like scenes and enjoys making fantasy-inspired Risograph prints and comics in her spare time.
