Hondo
and Fabian by PeterMcCarty. (2002) is a day in the life of a dog and a cat. Peter McCarty’s illustrations are
soft, translucent images in a range of beige. Maybe we’re seeing the difference between a dog and a cat at
play. Hondo goes to the beach and runs around in the ocean waves with another
dog. The cat stays home and as playmate for a toddler. Fabian’s idea of fun is
to unroll the toilet paper. I never knew you could create such a simple picture
book. Yet, it earned a Caldecott Honor. I don’t really understand this book
except to say that a young child might love it. There is no rising action, no
conflict, no resolution. It’s a slice of life.
