Who could have guessed that I, fluffy Freddie, would engineer the great escape for my newfound friend, Spike? Or that all we went through, to find our freedom, would be threatened when Tiger's evil master sets out to hunt us down? Or that we'd need the help of the Meanest Hound Around to protect our new friends?

Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal A story to melt the heart of the most reluctant reader, this tale features Freddie, an appealing canine narrator who tells of being loved by his boy, but abandoned by his boy's father. Wet, miserable, cold, and frightened, he comes upon a junkyard run by two bullies, one human and one canine. He befriends Spike, forced to be a watchdog there, helps him escape, and the two begin a series of encounters with hostile geese and ferocious coyotes before finding a happy home. The plot unfolds at a steady pace, and the ample dialogue lends immediacy to the story. Black-and-white illustrations, one or two per chapter, capture some of the canines' terrifying adventures and the tale's joyful resolution. For early readers who like animal stories, this one is a good choice. Cynde Suite, formerly at Horry County Memorial Library, Surfside Beach, SC Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Bub Moose by Carol Wallace, Bill Wallace, John Steven Gurney (Illustrator) Reading level: Ages 9-12 Paperback - 128 pages (August 2001) Minstrel Books;

ISBN: 0743406370

You think it's easy being a moose?

Think again! Even though I'm big, I'm just a baby. I love my mother and my friends. Like Dudley, the beaver, who named me. And Snow, the little wolf, who loves to play tag. His family's another matter. What really scares me is people. Mother said they're the most dangerous creatures in the forest. I certainly didn't want to meet them....

Snow and I are young, so naturally we're curious. One day we were playing tag...and ran into a schoolyard by mistake! (Okay... we didn't run -- we fell!) Right smack in the middle of all these strange animals, weird buildings, and terrifying machines. Yoweeee! Did we ever learn a lesson there.

Chomps, Flea, and The Gray Cat (That's Me) by Carol Wallace, Bill Wallace, John Steven Gurney (Illustrator) Reading level: Ages 9-12   - 96 pages (October 2001) Minstrel Books; 

ISBN: 0671038311 

Paperback - (January 2001) ISBN: 0671038303

I need this puppy like I need more rats in the barn!

Jealous? Me?

Well...maybe a little. My people got a new white puppy named Chomps. That's because he bites at everything, especially flies. What could a gray cat -- me -- want with a Scottish terrier, anyway? The little nipper got into some trouble with the big rats in the barn. It was partly my fault. So...I had to save him. Problem is, now I can't get rid of him. What am I supposed to do with a dog who's determined to get himself into trouble?

When my mockingbird pal, Flea, came home for the spring, I thought she could help me train the little furball. But all she wants to do is build her nest. Chomps needs to learn how to hunt. But how can I teach a dumb dog that an opossum is not a rat, and a skunk is not a kitty? Even worse, how can I keep him from turning Mama's fancy new car into a muddy mess? Nothing but trouble. I just thought I knew what trouble was. But now Mama is in danger...This is serious. Talk about trouble...

Upchuck and the Rotten Willy : Running Wild by Bill Wallace, John Steven Giemey (Illustrator) Reading level: Ages 9-12 Hardcover - 112 pages (October 3, 2000) Minstrel Books;

ISBN: 0743400267
Paperback ISBN: 0743400275 

BASEBALL FEVER!

It's not so bad living a dog's life. Unless you're a cat.

Most times, hanging out with Rotten Willy (the huge dog on the cover) was cool. We played chase, talked, and chowed down on spaghetti and meatballs at Luigi's restaurant. Even though he was a dog (and sometimes called me Upchuck instead of Chuck), I could handle it. He was my best friend.

Then this baseball stuff started and Willy went bonkers. I never saw him act so crazy. On top of that, these two new cats moved into our neighborhood. Trouble was, tough-guy Roscoe and his cute fuzzy sister, Rikki, did not like dogs.

Dogs belong with dogs and cats belong with cats, they said.

I was showing them the sights when I suddenly spied the dogcatcher, just waiting to trap Willy as he raced across the field with a baseball in his mouth. But Roscoe and Rikki would never understand if they found out my best friend was a dog. How could I save Willy before it was too late? What's a cat to do when he has to choose between old friends and new -- and there's no time to lose...

Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal  Chuck, a cat, and Willy, a rottweiler, make a return appearance. Here, Chuck, aka Upchuck, finds himself torn between Willy and the two new cats that just moved into town. Chuck's new feline friends do not like dogs and do not want to befriend a cat that hangs out with them. Chuck has a crisis of character but ultimately decides to remain friends with Willy, who is loyal and not judgmental. In the end, things work out for these unlikely companions. Some baseball action is included. This story enforces the dangers and circumstances of prejudices and biases. It will find an audience among fans of the first two "Upchuck" books.-Barb Lawler, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Night Before Christmas [ABRIDGED] by Clement Clarke Moore, John Steven Gurney (Illustrator), James Marshall (Illustrator) Reading level: Ages 4-8
Paperback (October 1995) Scholastic Trade;
ISBN: 059042758X

The cherished classic is brilliantly illustrated in full-color, capturing all the magical enchantment and joyful good cheer of Saint Nick's annual visit. A timeless Christmas tradition for children of all ages.

Over the River and Through the Woods by John Steven Gurney (Illustrator) Reading level: Ages 4-8 Paperback (October 1992) Scholastic Trade;
ISBN: 0590452584

An illustrated version of the well-known text describing the joys of a Thanksgiving visit to grandmother's house.

The Hog Call to End All by Suann Kiser, John Steven Gurney (Illustrator)

ASIN: 0531086763

A hilarious and colorful visit to a Country Fair tells how Minvera, who hopes that her hog Tillie will win the blue ribbon, takes part in the Hog-Calling Contest, where her amazing call leads to a crazy and chaotic finale.

Editorial Reviews
From Horn Book Young Minerva enters the Hog Calling Contest at the County Fair, and her record-setting bellowing causes her pig, Tillie, to burst from the barn all the way at the other end of the fairgrounds and run hudding . . . and . . . snorting and gruntingin answer to the call. Animated, boldly colored oil paintings lend additional vigor to the amusing yarn. -- Copyright 1995 The Horn Book, Inc. All rights reserved.