Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #429439 in Books
• Published on: 2006-03-08
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 32 pages

From Publishers Weekly
In this when-in-Rome story, a stray dog alters his canine ways to appease half-a-dozen grouchy cats. Widget, a scruffy Westie, wanders into a farmhouse where he finds "six cats, six warm beds, and six bowls of hot food." The well-fed cats glare at him. "I wish you could stay," says the grandmotherly caretaker, Mrs. Diggs. "But I'm afraid the girls just can't stand dogs." Widget utters a hopeful "Meow?" Thereafter, he adopts feline ways, until the inevitable emergency ("Mrs. Diggs... fell down. She didn't move") compels him to bark and save the day. The McFarlands, who imagined a teddy bear mimicking a bird in The Pirate's Parrot, once again depict an adaptable outsider. Widget's name aptly suggests an unspecific, versatile object. In Jim McFarland's pen-and-ink and watercolor wash illustrations, the ingratiating dog appears the same size as his adoptive sisters, with pointed ears and a scruffy, upraised tail; he even casts a cat-shaped shadow. This story line offers no surprises, but it gives a fond account of cross-species conciliation, and, at their best, the pictures of the hero attempting to adapt to his housemates' behavior hint at the sly wit of James Stevenson's artwork. Ages 3-6.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
reS-Widget is a stray dog-homeless, cold, wet, and hungry. He finds his way to a warm, cozy home but then has to exercise all his ingenuity to convince the six female felines in residence to accept him. With a light and humorous touch, text and illustrations charm readers as Widget charms the cats by pretending to be one of them. The funniest spreads are of Widget and "the girls" facing off all puffed up, then hissing and spitting. The pup quickly realizes that purring, playing, and even using the litter box is the ticket into this household. In the end, the cats accept him on his own terms-as a dog-since it is barking, not meowing, that saves the day after a mishap suffered by their human guardian, Mrs. Diggs. Illustrations, apparently watercolors, are detailed and realistic with cartoon touches that add to the humor, as when six pairs of cats' eyes are all turned toward Widget, whose own wide eyes are trained in turn on them. This is a preschool crowd pleaser, just right for storytime.

Dorian Chong, School of Library and Information Science, San Jose State University, CA

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
*Starred Review* Ages 3-6. Widget, a cold, hungry stray dog, ventures into Mrs. Diggs' house and hopes he's found a home. Unfortunately, as Mrs. Diggs says, "the girls just can't stand dogs." The girls, Mrs. Diggs' six cats, don't seem to like Widget at first sight. But when he meows, purrs, and uses the litter box, they start to accept him, and, after a few pages, he's having so much fun with the cats that he sometimes forgets he's a dog. One day, though, Mrs. Diggs falls and no amount of meowing and caterwauling can summon help. Widget begins to bark and the cats bark too, bringing the neighbors to help their friend. From the initially suspicious faces of the cats to later sights such as a cowering Widget and "the girls" treed by a Chihuahua, the ink-and-watercolor-wash illustrations bring out the book's humor. In an age of slick graphic sophistication, this is a fresh, unpretentious approach that speaks directly to children. With its short text, appealing art, and good old-fashioned story, this picture book will be a crowd pleaser in story times and a favorite of cat lovers and dog lovers alike. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

Meow?
By my estimates, there are roughly one million "just be yourself" picture books available on the market today. These range from Madonna's uber-hokey "The English Roses" to older and far more adept books like Leo Lionni's classic, "Swimmy". In the case of "Widget", author Lyn Rossiter McFarland and her illustrating husband Jim McFarland have taken a slightly different route. By using a story in which being true to one's own self (apologies to W. Shakespeare) is not only desirable but also necessary, they have written a truly sweet story. Cat and dog lovers alike should be pleased.

Widget is a small white dog and if I knew my dogs better I could probably tell you his breed. Possibly a terrier. A stray, he finds warmth and shelter in the home of one Mrs. Diggs. Unfortunately, Mrs. Diggs (having not yet reached "crazy cat lady" status, but certainly on her way there) owns six finicky felines that don't like dogs at all. Noting their disapproval, Widget sets out to show one and all that he can be just as cat-like as any of them. If they meow, he meows. If they puff up and hiss, he puffs up and hisses. In fact, Widget is so complete in his cat-like activities that he even purrs, plays with toy mice, and (I'm sure many dog lovers would kill for their pets to learn this one) uses the litter box. Stunned, the cats accept him and Widget eventually forgets that he's a dog at all. One day, however, Mrs. Diggs has an accident and Widget comes to the unarguable decision that sometimes being a dog is a very useful thing indeed.

Anyone familiar with that old Disney cartoon about "Lambert, the Sheepish Lion", in which a lion tries to pretend to be a sheep and ends up saving the flock from a wolf? This isn't exactly that story, but it's pretty darn close. The difference here, however, is the clever turn in events. When Widget decides that barking is the only way to get the neighbors attention (and help for his fallen mistress), the cats decide to bark too. This is a far more satisfying ending than one in which the dog, who has capitulated to the desires of his fellow pets, is alone in acting like his natural canine self. After pretending to be a cat for so long, it's only fair that the kitties should eventually follow his lead and become like a dog too (when necessity calls, that is). Lyn McFarland's text is nice and clear. It is fortunate, however, that her husband Jim McFarland is the illustrator. This tale could easily have been given to an artist less adept in the ways of cats and dogs. It could have become hokey or, worse still, sacchrine. Fortunately, you're in safe hands here. Widget is cute without being cloying. And the cats are disapproving without ever becoming nasty or cruel. McFarland's watercolors perfectly compliment a story in which an adorable animal finds shelter, love, and (eventual) acceptance. I was impressed with his delicate lines, his subtle gradations of colors, and even his ways of displaying the tenderest of emotions on a face of a faithful pet.

"Widget" really hasn't been recognized formally by the picture book community. As it stands, it has not won huge prestigious awards or garnered worldwide attention. Instead, it is a soft subtle little tale that makes everyone reading it happy. If you're a cat or dog lover, I can't imagine you wouldn't take to it. If, instead, you just want a well-written picture book to read to your kids, this is an ideal choice. It's a top notch book all around. Well done, McFarlands.

Good for a picture book.
Widget is just like other children's books but is one of my favorites. I like it because it has more words then most others. It also good because the author didn't use annoying rhymes. This book has good illustrations, too. For a children's book, I would say this is good.

Widget
I noticed this book in the bookstore because "Widget" is my son's nickname. I picked it up, read it, laughed out loud, said "Widget is going to love this" and immediately purchased it. It ended up becoming one of my son's ... favorite books. It is a very charming and funny book for both children and adults. It is also a good book to introduce children to the concept of accepting differences and getting along with others. I read this book to the kids at my son's school and they were totally entertained by Widget's antics acting like a cat and trying to fit in.