Product Description

Introducing the charming and lovable Elomenopeo--no ordinary cat. Elomenopeo has a strict daily routine. First he goes outside to play in the garden and to wistfully observe the flying birds, then he curls up for a nap and his favorite dream.

But one morning his schedule is completely thrown off. His cat door is closed for repairs, leaving the adventuresome Elomenopeo trapped inside. Bored, he prowls from room to room, until he spots an easel and a box of paints. Suddenly he is struck with an idea, and he dons a smock and begins to paint. Elomenopeo paints his favorite dream, which transcends reality and joins the world of birds.

In this whimsical story, illustrated with fresh colorful paintings, an irrepressible little cat soars as high as his dreams. Young children will relate to Elomenopeo's security in his scheduled day, his dismay at being stuck inside, and the way he uses his imagination as a means of escape.

Harriet Ziefert has written many popular books for children, including her latest, I Swapped My Dog. She divides her time between Maplewood, New Jersey, and Lincoln, Massachusetts.

David Saaf, a graduate of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, has illustrated several books for children. He lives with his wife and son in Bellow Falls, Vermont.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1439639 in Books
• Published on: 1998-09-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 1-Elemenopeo (L-M-N-O-P-O) is no ordinary house cat. This pet enjoys bagels with lox and cream cheese for breakfast, playing hide-and-seek with the birds (Elemenopeo is dismayed when they fly away and tries to reassure them it is only a game), and being with other feline friends. One day, when the cat can't go outside, it finds an easel and paints a large self-portrait with the addition of wings, then curls up and dreams of flying adventures. This is an innocuous story, illustrated with full-page childlike paintings of the small black-and-white animal and its escapades. There are many livelier cat stories to engage a child's imagination; this one is strictly additional.
Sally R. Dow, Ossining Public Library, NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Ages 4^-8. Elemenopeo is the name of a cat--and a perfect name it is. It happily reflects the sensibility of many a preschooler who has thought that "L-M-N-O-P" was one long, glorious word found smack in the middle of the alphabet. And this black-and-white cat bears the name well, as it is a rather unusual cat. Oh, it pursues the typical cat diversions--bird-watching, gamboling with a cat friend, and napping--but this cat has an artistic bent. Feeling a bit constrained because the cat door is closed (apparently for repairs), Elemenopeo decides to paint a picture--a self-portrait of a black-and-white feline with wings: "Portrait of an Artist as a Young Bird." A tired little cat, Elemenopeo then curls up (where else but in the paint box?) to dream of flying. Saaf's own paint pots were filled with splendid colors that he transferred to the pages, and his naive-style pictures perfectly suit Ziefert's whimsical tale. Shelley Townsend-Hudson

Review
"Elemenopeo is the name of a cat - and a perfect name it is. It happily reflects the sensibility of many a preschooler who has thought that 'L-M-N-O-P' was one long, glorious word found smack in the middle of the alphabet. And this black-and-white cat bears the name well, as it is a rather unusual cat. Oh, it pursues the typical cat diversions - bird-watching, gamboling with a cat friend, and napping - but this cat has an artistic bent. . . . Saaf's own painting pots were filled with splendid colors that he transferred to the pages, and his naive-style pictures perfectly suit Ziefert's whimsical tale." (Booklist, ALA )

"Meet Elomenopeo, a chubby black-and-white cat who takes pride in being able to come and go as he pleases, but discovers a hidden talent when his cat door is closed for repairs. Forced to roam indoors he comes upon a box of paints and a blank easel and - voila! - 'Portrait of the Artist as a Young Bird.' Time for a nap, and a soaring dream. Saaf lays out Elemenopeo's world with thickly brushed gouaches, surrounding his self-satisfied feline with birds to tease and other comforts. . . . [This] cat displays a promising imagination, and young readers, whatever their artistic proclivities, will enjoy making his acquaintance." (Kirkus Reviews )

Customer Reviews

Elemenopeo PLEASE!
Love this book at our house! We found it at the library and our young daughter had a hard time bringing it back. Thanks to a gift, this book is in our permanent collection now! Elemenopeo is a great book about a sweet cat who is very set in her ways. When her daily routine is interrrupted, she has to get very creative! It's fun for the kids and fun to read out loud!

Wonderful Short Story
It's a short story about a cat who gets trapped inside for a day and decides to paint a picture. Yes, its simple, but its also magical. The illustrations are original, bright and fun to look at. My three children love it!

I'd ignore the Horn Book review. A pointless story? Only for those who believe simple things are pointless. Some people still find simple things beautiful.

Sort of like a Seinfeld episode . . .
Elemenopeo isn't my favorite children's book, but it's in the top twenty. I'm kind of surprised by the lukewarm reviews this book has received. While no one seems to hate this book, it is consistently faulted for being fluffy or boring or bland. While I can't completely disagree with any of those adjectives, I don't see it as a problem. In fact, the gentle simplicity of this story is what I like best about it.

My kids(2-7)love this book - I think because it seems so authentic to them. Elemenopeo is a regular cat and that forms the basis of this story. Cats are usually pretty set in their ways, but they will risk an occasional - very careful - adventure if they're sure it won't put them in an undignified situation or get their fur wet. Cats also feel that they are entitled to their own set of eccentric whims, such as eating bagels and lox for breakfast every morning. Like Seinfeld was a sitcom about nothing, and this cat story is just the same. My older kids know that cats hate adventures, so this 'boring' story about a cat who has a wonderful day doing very little makes sense to them. I wouldn't say that it's necessary to be a cat person in order to enjoy this book, but it helps. Elemenopeo gets a great deal of pleasure from the ordinariness of her day, and anyone can understand that. But I suspect that only people who really like cats will see that there is humor in this story. Even if this book really is boring (don't think sparse . . . think spare!), the wonderful illustrations make up for it. The paintings are vivid and colorful - lots of fun for kids and grownups to look at. BONUS: If you are familiar with modern painting you'll probably notice an uncanny resemblance between the pictures in the book and the art of Marc Chagall. I think that using "Serious Art" to tell such a simple story adds to its charm. -The kids don't get it, but it's fun to have a private joke with the illustrator.

At the very least, this is a great bedtime story. It's calm, involves sleeping and sweet dreams, and does not have any content that even remotely encourages kids to stay awake. My kids always seem pensive after we read this story - I think they're wondering what our cats do when we're not around. If you wish you enjoyed this book as much as I did, you might consider brushing up on your cat psychology. I recommend "Three stories to read to your cat." This will open a window into how cats think.