cover image Wendell

Wendell

Eric Jon Nones. Farrar Straus Giroux, $13.95 (32pp) ISBN 978-0-374-38266-7

Whenever anything is missing or broken, Wendell the cat automatically is assumed to be responsible. One night, however, the house is taken over by an increasing number of invisible gremlins. Their shenanigans cause Wendell to be shut outside for the night. Only when a mouse scares the family do they finally recognize Wendell's assets as a rodent--and gremlin--remover. In his pictures, Nones underlines the contrasts between the drabness of the family, the fidelity of the cat and the mischievous sparkle of the gremlins. In dusty pastel tones, Nones's drawings recall the quintessential 1950s house: dinette set, funky wallpapers and an outmoded black-and-white TV set. And yes, there is even a pink flamingo in the yard. Ages 3-up. (Sept.)