Tumford's Rude Noises

PreS–As in Tumford the Terrible (Feiwel & Friends, 2011), the appealingly mischievous cat is causing havoc. His human parents are about to host a party, and he has been making loud and rude noises all day long: beating his drum, slurping his food, burping, and generally trying to get attention. The final straw comes when the guests have arrived and Tumford makes a very rude noise and is banished to time-out. The text invites readers to tell Tumford that not all attention is good, and he reforms himself. The Stoutts reassure him that they love him in spite of everything and promise that he can sometimes be silly in private, so Tum “with a grin mostly sweet and sincere,/made a rude little noise into Georgy’s left ear.” Tillman’s illustrations are wonderful and her black-and-white cat perfection (in looks, not behavior). He looks like a real feline with sometimes human expressions. Readers cannot help but love him just as his parents do: “madly from whiskers to toes.” With its special message that even those who misbehave will still be loved, this book will surely entertain and reassure all the little Tumfords out there–cats and toddlers! Not to be missed.–Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA