Bella Up, Up, and Away

Reviewed by: Deidre Walsh - Goodall Library, Sanford, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 2, 2016

Review

Bella is not your typical cat. She would rather go on adventures than take naps. Bella steps out of her lighthouse home ready to have another adventure. She meets another cat named Claude, who would rather nap the day away. Bella tries to get him excited about adventures. But Claude soon falls asleep in a life raft and drifts out to sea. Bella tries to save him by flying out to him as she holds on to a kite. But she falls in the ocean and soon is on the life raft with Claude. Finally a dolphin tows them back to shore. The two share a snack in the lighthouse. And now Claude could really use a nap. Bella has made a new friend, but she is not sure of him as a fellow adventurer. This seaside story about friendship is okay. But it is the illustrations that carry the book. They are simply lovely. They are clear, bright and happy. Blues dominate. You are immersed in the sea and the sky. There are also muted shades of green, tans and such. The illustrations were rendered digitally with mixed media, hand lettering and Photoshop. They are simply beautiful. The is a great deal of text here so it may be too long to use in a story time setting. But it would work for one on one sharing or small group settings. Important words stand out in large font and different colors. Purchase where stories about cats and/or the beach are popular.

Overall Book Score: very good