The Kids of Cattywampus Street

May 17, 2021
In the vein of Louis Sachar’s Wayside School books, this nonsequential collection of strange and magical adventures devotes a chapter each to a variously inclusive group of 11 children who live on Cattywampus Street. Addressing the reader directly, the narrator tells the stories of “mystery kid” Bob, who lives in a “box on the other side of the tracks” and undergoes a surprising transformation; “downright mean machine” Lindalee, whose friends don’t recognize her when her disposition improves; and Charlotta, whose desire for a dollhouse her family can’t afford leads to uncanny changes in their domestic arrangements. Links between the chapters are often tenuous, but some connections reveal surprises as they unfold, and the dusty Waddlebee Toy Store, positioned at the end of the street’s paved portion, figures prominently as an intriguing nexus of both creepiness and delight. Art by Andrewson (The Nutcracker and the Mouse King), which includes a map of the “twisted and rambling” street, has verve reminiscent of Benjamin Chaud illustrations. Jahn-Clough’s (Petal and Poppy) first foray into middle grade, which is sometimes tonally uneven, offers a range of modes—“odd or mysterious, silly or scary, happy or even sad”—to suit any mood. Ages 7–10. Illustrator’s agent: Jen Linnan, Linnan
Literary.

May 15, 2021
On winding, twisting Cattywampus Street, anything can happen, and magic is in the air. The diverse children who live on and around the street are constantly getting in and out of scrapes. Rodney, a White-presenting child with two mothers, makes a pet out of a rock that just might return his affection. Jamal, who appears Black, saves his money to buy a magical ball with a star on it. Charlotta, a White girl, conjures a dollhouse big enough for her whole family to live in simply through the power of her wishes. A homeless, apparently orphaned boy named Bob finds a family when he turns into a frog (he is never depicted in human form), and a hungry White boy named Hans is tricked by an evil stranger posing as his mother who feeds him so many waffles that he turns into one. "A Very, Very, Very Sad Story" lives up to its title when Asian-presenting Evelyn's entire family dies on the same day (fortunately, it is only temporary). In their strongest moments, these short stories are whimsical and surprising, with twist endings that are sometimes silly, sometimes spooky, and sometimes both. Throughout, the author addresses readers directly. At times, the intimacy of this voice makes the tales feel even more enjoyable. Unfortunately, more often, the asides break the flow of the stories, interrupting the magic of the well-rendered world. An uneven story collection about kids with big imaginations. (Fiction. 7-10)

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August 1, 2021

Gr 1-3-This quirky, often bizarre story collection follows the lives of kids who live on Cattywampus Street, described as "long and twisty, way out in the middle of Nowheresville." It is home to a diverse cast of kids who experience a mix of silly, scary, weird, and magical events. The short stories often speak directly to readers and focus on one Cattywampus resident at a time: Lindalee, a mean girl who tries to be nice, only to be rejected by everyone until she decides to be mean again; Hans, dressed in a robot t-shirt and pink hair bow, who eats waffle after waffle made by a creature pretending to be his "mommy" who then eats him and promptly throws him up; and Charlotta, who gets pulled into her beloved dollhouse and lives happily ever after. The stories are reminiscent of those by Roald Dahl and even Edward Gorey, but lack the originality and consistent humor of those authors. The plot of each story veers from peculiar to genuinely creepy and nonsensical, almost as if a child is dictating them. The magical mayhem of Cattywampus Street, particularly the narrator's tendency to engage the reader, will appeal to some, but the collection as a whole remains marred by its uneven tone. VERDICT A secondary purchase for larger library collections where droll, curious fiction is in demand.-Kristy Pasquariello, Westwood P.L., MA

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