HOUNDSLEY AND CATINA

Narrator Peter Pamela Rose does everything to enhance this gentle story. In three chapters, best friends Houndsley the dog and Catina the cat learn about being true to themselves and supportive of each other. Rose draws listeners into the story with an easy, steady pace that’s ideal for early readers who are following along. Her Catina is appropriately perky and outgoing. Houndsley’s voice is indeed “soft as a rose petal.” Houndsley’s neighbor, Bert, sounds just as one assumes a goose might. With background music and sound effects—pages rustling as Catina writes her book, pots bubbling while Houndsley makes his three-bean chili—and sweet, clever illustrations, the whole package is a serene treat. J.M.D. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2009]