Book Review: Puffy and the Formidable Foe by Marie G Lepkowski

Puffy and the Formidable Foe

Author: Marie G Lepkowski

Genre: Children’s book

Publishers: Xlibris

Plot Summary:

‘Puffy and the Formidable Foe’ is a children’s book that narrates the story of a kitten called Puffy, who is not only curious but also adventurous. But his encounter with a smelly kitty leaves him marked for life, for he decides to stay in the vicinity of the house and be safe and sound. The story leaves a lot of scope for testing the cognitive skills of the children by asking them various questions related to the actions of the kitten.

Area A: Text

The text has been organized in simple sentences. ‘Rhyming Words’ has been chosen as the literary tool and it will definitely cater to the interest of the little children. The way Puffy has been described will compel the children to form an image in their minds and relate to the story better. Each page ends on a ‘curious’ note and the child will be tempted to read further. The author has ensured that the rhyming words are placed at such junctures that when they are read aloud, they will register in the young bright minds.

The target audience is young children aged between 3-4 years who have well developed auditory senses but take their time to work on their spoken skills. The rhyming words will catch their attention and help them remember. The vocabulary is simple and elementary.

With bigger font and a lot of white spaces utilized by illustrations, the book will be likeable by the children.

Area B: Illustrations

The cover of the book neatly presents the main conflict of the plot. The illustrations (in broad strokes) strike the right chord and will be liked by the children. The primary medium used in illustrations is rough sketching.

Area C: Characterization

The main character of the story is Puffy and the most dominant trait that can be identified is his curiosity. The central idea and the conflict of the story- the anxiety of Puffy to go out and explore the world- will be relatable. This short story explores the struggles of a young kitten and leaves behind an important lesson of life that will be imbibed by the children.

Verdict:

I would give 3 out of 4 stars to the book because of the witty writing style of the author. However, I felt the illustrations could have been better. I also wished the story was a little longer filled with some more twists and turns.