The Great Poochini

Rating:
Summary: The Great Poochini
Review: A delightful anthropomorphic 'tail' about a cultured mutt who has a night job as an opera star. Gary Clement's art as well as text is sublimely punny. I enjoyed it so much that I read it to my cat, Blackie, (age 12) who was all ears. Don't miss the opening night of THE GREAT POOCHINI.

Rating:
Summary: The Great Poochini
Review: A delightful anthropomorphic 'tail' about a cultured mutt who has a night job as an opera star. Gary Clement's art as well as text is sublimely punny. I enjoyed it so much that I read it to my cat, Blackie, (age 12) who was all ears. Don't miss the opening night of THE GREAT POOCHINI.

Rating:
Summary: Opera goes to the dogs in wonderful children's book!
Review: By day, Jack is an ordinary dog who lives with a human opera fan named Hersh, and he does ordinary dog things like burying bones, chasing cats, and fetching frisbees. But by night he jumps out the window to become The Great Poochini, the biggest star of the secret world of dog opera and the finest canine lyric tenor in the world -"handsome, housebroken, and hounded by throngs of adoring fans", he can sing high Cs that only dogs can hear. Unfortunately, on the night he is to sing the premiere of "Dog Giovanni" at the Muttropolitan Opera House, disaster strikes - not only does Hersh leave for the weekend and shut the window (Poochini's only escape route), but the house is invaded by a cat burglar! Will Poochini be able to foil this criminal and make it to the opera house in time for the performance?

Kids should get a real kick out of this book - which provides not only a dashing and clever canine hero, but also will probably either spark or add to their interest in opera. Not to mention that adult opera fans (and dog lovers!) will be delighted by the canine operatic puns. In addition to those I've already mentioned, there is also a conductor named Maestro Pawvarotti and a singer named Madam Barkoli - she and Poochini sing not "La ci darem la mano" (Put your hand in mine) but "La ci darem la zampa" (Put your PAW in mine)! Hopefully opera-loving parents will, if necessary, explain the puns to younger readers.

My only complaint is an extremely minor and picky one on the operatic front. Since in the human world Don Giovanni is always sung by a baritone or a bass, Poochini should have had one of those voice ranges, not tenor. I admit this probably won't matter to most readers and after all, it IS almost always the tenors who are the biggest stars!

Gary Clement, an editorial cartoonist for Canada's National Post, not only wrote the story but also provided the marvelous illustrations. He perfectly captures not only the secret dog "high society" world, but also lavishes loving detail on the operatic paraphenalia in Hersh's and Poochini's house. He also created wonderful operatic posters for the book's inside covers for works such as "The Dalmatian of Faust" and "The Barker of Seville".

I am in favor of any thoughtful and well-done book or CD for kids that will get them interested in classical music or opera, and using lovable animals is a very good way to do so. 'The Great Poochini' is one of the most fun books of this type I have ever read. Also, for those who love cats as well as - or instead of - dogs, I also highly recommend "Opera Cat" by Tess Weaver, illustrated by Andrea Wesson.