(3) K-3 Illustrated by Henri Sørensen. Unappreciated aging farm donkey Ol' Bloo sets his sights on a singing career in New Orleans. En route, he meets three equally tone-deaf animal friends, and together they inadvertently thwart some thieving humans. In this "Bremen Town Musicians" retelling, Huling goes whole hog with her Southern-flavored narration and dialogue ("Why, I'll be a batter-fried wing-ding"), tempered by Sørensen's subdued oil paintings.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Phil Huling. The basic plot follows Perrault's; however, the Hulings' retelling is set in Texas and is filled with country expressions spoken with a Southwestern twang. The sleek illustrations give Puss and the other characters a long, lean look. Cheekily reminiscent of Thomas Hart Benton (and once with a wink at Manet), the sophisticated art is an effective counterpoint to the down-home storytelling.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2002