Mr. King's Machine (Mr. King #3)
by Geneviève Côté (Author) Geneviève Côté (Illustrator)
When Mr. King the cat discovers that one of the pretty flowers near his home has been chewed by a caterpillar, he is NOT happy. He decides to build himself a Caterpillar-Catcher to track down the culprit who did it. "VOOM! VOOM! VOOM!" But as he speeds up and down the hillsides, Mr. King doesn't notice that the Caterpillar-Catcher is spewing nasty smoke into the air and knocking down the other pretty flowers in his path. Now it's his animal friends who are NOT happy. They explain to Mr. King that his machine is making things worse, not better. And why chase a caterpillar anyway? Caterpillars turn into butterflies, and butterflies help the flowers to grow! Will Mr. King be able to turn things around so everyone will be happy again?
This is the third book in Geneviève Côté's wonderful picture book series about a crown-wearing cat who always needs a little help from his friends to learn important environmental lessons. With bright and colorful illustrations, this engaging, charming book makes an entertaining read-aloud. This story shows that, as in the real world, there can be unintended consequences to well-meaning actions, and it provides a starting point for discussions on the interdependency of all things in nature. It might also prompt a conversation about how creativity can inspire us to make our community a nicer place --- maybe even sparking a classroom flower-seed-planting project. This is also a sweet lesson on how friends can help us to better understand ourselves and our world.
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School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 2--The impetuous cat in a crown hat is back in Cote's third "Mr. King" book. Previous episodes have taught him to stop dumping his unwanted things in the water and not to build a bigger home with materials that deplete the land. Now he's polluting the air and tearing up the ground, all because a caterpillar has chewed a flower. His animal friends pursue him, but he can't hear them over the noise of his new machine. Only after he catches the distressed, perspiring caterpillar does he stop, look, and listen: "'KUF! KUF! Didn't you notice the smoke your machine was spitting out?' asks Old Jim Elk. 'Or the flowers you trampled?' complains Harriet. 'Why chase that caterpillar anyway?' asks P.J. 'It will become a butterfly one day!' 'And did you know that butterflies help flowers grow when they fly from plant to plant?' adds Tex." The clever and inventive Mr. King converts his creation into something that even a caterpillar can appreciate. The story is told with engaging simplicity, and the sound effects of Mr. King's Caterpillar-Catcher ("VROOM! VROOM!") will make it irresistible to read aloud. The mixed-media illustrations are, as in all of Cote's works, childlike, vivid, and immensely likable. VERDICT Add this title to any collection looking for books on community, cooperation, and the environment.--Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NY
Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
Geneviève Côté is a Montreal artist whose illustrations have graced the pages of publications such as the New York Times and the Boston Globe. Her books have received three nominations for the Governor General's Award for Illustration, one of which went on to win, and she has also won the Elisabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award.
JUV002050 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Cats
JUV029010 - Juvenile Fiction | Nature & the Natural World | Environment
Environmental protection
Machinery
Caterpillars
Green movement
