Cougar Cub Tales: The Sneezy Wheezy Day written and illustrated by Sharon Cramer is the tale of two sibling cougar cubs, one of which catches a cold. They visit various animals in search of cure. Eventually, it is rest and love from the sister cougar that gives the brother relief.
Brother Cougar Cub is ill. With the help of sister, they seek the advice of their well intentioned forest friends. The Grizzly Old Bear tells him, The reason you re warm is you have too much hair. Best if you trim it as short as you dare. But, could it be that SISTER finally discovers the best remedy? The Sneezy Wheezy Day is a wonderful tale that will delight and challenge your child, but it is the paintings that will capture you and your young readers! Make sure to have your child search for the small, hidden creature on each page!
Personally, I dislike the illustrations. The cougars look nothing like cougars, which really annoys me. The other forest animals are better drawn, but I also fear the message of this book is a bit off. I don’t know if the text is making fun of home remedies for colds and the flu through the animals silly suggestions or just trying to be entertaining. Perhaps the silly remedies would get a chuckle from children, but a sentence or two by the sister about how silly each suggestion is might drive the point home a little better.
This may be a good book to read to your child when they are not feeling well, but as you can tell, I am not enamored with it. Besides, we were sent a copy that had editing marks all over it which was also odd. It was like getting a book with the teacher’s red marks all over it. Perhaps that jaded my review 🙂
Would I buy this book? No. I don’t like the illustrations. They bothered me so much I think I couldn’t really listen to the story, and there is nothing green about it. Perhaps if the message would have included some information about hand washing, eating well, resting, herbs, etc. to include natural health, I might have been more inclined to like it.
Disclosure: The products described above were sent to us as free samples. Prior assurances as to the nature of the reviews, whether positive or negative, were not given. No financial payments were accepted in exchange for the reviews. The reviews reflect our honest, authentic opinions.
I am so sorry you disliked the book so much! When my twin sister died, I wanted to write a book about negotiating childhood illness, in a more lighthearted way. I watched Vonnie negotiate her childhood illness, the treatments, transplants, pumps, meds, etc. What so strongly hit me in the end, when she died, was what had mattered most to her was not the treatments so much (although they we all fine and good) but the people who sat by her bed, holding her hand! The copy you probably received was likely an advance copy galley with errata penned in. They are unfinished, uncorrected copies, but sometimes errata are included or penned in, for the reviewers benefit. The finished book was not released until the first week of January. I will make certain to contact the PR company and confirm that they won’t send you any more of this series. I’m so very sorry it fell so short for you. Curiously, the paintings (which are watercolors) have gotten outstanding reviews! Happy future reading, sincerely, Sharon
It is just my opinion. I am sure there are many that love the books!
Weird, green child magazine loved it…maybe, besides the totally AWESOME art, they liked the idea of home remedies and family love, and that they printed it in the US of A!
http://issuu.com/greenchild/docs/greenchildlatewinter/89#