The Five Lives of Our Cat Zook

March 15, 2012
All cats have nine lives, especially those with 26 toes, right? That's what 10-year-old Oona tells her 5-year-old brother about their rescued cat. They found Zook, named for fried zucchini, in the alley behind their apartment. Zook becomes the pivot for the plot when his kidneys fail and he needs daily infusions. Enter Dylan, a guitar-playing nurse, charms Oona's single mother and brother Fred, but Oona is convinced he's the VILLAIN who shot Zook with BBs several years ago. Oona has a penchant for telling whoppers, like her dead father, but hers are colored-coded (blue, black, red, white and yellow) depending on need and purpose. In her engaging narration, she capitalizes important words, teaches Fred to read with rebuses and tells him stories (again, like her father) about Zook's previous lives. With THEORIES to fit all circumstances, Oona's character is a combination of Harriet the Spy in curiosity and Anastasia in spunk. As in Rocklin's previous One Day and One Amazing Morning on Orange Street (2011), the spirit of a diverse and multicultural community plays a key role. In an achingly honest resolution, Oona recognizes that, unlike stories, real life has both unhappy and happy endings. Another emotionally satisfying outing from Rocklin; hanky recommended. (Fiction. 8-12)

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April 1, 2012

Gr 3-6-Oona is a 10-year-old who has big responsibilities and, according to her grandmother, chutzpah. When her cat, Zook (short for Zucchini), becomes ill, she must find a way to stay positive for her younger brother, Freddy. Since everyone knows that cats have nine lives, she creates several tall tales and "whoppers" about the feline's past five lives to entertain him and keep his worries at bay. Her love of storytelling was inspired by her father, who died two years earlier. Her mother begins to fall in love with a neighbor named Dylan; Oona has secretly nicknamed him "the Villain" because she's convinced that he was Zook's previous owner and that he abused the animal. How long can she avoid the truth about Zook's fate and about Dylan? This heartwarming family tale is filled with resilient and thoughtful characters who are willing to learn from their mistakes. Readers who enjoy the novels of Jeanne Birdsall and Leslie Crunch will appreciate this charming story.-Stephanie M. Rivera, Washington DC Public Library

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from March 15, 2012
Grades 3-6 *Starred Review* At 10 years old, Oona Armstrong has, and clearly enjoys, many responsibilities: she cares for Fred, her five-year-old brother, when their mom is at work; she helps the local pizza place advertise to passersby; she preserves memories for both herself and Fred, including those of their dead father and also of the day they found their cat, Zook. In Oona's strong and realistic presentation of current events, we learn details of the past that bring Oona's present concerns into compelling focus. Just as important, we learn about her idiosyncratic, but satisfying, theories on fibbing, story construction, and even child rearing. When Zook becomes critically ill, Oona keeps Fred from worrying by telling him he's only used five of his nine lives, and then invents stories about Zook's previous lives. Rocklin's characters are fully developed: readers will be invested in the interactions between Oona and her mother; Fred and their mother's new boyfriend; and even the veterinarian intern and Zook. Readers are also treated to a refreshingly authentic child's view of the diverse city of Oakland. The only imperfection in this novel is that it ends. Fortunately, an appendix provides us with Oona's eight-step theory for storymaking, including, A story doesn't have to be true, but it does have to be real. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

May 1, 2012
Oona did not acquire the family cat Zook (short for Zucchini) in the most respectable of ways. By hiding his collar, she liberated the animal, skinny and with a BB pellet in his side, from an owner she suspected of neglect. Since that time two-and-a-half years ago, Oona's father has died, and now Zook is sick. To comfort her little brother, Oona, channeling their dad, "the Great Rebus-Maker and Whopper-Teller," comes up with stories about Zook's previous lives. The siblings' own lives are also changing, as their mother has started dating Dylan, a.k.a. The Villain, original owner (Oona thinks) of Zook. Just as she did in One Day and One Amazing Morning on Orange Street (rev. 7/11), Rocklin intertwines her characters so smartly that the many coincidences and serendipitous events feel organic to the story. This time the setting is Oakland, California, where, in Oona's close-knit, "multi-culti" neighborhood, the local pizza joint acts as the kids' afterschool hangout and block parties double as family reunions. It's not all urban gardens and sunshine, though; Oona's friend starts acting distant; her mother is underemployed; and her father's absence weighs heavily on everyone's hearts. Plus, Zook's failing health leaves Oona, her mother, and brother to make painful decisions about his care. The story's ending -- bittersweet, inevitable, and true -- offers much-needed catharsis for the family and for anyone who has ever loved a pet. elissa gershowitz

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2012
Oona's father has died, and now her cat Zook is sick. To comfort her little brother, Oona comes up with stories about Zook's previous lives. Rocklin intertwines her characters so smartly that the book's many coincidences and serendipitous events feel organic to the story. The ending--bittersweet, inevitable, and true--offers much-needed catharsis for the family and for anyone who has ever loved a pet.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)