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The Bookstore Valentine

Name: The Bookstore Valentine
Author: Barbara Maitland
ISBN: 9780142301876

by Barbara Maitland, David Larochelle

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Overview

Valentine's Day is coming, and Mr. Brown's bookstore is so busy that he decides to hire someone to help out. Miss Button is perfect for the job. She loves books, she loves cats, and she even understands the special ghost in Mr. Brown's bookstore. There's only one problem. Mr. Brown and Miss Button like one another, but they're both too shy to say so! Fortunately, Cobweb the cat is there to help make sure that everyone has a happy Valentine's Day in this charming follow-up to The Bookstore Ghost and The Bookstore Burglar.

Synopsis

Publishers Weekly

Cobweb the cat from The Bookstore Ghost, part of Dutton's Easy Reader series, orchestrates a love connection between Mr. Brown, the bookseller, and his new employee, Miss Button, in The Bookstore Valentine by Barbara Maitland, illus. by David LaRochelle.

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Editorials

Publishers Weekly

Children's Literature

What could be better than hearts and flowers? Another early-reader tale about Cobweb, a black cat who loves cheese, mice and her life with bookstore owner Mr. Brown. In The Bookstore Valentine, the third book in the series, Cobweb helps shy Mr. Brown deliver a dinner invitation to Miss Button, the store's new assistant. Author Barbara Maitland's trademark humor and clever plotting make this a perfect companion for youngsters learning to read—and an engaging lap book for little ones. David LaRochelle's expressive illustrations beg for a close look. They are full of those details (hidden mice, Mr. Brown's changing tie design) kids love to discover. 2002, Dutton,
— Mary Quattlebaum

School Library Journal

K-Gr 3-The Black Cat Bookstore and Cobweb the cat are back, this time with the feline in the role of matchmaker for the kind and portly owner, Mr. Brown (who has the most fabulous neckties). Valentine's Day is near and the bookstore is jumping (titles like My Boo-tiful Ghost and Spooktacular Love Stories fly off the shelves). Prim Miss Button, sporting a jaunty ghost pin, is hired to help out. She's perfect for the job in every way: she likes ghosts, books about ghosts, cheese, cats- and Mr. Brown (and he likes her, too), so Cobweb and the bookstore's rambunctious mice team up to bring the shy duo together. Fans of The Bookstore Ghost (1998) and The Bookstore Burglar (2001, both Dutton) are already wise to the antics of the mischievous mice who are responsible for "haunting" the bookstore. New readers will enjoy making this discovery as they spy the critters slyly nudging books off shelves. LaRochelle (who did not illustrate the previous two "Bookstore" titles) adds just the right note of whimsy to the four short chapters of simple text with bright, cheerful, cleverly detailed cartoon drawings. A winsome addition to beginning-reader collections.-Mary Ann Carcich, Mattituck-Laurel Public Library, Mattituck, NY Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

The characters from Bookstore Ghost (1998) and Bookstore Burglar (2001) return with a new character and a love story. Mr. Brown’s bookstore is a busy place, despite its rather limited selection of "only ghost books." It’s Valentine’s Day and Mr. Brown’s sale keeps things hopping—and things are already hopping, what with the ghost who lives in the store knocking books off the shelf already. When Miss Button knocks on the door in response to the "Help Wanted" sign, Mr. Brown gets all the help he needs and more. Mr. Brown and Miss Button are attracted to each other, but are too shy to act on their secret desires. Cobweb the cat and the ghost (who really is not a ghost at all, but a gang of helpful mice) move the budding romance along to make a perfect Valentine’s Day. Short chapters, large, colorful watercolor-and-ink illustrations, which provide ample visual cues to support the text, and a comforting plot, make this a fine book for new readers. Discerning readers will notice the store’s book titles and will have their tastes for puns and plays on words satisfied when they spy such famous books as BOO!, by R.U. Afraid, and Spooktacular Love Stories. (Easy reader. 5-8)