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UNCLE FEDYA, HIS DOG, AND HIS CAT by Eduard Uspensky

UNCLE FEDYA, HIS DOG, AND HIS CAT

by Eduard Uspensky & translated by Michael Henry Heim & illustrated by Vladimir Shpitalnik

Pub Date: Nov. 1st, 1993
ISBN: 0-679-82064-7
Publisher: Knopf

In this Russian tale of separation and reunion, ``Uncle Fedya''—a boy ``who could read by the time he was four and make soup by the time he was six''—sets up housekeeping. Willfully deserting his parents' city apartment, he moves in with a talking cat and dog, a tractor that runs on soup, and a portable plug-in sun, while also attracting still more quirky animals and a recalcitrant postal carrier to his doorstep in rural Milkville. Meanwhile, his frantic parents follow every lead in their quest to find their missing boy. B&w illustrations in an old-fashioned European style provide frequent breaks throughout. Loaded with cockeyed problems, absurd solutions, and a deliciously deadpan delivery, a lively read-aloud for those considering fleeing family and home. (Folklore/Fiction. 5-9)