Groucho's Eyebrows - by Tricia Brown (Paperback)

About the Book

Groucho's name is obvious to Kristie when she names her new kitten. He's as white as a cloud everywhere except for those two black smudges above his eyes. What other name could she have given him? Kristie and Groucho become fast friends and playmates, reading together, snuggling under the quilt, and playing hide-and-seek, tracking games in the snow of a far north winter. When Grouch wanders away one wintery day, Kristie must rely on her Alaskan outdoor skills and woodsy savvy to follow various animal tracks. Young readers join her in a search for those precious black eyebrows in a scary, snowy world full of moose, fox, and other creatures of the wild.

Book Synopsis

Groucho's name is obvious to Kristie when she names her new kitten. He's as white as a cloud everywhere except for those two black smudges above his eyes. What other name could she have given him? Kristie and Groucho become fast friends and playmates, reading together, snuggling under the quilt, and playing hide-and-seek, tracking games in the snow of a far north winter. When Grouch wanders away one wintery day, Kristie must rely on her Alaskan outdoor skills and woodsy savvy to follow various animal tracks. Young readers join her in a search for those precious black eyebrows in a scary, snowy world full of moose, fox, and other creatures of the wild.

From the Back Cover

Is Groucho, the kitten, lost in the Alaskan wilderness near her new home? Can Kristie find her young cat her family just added as the family pet? How can Kristie find a white cat in the deep snow in the woods?

Review Quotes

Brown takes readers to Alaska for a story of pigtailed Kristie and her cat pal, Groucho, so named for the black "eyebrow" markings on his white fur. From games of hide-and-seek (he's Nanook; she's the great Arctic tracker) to under-the-covers snuggles, the partnership develops until kitty escapes through the door during a package delivery. Kristie's calls carry escalating dread; she knows about potential predators and a "kitty that had stayed out too long on a wintry night." In the end, however, his distinctive eyebrows make the errant cat quite visible amid the snowdrifts. The story is a bit too long, but Lavallee's cozy paintings keep readers' interest from straying. The droll-looking cat, the child's colorful layers of outdoor wear, and the scary and sweet forest scenes give pleasure at every turn.

Cat sneaked into author's heart, book. Anyone who has ever been nutty about a feline companion knows how a cat can pad into a house one minute and creep into a heart the next. Alaska author, Tricia Brown's white cat with black marks above its eyes managed to climb into her career too. The former family pet, on which Brown based her new book children's book, "Groucho's Eyebrows" was a reject at an animal shelter in Fairbanks when Brown found her.

Groucho is a white cat with distinctive black eyebrows that make him look like Groucho Marx. Kristen and Groucho have fun together and are the best friends. One day Groucho get out of the house when her mother is signing for a package at the door and decides he will play Nanook with Kristen, except Kristen is still at school. When Kristen returns. her beloved cat is nowhere to be found, and although she calls and calls and eventually checks with all the neighbors, she ends up with a heavy heart worried about all the dangers that Groucho could encounter.... The illustrations are done in watercolor in the unmistakable style of Barbara Lavallee and enhance the text with their Northern appeal.

The heartwarming tale comes to a satisfying conclusion as the clever child focuses on her cat's distinctive feature. Based on a real snowy white cat named Groucho, the story is beautifully illustrated. Soft breezy watercolors spill across the pages and capture the loving emotions and wintry scenes.

About the Author

Tricia Brown is the author of several nonfiction books for adults, as well as the award-winning nonfiction childen's book "Children of the Midnight Sun. "She has also written "Patsy Ann of Alaska: The True Story of a Do""g "illustrated by James Fowler (2011)

Barbara Lavallee is a premier Alaskan artist whose best-selling books include "Mama, Do You Love Me? "and the Imagine Living Here series. Her original paintings and art prints are sold to Alaskan visitors who come from around the world.