School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3The I Can Read series from HarperCollins has been a favorite of both parents and teachers for providing interesting content and controlled reading levels which make them ideal for beginning readers. This audiocassette version of Busby by Julia Hoban and read by the author sets a new standard of excellence for the series. Busby is a delightful young cat whose mother tells him that since he is a big kitten, he must go and find a job. His mother impresses upon him that he has three talents: he is clean, he is polite, and he is a good mouser. His first attempts to find a job are not successful; however, he finally becomes a busboy at a grand hotel. Despite his hard work, Busby fails as a busboy and is fired, but the guests of the hotel insist that he be retained, and Busby is elevated to doorman. Teachers and parents will appreciate the quiet humor, the way Hoban reads her story, and the nice sound effects. What really makes this book and cassette a favorite with all adults who work with children is the underlying theme of self-reliance and the need to take responsibility. Seldom is a moral presented in such an unobtrusive manner so that children will get the point without feeling that someone is preaching. This cassette package belongs in every school and public library.-Linda R. Skeele, Western Elementary School, Georgetown, KY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.