Synopsis: A calico cat, about to have kittens, is abandoned in the depths of the bayou. Desperate to find a home for her wee ones, she befriends a chained-up old hound. Ranger is happy for the company, but the hound warns her that she and her kittens must stay underneath the porch or his owner, Gar Face, will surely use them for alligator bait. Of course, how can one expect eager, playful kittens to stay out of the sun? One kitten's moment of curiosity leads to acts of extreme violence and hate, but also to ones of great, enduring love.
Review: When I was in the fourth grade, my teacher read aloud to the class Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. Except for the small one on her desk, she turned out all of the lights and allowed us to put our heads on our desks as she read the tale of a boy and his daring, beloved pups. The room was dark and peaceful and silent except for Rawls' words. The Underneath requires that same sort of peace and quiet. I could not read this book when my children were playing or when the T.V. was on. I found that both my surroundings and mind had to be settled in order to appreciate this mellifluous novel. This is a book that expects a lot of its readers. It makes me realize why Watership Down is generally shelved in adult fiction. Not all animal stories are children's stories, and I think The Underneath is not meant to be read by children so much as it is meant to be read to them. Do I want a child to be alone when reading about how Gar Face is so filled with rage even as a boy that he would fill his mother's birdbath with rat poison? Do I want a child to be alone when she reads how he shoots his own dog and can't be bothered to take the bullet out of the dog's leg? No I don't think I do. I want them to share the horror with another person so that it doesn't haunt them. I want them to see the reaction of someone else and know that this sort of fierce hate is wrong. I also don't want them to be alone when reading about a mother cat pushing her young son to swim to survive or when a hound saves his young feline friend by biting his vicious owner on the leg. These acts of love have greater meaning when shared. Children should see the happy, emotional reaction of an adult when something goes right for this unlikely family. Children should know it's okay to be so involved in a novel that it brings one to tears.
For an animal love story truly for children, try The Wainscott Weasel by Tor Seidler with illustrations by Fred Marcellino.
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