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Fuddles | February 15, 2012

by Frans Vischer (Simon & Schuster May 2011)

It was entirely by chance that I stumbled into the arms of my new favorite picture book, Fuddles, by Frans Vischer. I found it hidden in the middle of a big stack of books – and it seems to me that this is the most fulfilling way to discover a favorite book. Fuddles, a rotund, black and white cat, is burdened with an ennui rivaled only by that of Madame Bovary. He lives in the lap of upper middle-class pet luxury; he eats and he sleeps and he does it again. But one fateful day, Fuddles awakens from his tuna fish coma and decides he wants to see the world! He begins a rigorous exercise regimen (though not too rigorous) and a strict low-calorie diet (though not too strict). Of course, Fuddles’ eventual journey into the wild outdoors is full of disastrous unpleasantries, and our hero is forced to conclude that he is, after all, an indoor cat. (Tip: The author photo, in which Frans Vischer is holding a cat suspiciously reminiscent of Fuddles, is not to be missed.)

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