Review by Booklist Review
Kittybunkport is a cat's paradise with a New England--harbor aesthetic. If you're picturing scrappy cats wearing woolen beanies, sweaters, and waterproof boots, you are correct. Like most of the town's feline residents, besties Chowder and Crackers enjoy sailing to catch lobster, though they make sure to steer well clear of the super-haunted lighthouse. Haunted by whom, you ask? "The ghosts of all the lobsters ever eaten!" A wave of fear washes over the community when the lighthouse beam unexpectedly goes out; from among all the scaredy-cats, the harbormaster chooses Chowder and Crackers to go investigate. Much of this story's humor is found in the illustrations and dialogue being at odds with the narration (e.g., kitties tremble as their bravery is asserted), and many situations upend reader (and cat) expectations in hilarious fashion. OHora's offbeat, vintage-hued illustrations match the story's silly tone and add entertaining details--try spotting the small lobster ghosts wafting through the book. A wonderfully low-stakes adventure and rousing read-aloud.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Feline pals Chowder and Crackers live the good life in Kittybunkport, an all-cat coastal town whose name paws playfully at a well-known Maine destination. There's just one hitch: the inhabitants are "terrified of the town's super-haunted lighthouse that showed the way home to cats who'd been out catching lobster all day," writes Rothman (Parfait, Not Parfait!). When the lighthouse's beacon ceases to shine, the kitties grow even more anxious, and Chowder and Crackers are voluntold to find out what's wrong. Shaking in their paws, they eventually discover that, haunted by the ghosts of eaten lobsters or no, the lighthouse is in need of a light-bulb change--an effort led by a friendly dog who hails, naturally, from Bark Harbor. With this mission accomplished, the rumors are put to rest and Chowder and Crackers are hailed as town heroes. What buoys this goofily plotted tale is snappy banter between the protagonists and digitally finished, signature-style illustrations by OHora (Whalesong), which pop with saturated colors, chunky shapes, and an expressive feline cast that could be kitted out of the L.L. Bean catalog. Ages 3--7. (May)
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Review by Horn Book Review
Best friends Chowder and Crackers love living and lobstering in the seaside town of Kittybunkport, though the lighthouse, allegedly possessed by lobster ghosts, is a drawback. One day the light goes out, and when "not one scaredy-cat in Kittybunkport raised their paw" to volunteer to investigate why, the BFFs are drafted into service and reluctantly head over in their boat (the Lobsta' Lova'). Rothman's cheeky text and OHora's cartoonlike illustrations keep any hint of spookiness at bay. The third-person narration often plays it straight ("Luckily, this didn't scare Chowder or Crackers...one bit"), while speech bubbles deliver the cat duo's well-scripted banter (Chowder: "I wouldn't say I'm terrified of it." Crackers: "I would. That's exactly what I would say"). Once inside the lighthouse, the two make their way "through thick, very gross cobwebs" and up the "creaky stairs." They're relieved to reach the top, only to encounter a giant lobster-shaped shadow -- "RUN! Lobster ghost!" A record-scratch of a page-turn assures us, "It wasn't." The shadow belongs to a chatty fishing dog ("as you can tell by the extremely yellow pants I'm wearing") who is on the scene with a very big lightbulb. OHora's digitally rendered art in saturated retro-hued colors makes the most of the humor; details such as the little lobster ghosts floating through many of the scenes will make readers want to haunt these pages again and again. Kitty FlynnJuly/August 2025 p.83 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Best friends living in Kittybunkport, a village inhabited entirely by felines, must summon their courage. Chowder and Crackles are lobster catchers who depend on the supposedly haunted nearby lighthouse to guide their boats safely home. When the lighthouse goes dark, the two are chosen from among all the other "scaredy-cats" to investigate. They reluctantly set out. The lighthouse appears just as frightening as they expect, and their worst fears come true when they spot a ghost--a lobster ghost! But wait, it's just another lobster hunter, a dog from Bark Harbor who needs help installing a large light bulb. The tale is just dark enough to give young readers a delighted shiver, but they'll quickly catch on to the humor of the quirky feline duo and their fantastical adventure. The two cats speak in an obviously well-practiced pattern--the clearly terrified Chowder won't admit to being afraid ("I wouldn't say I'm super-scared"), while Crackles is far more candid ("I would. That's exactly what I would say"). Each strange event is immediately revealed to be benign, and the outcome is assuredly happy. OHora's signature, highly stylized depictions of the cats with their large heads and huge glowing eyes, set against dark, often eerie backgrounds, work perfectly with this goofy tale. The town names are puns of real Maine towns, and OHora zeroes in on details sure to delight New Englanders, such as the thick sweaters the felines wear. Highly imaginative, hilarious fun.(Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
