School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-The personable canine and feline friends continue their adventures in this early reader. Houndsley tells Catina that he is sad because he doesn't know his birth date. Worried that he has made her sad, too-she doesn't know when her birthday falls, either-he decides to surprise her with a cake. Catina is up to her own surprises, though, and arranges a birthday party for her pal. Gay's soft watercolor-and-pencil illustrations with collage details are fun and lighthearted, and scenes are filled with activity and assorted sweet-looking animals. The ratio between text and pictures will appeal to new readers.-Sandra Welzenbach, Villarreal Elementary School, San Antonio, TX (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
In a sweet sequel to their debut, good friends Houndsley and Catina sadly realize that they don't know when their birthdays are. Each concocts a secret remedy: Houndsley bakes a big, beautiful cake for Catina, while she knits a colorful sweater to replace his customary moth-eaten number. Their pals help get Houndsley to Catina's house and vice versa, delighted to partake in two surprise parties in one day. Gay's collaged pencil-and-watercolor illustrations depict both blustery autumn scenes--all flying leaves and unfurled umbrellas--and interiors filled with charming minutiae, from messy cook Houndsley's chocolatey footprints to brimming bookcases in both friends' homes. Using language appropriate for new readers, Howe crafts a knowing paean--filtered mainly through Houndsley's point of view--to the care and feeding of friendship. (Easy reader. 5-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
This sequel to Houndsley and Catina (2006) begins with Houndsley the dog feeling blue and his best friend, Catina the cat, wondering why. Walking in the rain with his pal, Houndsley admits that he is sad because he doesn't know when his birthday is. Catina confesses that she doesn't know her birth date either. Within days, each animal has found a way to cheer the other. Published in beginning-reader format, this gentle story will appeal to children's compassion as well as their sense of humor. Though the setting is a cold, sometimes-bleak autumn, Gay's pencil, watercolor, and collage artwork glows with warmth, style, and quiet pizzazz. An appealing book for independent readers in the early grades, the story will also make a good fall read-aloud for preschool classes. --Carolyn Phelan Copyright 2006 Booklist
![Cover image for Houndsley and Catina and the birthday surprise [sound recording] / James Howe ; illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay.](/client/assets/5.898/ctx//client/images/no_image.png "Cover image for Houndsley and Catina and the birthday surprise [sound recording] / James Howe ; illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay.")