Long Nellie

Joan Buchanan is a children’s storyteller and author of Taking Care of
My Cold and What If I Were in Charge?

Jeremy finds a stray kitten and wants to give it to Long Nellie, a
lonely woman who scavenges and lives in a broken-down trailer on the
outskirts of town. He sets out to place the kitten where Long Nellie
will find it and winds up having a small adventure.

Deborah Turney-Zagwyn sensitively handles Long Nellie, a social
outcast, and integrates the recycling theme effectively. The story moves
unhurriedly and exudes a warm tone. While Long Nellie is not a
caricature, she could have been more fully realized. The language is
often lyrical (and at times unusual and highly visual), but a few images
didn’t make sense to me (e.g., “as tall as a bent stepladder”).
The ending also arrives abruptly and seems rather simplistic even for
the limited scope of the plot.

Turney-Zagwyn’s soft, descriptive watercolors employ a wide range of
colors. Children will delight in all the details, especially the
bedraggled but endearing striped kitten. Recommended.