This wonderfully lyrical book is set in the swamps between Texas and Louisiana . This story flows back and forth between the present day lives of a dog, a cat, her kittens and ancient elemental creatures. An abandoned cat who is looking for a safe place to have her kittens is taken in by an injured hound dog who is chained to the front porch. They all form a pseudo family beneath the front porch. The house is owned by a nefarious character named Gar-Face. Gar-Face is a mean hunter who is obsessed with killing a hundred foot alligator that has eluded him for a long time. At the same time a force that has been trapped for a thousand years is waiting to get out. A storm unleashes all of the characters.
and Gar Face meets an ironic end. The cotton moth Lamia is freed and finally is reunited with her spiritual Gran-daughter. This beautifully written novel deals with difficult subject. The themes of death, animal cruelty, and physical abuse are explored and made accessible by Appelt's lyrical text. Interwoven with glimpses of the Caddo culture and East Texas topograghy, this is an excellent companion for social studies units. The book Cd read by, Gabra Zackman is exceptional and would be wonderful on a family road trip.
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