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Jennifer and Josephine
A Bill Peet classic in which a rickety old car and a scrawny stray cat teach a lesson in the meaning of friendship.
Kids will love this classic story from popular author Bill Peet, with fun illustrations and a rhythmic, easy pace that is sure to delight. A perfect gift for the child in your life.
Kids will love this classic story from popular author Bill Peet, with fun illustrations and a rhythmic, easy pace that is sure to delight. A perfect gift for the child in your life.
48 pages, Library Binding
Published October 27, 1980
1 person is currently reading
160 people want to read
About the author
Bill Peet
53 books235 followersBill Peet was an American children's book illustrator and a story writer for Disney Studios. He joined Disney in 1937 and worked on The Jungle Book, Song of the South, Cinderella, One Hundred and One Dalmatians, The Sword in the Stone, Goliath II, Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, Dumbo, Pinocchio, Fantasia, The Three Caballeros, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and other stories.
After successes developing short stories for Disney, Peet had his first book published, Hubert's Hair Raising Adventure.
After successes developing short stories for Disney, Peet had his first book published, Hubert's Hair Raising Adventure.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
June 3, 2020
Josephine is a cat raising her kittens in an old car named Jennifer in a junk yard. Josephine loves her home. Her kittens run off to their own lives. One day, a lead footed man buys Jennifer the car and he drives it till she’s dead. He speeds from town to town as a traveling salesman. He can’t wait, ever. Many times he puts the car in danger with his bad driving. One night he meets his match in a terrible thunderstorm. A man tells him the road is hilly and muddy and he won’t make it through, but Mr. lead foot goes down the road anyway and gets the car stuck. He’s in such a hurry, he simply takes off on foot. (That makes no sense to me.) Josephine goes for help and finds a solution for everyone.
It’s a nice story about a car and her friend. There is tension and plot and all those things, but I just didn’t connect with the story. It’s a good story, at least 3 stars. It’s a Bill Peet story for Pete’s sake. It only struck me as good.
The nephew wasn’t impressed by this story either. He’s not into cars, but he does like cats. He wondered why the cat didn’t talk. He thought the cat was cute, but the story was pretty boring. He gave this 2 stars.
It’s a nice story about a car and her friend. There is tension and plot and all those things, but I just didn’t connect with the story. It’s a good story, at least 3 stars. It’s a Bill Peet story for Pete’s sake. It only struck me as good.
The nephew wasn’t impressed by this story either. He’s not into cars, but he does like cats. He wondered why the cat didn’t talk. He thought the cat was cute, but the story was pretty boring. He gave this 2 stars.
April 19, 2018
Still tracking down the remaining Bill Peet books I've missed. For my money, he ranks up there with the likes of Seuss, Silverstein and Sendak, and deserves as much attention as those other authors!
December 8, 2019
A colleague at work recommended this for my then-6 year old son and I'm so glad I listened.
This focuses on the story of a car and her cat friend and the trials they go through together once Jennifer (car) is bought by a sales man who speeds and takes little care of her.
It is a great story that shows how great true friendship can be. Highly recommend to those with youngsters from 5 right up to around 10 where they can then read it for themselves.
This focuses on the story of a car and her cat friend and the trials they go through together once Jennifer (car) is bought by a sales man who speeds and takes little care of her.
It is a great story that shows how great true friendship can be. Highly recommend to those with youngsters from 5 right up to around 10 where they can then read it for themselves.
July 28, 2021
Two very special ladies - a cat and a car - are taken on a wild ride by the aptly named Mr. Frenzy. Another winner by Peet, featuring his signature colored pencil artwork.
September 18, 2018
Josephine, a stray cat, has finally found a home in Jennifer’s backseat. Jennifer is a car left in a corner of a junk yard. However, their lives change when a traveling salesman buys Jennifer one day. He’s always in a hurry. What will that mean for Jennifer and Josephine?
This is another of Bill Peet’s odd couple books, and Josephine’s devotion to Jennifer is very touching. We get this story from the cat’s point of view, although we occasionally get glimpses into Jennifer’s feelings. The story is definitely from a slower, simpler time, and that leads to a story that drags a little in the middle, but that’s the only real complaint here.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
This is another of Bill Peet’s odd couple books, and Josephine’s devotion to Jennifer is very touching. We get this story from the cat’s point of view, although we occasionally get glimpses into Jennifer’s feelings. The story is definitely from a slower, simpler time, and that leads to a story that drags a little in the middle, but that’s the only real complaint here.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
March 29, 2013
Simply another wonderful book by Bill Peet. He’s so good at making you care about an old cat (Josephine), or an old junkyard car (Jennifer). The cat has lived in the old car for so long that when a traveling salesman (Mr. Frenzy, who also has a walk-on appearance in Fly Homer Fly) buys the car, the cat goes along for the ride. Quite a ride it is.
As usual, Bill Peet doesn’t dumb down the vocabulary, and he doesn’t put it out of reach, either. As usual he is writing about friendship, loyalty, and good deeds — with the usual dose of dark adventure. Mr. Frenzy is a bad guy but not an evil one, something kids recognize from real life: a self-centered jerk, too much in a hurry, too driven by the need to make a buck. Any kid can relate to being in a situation where a slightly out-of-control adult is in charge. In this case, the cat sets out alone — in a rainstorm, no less — and finds a sympathetic boy, who has a sympathetic dad, to come to the rescue. The narration and artwork is so good, you don’t even notice the lessons learned. You just have an enthralling tale.
As usual, Bill Peet doesn’t dumb down the vocabulary, and he doesn’t put it out of reach, either. As usual he is writing about friendship, loyalty, and good deeds — with the usual dose of dark adventure. Mr. Frenzy is a bad guy but not an evil one, something kids recognize from real life: a self-centered jerk, too much in a hurry, too driven by the need to make a buck. Any kid can relate to being in a situation where a slightly out-of-control adult is in charge. In this case, the cat sets out alone — in a rainstorm, no less — and finds a sympathetic boy, who has a sympathetic dad, to come to the rescue. The narration and artwork is so good, you don’t even notice the lessons learned. You just have an enthralling tale.
December 15, 2021
I read this with my son. I loved the illustrations and the story was very well written.
February 14, 2018
This is one of those interesting Peet works that he takes what you think the story may or may not be about while throwing his own tasty twist on it. In this particular case you have a retired car that provides a home for an unwanted cat and they both are enjoying the nice quiet years as friends with no pressure on each other to be even better than what they once were or to outcompete each other while the achievements of one seem to make the other happy.
And like many other points in life this is where the nice break is jerked from them and they are thrown into an unforeseen adventure that is for the most part involuntarily. The book will take readers on a path of friendship through dangers foreseen and narrowly avoided as well as challenges where just one or two isn't enough to help save the relationship while at the same time showing the dangers of being unable to settle down long enough to be safety-conscious.
Bill Peet has a bit more of a muted array of characters than he normally works with but his imagination still carries him through, especially with the cars. He also continues his specialties of which I would have to say super-expressive cats and nice change of scenery illustrations are a bit of his trademark.
All in all this is one book that young readers will enjoy, especially most those who like cars and find that even though the friends are girls there is still plenty of room for the boys.
And like many other points in life this is where the nice break is jerked from them and they are thrown into an unforeseen adventure that is for the most part involuntarily. The book will take readers on a path of friendship through dangers foreseen and narrowly avoided as well as challenges where just one or two isn't enough to help save the relationship while at the same time showing the dangers of being unable to settle down long enough to be safety-conscious.
Bill Peet has a bit more of a muted array of characters than he normally works with but his imagination still carries him through, especially with the cars. He also continues his specialties of which I would have to say super-expressive cats and nice change of scenery illustrations are a bit of his trademark.
All in all this is one book that young readers will enjoy, especially most those who like cars and find that even though the friends are girls there is still plenty of room for the boys.
Read
January 9, 2019Someone left a tattered old copy of this story in my Little Free Library. It’s too worn and dirty to leave in there or pass on, so I figured that I should read it before recycling it. I had read some of his other works as a kid, but I do not remember reading this one. I know I would have loved it as I was an animal-crazy kid
September 5, 2012
Fun, adventurous, and thoughtful. . . all at the same time. Great for K-2nd grade and would be an especially good choice for kids who have struggled with being displaced from their homes.
July 22, 2012
My 6yo daughter liked this book a lot, both for the illustrations and the just-right pace of the story for bedtime reading. As always I love writing that stretches a child's vocabulary and still paints a clear picture.
My favorite bit (in bold) made me laugh so I have to share:
... Mr. Frenzy asked, "How's the road to Martinstown?"
"Hilly as a camel's back and all mud," warned the man. "If you try that road tonight you're takin' an awful chance."
An awful chance was just the thing for Mr. Frenzy and Josephine wasn't a bit surprised when they headed down the road to Martinstown through the driving rain."
Also, someday I will have a creature of some variety named Mr. Frenzy.
My favorite bit (in bold) made me laugh so I have to share:
... Mr. Frenzy asked, "How's the road to Martinstown?"
"Hilly as a camel's back and all mud," warned the man. "If you try that road tonight you're takin' an awful chance."
An awful chance was just the thing for Mr. Frenzy and Josephine wasn't a bit surprised when they headed down the road to Martinstown through the driving rain."
Also, someday I will have a creature of some variety named Mr. Frenzy.
January 19, 2018
Anything written by Bill Peet is good (even if it is shamelessly political at times). He is so engaging, so winsome in his words, so whimsical, it's hard to forget his characters and his books. This one in particular I read when I was a child, and this was the one Bill Peet book that I remembered as an adult, even though I couldn't remember the title of the book or the name of the author, I remembered the pictures, and I remembered the names of the characters, so one time I saw this at the library when I was looking for kids' books to read to my own children, and it all came back to me. So I went on and checked out so many of the other ones I had almost forgotten. Wonderful author, and this is one of his best.
December 16, 2013
All her life, junkyard cat Josephine has lived in Jennifer, a really old car. One day a traveling salesman buys Jennifer, but he doesn't know Josephine is in the car. The man takes poor Josephine on a wild adventure.
Children will become engrossed with the story, wondering what will happen next. This book will prepare them for other great reads that will fascinate them and take them places they wouldn't go otherwise.
Children will become engrossed with the story, wondering what will happen next. This book will prepare them for other great reads that will fascinate them and take them places they wouldn't go otherwise.
February 28, 2010
Josephine, a scrawny cat lives in a junkyard in the back seat of a car named Jennifer. One day, the car is bought by a man they think of as Mr. Frenzy and they go on a wild ride through the countryside only to be abandoned in a ravine. The two are rescued by a farmer and his son where they live happy lives from there on after.
July 7, 2017
The plot about an old car and cats adventures is not the most exciting, but the illustrations are as great as ever.
I love the author's work with pencil crayons and perspective, and the realism of it all.
I love the author's work with pencil crayons and perspective, and the realism of it all.
March 10, 2020
Another five star read from Bill Peet. There are strong themes of friendship and the importance of kindness here, which my boy really responded too. And it's made me think I should be nicer to my car...
January 26, 2009
Very cute book for kids... the girls favorite out of 5 books at our co-op preschool Friday.
January 29, 2010
Cute enough, but not as cute as most of the others, nor as memorable either.
August 11, 2011
Simply love everything Bill Peet ever did.
December 14, 2014
This is a cute book. Kevin loves it.
March 30, 2013
Good Peet, not great Peet, good Peet.
September 27, 2014
Enjoyable tale of an old car, the cat that lives in her, and a crazy driver who buys her. Humorous and charming.
May 24, 2020
Bill Peet really has a way of writing a children friendly story without having to spell things out. I'm sure kids would have a lot of questions about what words mean or help to make sense of things, but it's not outside of a children's grasp. This one even educates kids on the danger of driving up a hill on the wrong side of a two way highway!
October 18, 2019
Jennifer, an old car, and Josephine, a stray cat, take a wild ride in Jennifer until the man drives her over a bank and abandons her. A small boy finds them and rescues them both.
Good story and pictures.
Good story and pictures.
January 14, 2022
Delightful!!! We fell in love with both cat and car. The right amount of words on each page for the kids to take in the illustrations without breaking pace of the tale. I MUST find more by this author/artist.
April 19, 2022
Pretty long story, but super fun about an old car and a cat who loves to lie in the car. Some reckless guy starts driving it around. The cat sticks with the car through reckless adventures until they find someone that treats it better.
October 16, 2020
An old car and a cat become the best of friends and have an unexpected adventure!
March 8, 2022
I met Bill Peet in San Diego in 1988 at a reading conference.
I love his illustrating style.
I love his illustrating style.
September 29, 2022
We enjoyed the story with great ending!
May 10, 2013
Poor Jennifer is a mistreated car and Josephine is the cat who must save her. Really reminds me of books from my youth.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews