Irma and Jerry

by George Selden, Leslie H. Morrill (illustrator)

The adventures of a cat and a dog living in New York City's Greenwich Village.

Genres: Fiction, Childrens

207 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

George Selden (1929-1989) was the author of The Cricket in Times Square, winner of the 1961 Newbery Honor and a timeless children's classic. Born in Hartford, Connecticut, Selden received his B.A. from Yale, where he was a member of the Elizabethan Club and contributed to the literary magazine. He spent three summer sessions at Columbia University and, after college, studied for a year in Rome on a Fulbright Scholarship.

People often asked Selden how he got the idea for The Cricket in Times Square. "One night I was coming home on the subway, and I did hear a cricket chirp in the Times Square subway station. The story formed in my mind within minutes. An author is very thankful for minutes like those, although they happen all too infrequently." The popular Cricket series grew to seven titles, including Tucker's Countryside and The Old Meadow. In 1973, The Cricket in Times Square was made into an animated film. Selden wrote more than fifteen books, as well as two plays. His storytelling blends the marvelous with the commonplace realities of life, and it was essential to him that his animal characters display true emotions and feelings.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/george...

Reviews

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

If George Selden isn't king of children's authors who write about New York, he's at least a nobleman. In addition to the Chester Cricket and His Friends septology, the Newbery Honor author wrote books such as The Genie of Sutton Place and Irma and Jerry, which also celebrate the enchantment of urban New York. Much as Chester Cricket migrated from Connecticut to New York, Jerry the well-spoken cocker spaniel moves from New Haven to Greenwich Village when his owners—Professor Thompson and the Mrs.—are offered a high-paying job in the city. Jerry isn't sure about leaving sleepy Connecticut for the big lights of New York, but he learns that fate has a plan when he runs into a sassy street cat named Irma. Jerry and Irma comport themselves quite differently, but theirs turns out to be a match to stand the test of time.

Irma has no permanent residence at the moment, so Jerry reluctantly offers to share his new cellar. At least the streetwise feline can help him steer clear of the dogcatcher. Irma is no content housecat, however; she frequently slips out the cellar window for adventures, and Jerry pretends not to be delighted at hearing the details upon her return. Irma charms the fire department into adopting her as its mascot, but she backs off after getting trapped in an inferno. She moves on to hanging out at the police station, where officer Big John Roccasciglia takes her home to be his pet. Irma has a soft spot for the gigantic cop, but eventually she comes back to Jerry's cellar. Professor Thompson chases her out whenever he sees her, but she sneaks back in through the window, and Jerry is pleased to have her company again.

The adventures never cease, not with Irma in the picture. An Egyptologist associate of Professor Thompson's, Frieda von Aknefrei, spots Irma and wants to keep her. Irma goes along with the large woman (whom she dubs "Big F") at first, but after a few days she rejoins Jerry in the cellar next to the warm clothes dryer. She has an idea to put Big F and Big John together romantically, and enlists Jerry's help to steal an Egyptian artifact from Big F's home so she'll call the police. It works, but Jerry doesn't appreciate the stress Irma put him through to play matchmaker! Later, Irma introduces Jerry to a canary named Mike, who speaks in a heavy borough accent and lives alone with an elderly woman who can no longer care for herself. Little as he is, Mike does all he can to meet the woman's daily needs. Jerry and Irma have an escapade with a human model in a window shop, who is nearly fired by her nasty boss until Jerry, Irma, and Mike implement a plan to set the problem right. A pretty goldfish—Miss Sarah Gold—is forgotten in the messy affair at the store and her life put at risk, but Jerry nobly rescues and brings her back to the cellar over Irma's protests. This triggers an awful fight between dog and cat, threatening their friendship, but their bond is not so easily severed. Irma is never satisfied with yesterday's excitement, so she ingratiates herself with a cast of stage actors working to present Shakespeare's Macbeth. She also drags Jerry into performing, and they're the hit of the show as Greenwich Village recognizes the star appeal of a local cat and dog, at least for one night. However many years life lasts, Jerry's is certain to be eventful while he has Irma. And he hopes that's a long, long time.

Irma and Jerry isn't as poignant as The Cricket in Times Square, but it's a lot of fun and will prompt you to miss the characters by the end. Greenwich Village, it would seem, is full of mini adventures that play out every day. Not a street corner, store window, or lonely cellar doesn't have potential for magic, and George Selden's strength as a writer was always in demonstrating that. I offer a toast to Irma and Jerry, a toast to New York, a toast to life itself. All are waiting to be enjoyed in these pages.

[Collyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book ever written, bar none. Okay, it's a children's book, but it's the most engaging, endearing book I have ever read. I read it at 8, 15, 21, 25, and 30 and love it more and in a new way each time. It is a great intro to Shakespeare for kids and a wonderful way to to remind your adult self why you learned to love books. I think it's out of print, but you can find it on abebooks.com or half.com - it is entirely worth it.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you can find a copy of this bittersweet little book, it's well worth it. From the author of Tucker's Countryside and The Cricket in Times Square, "Irma and Jerry" is the story of Jerry, a stuffy suburban cocker spaniel who is uprooted by his professor master's move to New York City.

Jerry meets animal and human friends who expand his horizons and help him feel more at home in his new setting, most importantly Irma, a freespirited cat who refuses to be tamed. The book avoids a simple happy ending, which frustrated my kids a bit, but I reminded them that real life doesn't come with tidy endings. Highly recommended.

Companion reading: Archy and Mehitabel, which I intend to buy & read to my kids now that I'm thinking about it.

[Laurelannb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know what it was about this book, but I loved it so much. I read it over and over again when I was a kid. Maybe it was because I wanted to believe that dogs & cats could really understand us.

[Chazzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, this is a kids’ book, but adults could get some thing out of it and be entertained.

Jerry is a Cocker Spaniel, originally from Connecticut, now living in New York, as his humans (the Professor and wife) have moved there for the Professor’s new job. Jerry is not just a dog, he is also knowledgeable in Philosophy — the subject his Professor lectures on. He is also a bit of a neurotic. Irma is a cat. Not just any cat, but a very street savvy cat. She knows her way around New York and is a cat always looking for adventure. They are joined by Mike Canary, a small bird with a big personality and a bigger heart.

The trio have some strange and exciting adventures, such as staging a burglary to help two people keep their jobs, rescuing a goldfish and becoming involved in life plays on stage. They experience these exciting adventures and illustrate respect, caring about others and the importance of connection.

George Selden is also the author of “The Cricket In Times Square” among other books. I read Cricket earlier this year and both of these books offered a lot to take away.

[Brian Rhea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Received this when I was eight years old, and in many ways I couldn't make head or tail of it; I remember being confused by words like "prof," offhanded references to Plato and Aristotle, and the presumed intimacy with New York City. I doggedly worked through it, and something must have stuck, because characters and episodes of the story were familiar when re-reading it four decades later. I can see, though, why I could never convince my children to read this book: it's not very accessible.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/3.6 stars

[Ashra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given this book in a pile of old ones that nobody at my grandma's library had checked out in a long time. I received it years ago, in something like 2012, and have since read it more times than I could count.

It's just so special! This adorable goofy philosophy dog and his adventurous cat friend who has only the most unhinged of shenanigans in mind ever. The slice of life style is comfy and full of whimsy with lots of hijinks to keep you engaged. The characters are lovable little scamps who have just the right amount of conflict keeping them on each other's toes. There's a tough nearly-homeless bird named Mike who I love so dearly. Irma (the cat) is never out of insane ideas for her and Jerry (the dog) to tumble into face-first. And so creative!

This book is so sweet and life-giving. Unforgettable. I still think about these characters a lot, especially the man Frank who said that sometimes life is just too much... I think about that a lot. He's so right.

As far as I know, this book isn't hard to find. If you're looking for a wholesome adventure about friendship, here it is.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story of a friendship between Jerry, a cocker spaniel, and Irma, a cat.

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