Chomps, Flea, and Gray Cat

by Bill Wallace, Carol Wallace

I need this puppy
like I need more rats
in the barn!
Jealous? Me?
Well...maybe a little. My people got a new white puppy named Chomps. That's because he bites at everything, especially flies. What could a gray cat -- me -- want with a Scottish terrier, anyway? The little nipper got into some trouble with the big rats in the barn. It was partly my fault. So...I had to save him. Problem is, now I can't get rid of him. What am I supposed to do with a dog who's determined to get himself into trouble?
When my mockingbird pal, Flea, came home for the spring, I thought she could help me train the little furball. But all she wants to do is build her nest. Chomps needs to learn how to hunt. But how can I teach a dumb dog that an opossum is not a rat, and a skunk is not a kitty? Even worse, how can I keep him from turning Mama's fancy new car into a muddy mess? Nothing but trouble. I just thought I knew what trouble was. But now Mama is in danger...This is serious. Talk about trouble...

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Bill Wallace was an American teacher and later an author of children's books. He started writing to quiet down his fourth grade students, who loved his stories and encouraged him to make “real” books.

Bill Wallace grew up in Oklahoma. Along with riding their horses, he and his friends enjoyed campouts and fishing trips. Toasting marshmallows, telling ghost stories to scare one another, and catching fish was always fun.

Bill Wallace has won numerous children's state awards and been awarded the Arrell Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award for Children's Literature from the Oklahoma Center for the Book.

Bill Wallace died from Lung cancer on January 30, 2012.

Former elementary school teacher; West Elementary School, Chickasha, OK, principal, since 1977, and physical education teacher. Speaker at schools and universities in various states, including State University of New York and University of South Florida.

AWARDS:

Bluebonnet Award from Texas Association of School Librarians and Children's Round Table and Sequoyah Children's Book Award from Oklahoma State Department of Education, both 1983, Central Missouri State University Award for Excellence in Children's Literature, 1984, and Nebraska Golden Sowers Award from Nebraska Library Association, 1985, all for A Dog Called Kitty; Central Missouri State University Award for Excellence in Children's Literature, 1984, and Pine Tree Book Award, 1985, both for Trapped in Death Cave.

Reviews

[LadyCalico · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read all three books (The Flying Flea, Callie and Me, That Furball Puppy and Me, and Chomps, Flea, and Gray Cat) of this trilogy as if they were just one book, which is essentially what they are. There is good continuity in plot and character in the three books, centering around the put-upon and often misunderstood little gray cat, who seems to have a bit of the middle child syndrome in this farm family of pets. I enjoyed the stories and think most cat-loving kids would also enjoy Gray's misadventures. The three books had lovely graphics that added to the story but were illustrated by three different artists and I found I like those in one and three better than the middle book since they were more naturally cat-like, and showed more personality, IMHO. The books were written by a couple of retired teachers who had a good grasp kids' reading level and attention spans, so pre-middle school kids should be able to follow along and enjoy the stories without getting lost or confused.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another cute one from the Wallaces! The interaction between Chomps the dog and Gray the cat is so amusing. I just love how they try to save "the Mama" at the end! You can tell that these authors know cats and dogs very, very well. Highly recommended for dog and cat lovers alike!

[Rylee · Rating 4 out of 5]

well chomps gets into alot of troble! just like halo my dog.

[Caren · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun read! I loved the perspective from Gray Cat. I read this aloud to my second graders and they LOVED it. They are always upset when I stop reading for the day.