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Hondo & Fabian #2

Fabian Escapes

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Caldecott Honor-winning Hondo and Fabian are back!

The award-winning cat and dog duo returns for another set of adventures. This time, Hondo stays home while Fabian goes outside. Seen from a cat-and-dog's-eye view, an ordinary day is elevated to an exciting new level.

Peter McCarty's simple text and signature lush watercolor-and-pencil illustrations make it clear that wherever these two furry friends go, mischief is sure to follow!

Fabian Escapes is a 2008 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

40 pages, Hardcover

First published April 17, 2007

1 person is currently reading
80 people want to read

About the author

Peter McCarty

36 books56 followers
I was born in 1966 in Westport, Connecticut right in the middle of two older brothers and two younger sisters. We kept our mother busy while my father worked long hours at IBM. Most of my childhood was spent in my head. I was usually recreating a battle from World War II or running from dinosaurs in prehistoric times. To this day, I develop characters and environments based on worlds I first created when I was three. I am grateful to my mother who kept us surrounded with art. I come from a long line of artists and my grandmother, Grace Boyd, was the best. She died before I was born, but her fantastic paintings and drawings were all around us.

Since my father worked for IBM, we moved often. I think being on the move during my formative years has been the reason I tend to create books about returning home. By the time I graduated from high school we were living in Boulder, Colorado. At the University of Colorado, I began my long career as a professional student. I first thought I was going to be an engineer so I took all kinds of science and math classes. I enjoyed solving math problems, but I could not see myself working in a lab. Along the way, I continued to draw and create worlds as I always have. My friends and teachers were very supportive. Around the time when I should have been graduating, I decided to start over and go to art school at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. I finally graduated from college, in 1992.

One of my illustration teachers, William Low introduced me to Laura Godwin, a children’s book editor at Henry Holt and Company. She gave me my first professional art job to illustrate a little science book, Frozen Man written by David Getz. I worked really hard on that book. Laura was impressed; so I was offered to illustrate a picture book, Night Driving written by John Coy. Again I did the best illustrations I knew how, like my life depended on it. One drawing of a car going over a bridge made my girlfriend cry. She said, “Oh, you can draw.” We were then married in 1995.

Night Driving was first published in 1996 and received praise from critics and won some awards. Laura Godwin then offered me the best of all offers; I could write and illustrate whatever I wanted. Little Bunny on the Move came into my mind after months of searching for a story. Little Bunny on the Move was published in 1999 and won a Best Illustrated Book of the Year from the New York Times. That book established my career and gave me the confidence to continue to write and illustrate the stories from my mind.

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5 stars
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57 (21%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
Profile Image for Melki.
7,293 reviews2,612 followers
May 16, 2021
Fabian is tired of staying home and playing with the baby, so he decides to break free for an adventure of his own. Very cute story with lovely, ethereal illustrations by the author.

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Profile Image for Lisa Vegan.
2,913 reviews1,317 followers
December 30, 2011
I recently read and enjoyed Hondo & Fabian and then immediately reserved this book at the library.

And, I liked this book even better than I did the first one.

It gets dogs and cats perfectly, and it’s so amusing and sweet.

This is a wonderful book for reading aloud and for independent readers too.

It’s a wonderful story for talking about friendship, comparing lifestyles and adventures, and, of course, dogs and cats, and actually the story is very realistic.

The illustrations, as in the first book, are unusual and appealing and perfectly help tell the story.

4 ½ stars
Profile Image for Abigail.
7,998 reviews265 followers
January 4, 2020
Peter McCarty, whose Hondo & Fabian was chosen as a Caldecott Honor Book in 2003, returns to the story of that adorable feline/canine duo here, chronicling another day in their lives. While it is Hondo who has the adventure, in the first book, as Fabian remains at home with the family baby, here we see Fabian making a break for it, and escaping out the window, while Hondo stays behind. As feline Fabian confronts some "neighbors," in the form of a trio of dogs eager to play a game of chase, Hondo finds himself "playing" dress-up with the baby. At the end of the day, however (just as in the first book), the pair are reunited...

I simply love Peter McCarty's artwork, and Fabian Escapes only increased that feeling! Done in pencil, on watercolor paper, these illustrations have a soft, luminous quality to them, that makes them a pleasure to peruse. Hondo and Fabian are as charming here as in their first adventure, and the interaction of text and image - simple sentences paired with large, appealing artwork - is as successful. All in all, a lovely picture-book, perfect for the preschool set!
50 reviews1 follower
April 16, 2013
Fabian Escapes is the sequel to Hondo & Fabian. In this story, Fabian, the cat escapes through the front door and has an adventure of his own. It is interesting to see Fabian in this way, because he is so out of his element. Just as McCarty does in the first one, his descriptions fit the characters so well, and make them very likeable animals. I would read this aloud to my class after the first book because they are so humorous and enjoyable that I am sure the class would love them. An activity the students could do based on this story could be to describe their own pets or write a story about them, because every animal is different and quirky in its own way.
Profile Image for Robert Davis.
765 reviews64 followers
July 25, 2012
In Hondo & Fabian Hondo the dog had an outdoor adventure while Fabian the cat stayed at home. Now it is Fabians turn to go outside. Done in the same style as the original, with the same delightful illustrations and text suitable for early readers. Done in pencil, on watercolor paper, these illustrations have a soft, luminous quality to them. Like the original, this is a delightful book with a friendly pair of pets in a happy home. I hope there will be a third installment.
Profile Image for Christy.
Author 15 books67 followers
March 22, 2017
Caldecott Honor–winning Hondo and Fabian are back!
The award-winning cat and dog duo returns for another set of adventures. This time, Hondo stays home while Fabian goes outside. Seen from a cat-and-dog’s-eye view, an ordinary day is elevated to an exciting new level.

Peter McCarty’s simple text and signature lush watercolor-and-pencil illustrations make it clear that wherever these two furry friends go, mischief is sure to follow!

Fabian Escapes is a 2008 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
107 reviews10 followers
April 3, 2019
Realized I don't put any picture books on here, even though picture books are my day to day. I think this book is amazing. A high standard in my favorite genre: animals who spend a few hours away from home and then return for a nap. The title, in particular, pushes us to ask: what constitutes escape when we, rather than being subjects "who" desire, are caught up in structures of desire (of ownership, of companionship), and may only find we have escaped, momentarily, after the fact, in that intimate moment when the friend asks of us "where have you been"?
Profile Image for Kira Dickson.
66 reviews
March 13, 2018
copyright:2007
number of pages:Unknown
format:hardcover
reading level:
genre:baby book
lit requirement:baby book #3

summary:
This book goes into the day of Hondo the dog and Fabian the cat after Fabian escapes the house. It shows parallel to the animal's day.

response:
I love this book because one of the main characters is a cat. This is a cute little story that shows the day between two animals and what they did though out the day. I would recommend this book.
Profile Image for Tayler K.
993 reviews45 followers
May 18, 2019
Fabian the cat escapes outside while his dog friend Hondo is in for the day after his walk. Despite their different circumstances, they end up doing very similar things throughout the day. When Hondo goes out for his afternoon walk, Fabian comes back inside.

Simple story that does a good job of capturing typical cat and dog activities. The illustrations are almost dream-like in their softness.
Profile Image for SassyBooks.
154 reviews41 followers
April 11, 2021
I'm going through some books I received from the library, and this book is super simple but very cute. It's a bit uneventful, sure, but the pictures are cute and I just liked spending a few minutes of my time reading it and smiling to myself, and honestly,
Isn't that the joy of reading?
Profile Image for Calista.
5,432 reviews31.3k followers
December 7, 2024
A day in the life of your pets.

The artwork is very soft of fuzzy. The animals are all fat furballs. The yard is very groomed. I’m not sure I enjoy the artwork. The background work is very detailed.

Fabian is the cat, he escapes out the window and spends his day outside, while Hondo, the dog spends his day inside. That’s pretty much the story. I was bored, oh so bored.

Kids who enjoy animals might like this story. I didn’t feel like there was much there. I was looking for a book from 2007 and this was it.
Profile Image for Barbara.
15k reviews316 followers
June 15, 2013
Continuing the adventures of Fabian and Hondo, this book follows Fabian as he sets off on an adventure of his own. After all, why should his dog friend, Hondo, have all the fun and get to go on walks? Fabian leaps from the window, explores the garden, meets some neighbors, flies over a fence, and hides under the porch. Meanwhile, Hondo sniffs and snacks on a dish of butter and tolerates--barely--the baby's attempts to dress him up in frilly clothing. There is not a one of these illustrations, created with pencil on watercolor paper, that doesn't merit a second look. The expressions on the animals' faces are priceless. Teachers will want to pair this one with Hondo and Fabian since both books provide different perspectives on the time the dog and cat spend indoors and outdoors. For anyone who has ever wondered what dogs and cats think, this picture book offers some insight.
Profile Image for Asho.
1,862 reviews12 followers
August 4, 2013
I liked everything about this book. The illustrations are wonderful, so charming and soothing. I want to snuggle with Hondo and Fabian. Also, the pets are named Hondo and Fabian. How cool is that? The text is repetitive in a useful way. Everything Fabian does is paralleled by something that Hondo does. My 17 month-old really enjoyed this, and after we read it for real we spent quite a while flipping back to various pages so that he could point to the dogs and cats and I could label them and make their sounds. I think this works well as a read aloud, but it would also work great for an early reader because it's repetition would make it manageable.
I've never read the first Hondo and Fabian book, but now I would like to find it, too.
Profile Image for Laura.
1,630 reviews80 followers
May 2, 2012
This book was pretty cute, but seemed a little uneventful. Fans of the first book would probably enjoy seeing more of the two friends, but I would have liked more adventure. It was a nice enough story, it just was more laid back than I had expected. Children who love dog and cat stories would probably like this book.

*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2012...
5 reviews2 followers
July 15, 2012
Fabian escapes is the follow-up book to the critically acclaimed "Hondo and Fabian" written by Peter McCarty. In this story, the roles of Hondo and Fabian are reversed. When the cat Fabian slips out of the house unnoticed, this time Hondo stays inside while Fabian has the great outdoor adventure. Peter McCarty's whimsical and soothing drawings are perfectly inline with the text and really adds to the story.
Profile Image for Peggy.
44 reviews4 followers
April 23, 2008
I bought this for my friend's four year old son, but I just had to read it before I sent it off to him. I love the illustrations - smooth, puffy, round shapes in subdued cool tones means that animals are rendered cute but not saccharine. The book is also nicely structured with parallel escapades of the dog that was shut in and the cat that was let out. Very charming!
Profile Image for Guadalupe Ramirez.
104 reviews1 follower
April 17, 2011
I was thrilled to have found a second book on "Fabian and Hondo," as I read Peter McCarty's first book on Fabian and Hondo to my kindergarten students to teach a lesson on similarities and comparisons between two pets, a cat and a dog. This book was as I expected. It focuses on friendship and comparisons.
Profile Image for Meg.
1,739 reviews
February 9, 2013
Just re-read this volume about one of my favorite duos, Hondo and Fabian! Peter McCarty is HANDS DOWN one of my favorite children's illustrators. I just love the peacefulness of his drawings. In this book, Fabian (the cat) gets a well-deserved escape one afternoon, while Hondo is subject to the indoor life of a cat, for once. Charming.
Profile Image for Samantha.
91 reviews3 followers
September 23, 2007
this book is as good as the first (Hondo and Fabian). it's got amazing illustrations (soft and chubby family pets Hondo and Fabian just make ya go "awwww"!) and it's a cute and surprisingly action packed story. i might even like it better than the first!
Profile Image for Amy.
1,132 reviews
October 6, 2011
The kids and I all loved the pictures in this story--they were just so... Cozy! The story was sweet and cute, and the kids just thoroughly enjoyed it. Would be a calm, soothing, wonderful bedtime story.
30 reviews3 followers
January 29, 2008
Check out the scene where Hondo tries to steal the butter. Good times.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews

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