Bambino and Mr. Twain by P.I. Maltbie - ADVISABLE

Maltbie, P.I., Bambino and Mr. Twain, Charlesbridge, 2012. $15.95. Content: G. PICTURE BOOK.   Everyone wants to meet witty Mark Twain but do they want to see sad Samuel Clemens? Grieving the death of his wife, America’s favorite author shuts himself up in his house abandoning his writing.  Family and friends try to console him, but nothing seems to work until his cat, Bambino disappears.  Sam is determined to find him and posts announcements everywhere.  In the process of searching for Bambino, he discovers something more powerful than grief: the will to live.  I enjoyed this book.  It teaches how tragedy can affect you and others and how important it is to find a way to move forward.  The book would also be an excellent choice to open up a discussion how some authors choose to use a pseudonym rather then their given name.  EL, MS, HS,-ADVISABLE; Reviewer:MJB