I love cats and over the years I’ve reviewed lots of books in which they star. Here are just a few of my favourites.
It’s summertime and Ava is enjoying the seaside. But with Squishy McFluff in tow there always seems to be something that can go wrong. Whether digging a hole, buying an ice-cream or chasing invisible fish, nothing goes quite to plan for the inseparable twosome. And then Squishy goes missing. Pip Jones and Ella Okstad return with another funny adventure starring the little girl and her invisible cat in the early chapter book Seaside Rescue!
In This is NOT a Cat! by David Larochelle and Mike Wohnoutka the first lesson at mouse school is how to recognise danger. And danger, of course, means cats. It’s a simple story but clever and very funny with a double twist in the tail! The text is repetitive, ideal for encouraging small children to join in, and the illustrations are strong and dynamic. I especially love the expressive faces of the three pupils. Much of the plot is told pictorially and repeated readings will only enhance the enjoyment.
What’s in a name? Quite a lot, one little girl thinks. When a cat turns up on her doorstep and makes it clear he’s there to stay, she is quite pleased. But she struggles to find a name for him. Finally, however, the right one presents itself. I Don’t Know What to Call My Cat by Simon Philip and Ella Bailey is a simple and warm story told in words and augmented by cute pictures in gentle pastel shades. The dynamic characters jump off the page and into the imagination.
The Lost Kitten is a charming and engaging picture book by LEE and Komako Sakai. Hina and her mother are surprised when a cat appears on their doorstep and seems to be asking them to take care of her tiny kitten. But they take on the task. When her mother goes to buy some cat food, Hina is left in charge of the kitten. An adventure and a fright ensue for both but all ends well and Hina is finally able to name the new kitten. The delightful illustrations perfectly capture the emotion of this gentle and delightful tale.
Stanley the Amazing Knitting Cat by Emily MacKenzie is crazy and quirky and colourful and fun. Mice are safe around Stanley and he doesn’t care about dozing in the sunshine. Stanley loves to knit. All his friends are dressed in his handiwork and stay warm thanks to him. But when he runs out of wool before an important competition he is forced into desperate measures. With its cute animals, bright woollens and happy ending, this is a joyful story about friendship and loyalty.
The Cat, the Mouse and the Runaway Train is a rollicking, rolling adventure of suspicion and friendship. Peter Bently’s resonantly rhyming tale is of Carruthers, the mouse-chasing station cat who rules the roost, petted by the stationmaster. But when Carruthers’ tail gets stuck in the rail as a runaway train approaches, who will save the day? Steve Cox’s illustrations are full of colour and vitality as they capture the drama of the story. Brilliant for reading aloud, this is a book to be shared again and again.
Of all TS Eliot’s Practical Cats, Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat is my favourite. From ‘the whisper down the line…when the Night Mail’s ready to depart’ the rhythm, rhyme, pace and story of the poem draw the reader in to Skimbleshanks’ domain. Arthur Robins brings the word pictures to life with his spirited, dynamic illustrations (even if he is a little confused about which way is east). Those who have read the earlier poems in this series will be delighted to spot Macavity and Mr Mistoffelees on board, heading for ‘the northern part of the northern hemisphere’. I first met Skimbleshanks as a seven-year-old at Troqueer Primary School in Dumfries and loved the poem so much that at one point I could recite the whole thing. But Skimble is significant for another reason too: for the first time I felt the excitement of reading (albeit very fleetingly) of a place I knew.
