This is one of my all-time favorite hero cat books! What an amazing combination of great words, fun story, and wonderful illustrations. A very clever cat does some amazing thinking to save the day. The farm where Mabel the cat lives has some unusual trees that are under attack by pirates. Mabel defends her territory! This is a must-have for any cat loving parent of a small child: a great addition to the library.
Cats
2017 International Cat Care Calendar
Anne Zoet December 6, 2016I’m breaking ranks (that’s what you can do with your own posts ;-)…in lieu of book reviews, I’m branching out to gift recommmendations. My goal is always to think about children and the environment above all else. So today, as I’m already fed up with all the commercialism of Christmas, I would love to do my part in supporting some great ideas for the holidays (and beyond). To kick things off, I start with International Cat Care. Not only is this organization promoting the well-being of cats, and the happiness of cat owners, all around the globe, they have made a gorgeous calendar for 2017: it’s a superb gift for any of your cat-loving friends…the theme is cat naps! I am in love with Ms November and Mr August: two centerfolds that could grace my walls beyond 2017 and would still make me smile. There’s something so endearing about my cats while they snooze and, now that I see another 12 of them, I see it isn’t just mine that make me smile as they sleep. See all the products at their online shop. Be prepared for some huge uncontrollable grins to break up the holiday stress!
If you’ve ever lost a cat, Lost Cat may be harder for you to read than the author may think. I will always feel the pain of losing my cat (found alright weeks later) and find it one of the hardest things for me to think about. So, I’m a bit critical just based on my own horror of this situation, but Lost Cat is actually very sweet. A bit haunting for me to look at the cover and think of what my lost cat went through, but I think anyone without that gauge would enjoy this heartwarming story and smiply gorgeous illustrations.
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Here Comes Santa Cat
Anne Zoet October 4, 2016If you can’t please Santa, you should just BE Santa. I picture one of my cats get that concept that he has been a bit more naughty than nice and he really ought expect nothing in his stocking (which of course happens in spades, whatever his behavior, see photo below of him opening his stocking before it is time). Here Comes Santa Cat, like all the holiday cat books I’ve read of Underwood’s, is just a riot. Your kids, you, and even perhaps your cats will appreciate this book! It has been released in paperback today (October 4, 2016) as well.
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Here Comes the Easter Cat
Anne Zoet September 28, 2016My niece brought Easter Cat to our Easter celebration this year and I think her reading it was as priceless as the book. A cat who is jealous of the Easter bunny’s attention gets some ideas in his head of how to compete for the spotlight. Cats can definitely put up an air of it’s my way or the highway and while I think a dog in this role might’ve been even more fitting, I love this cat and all his antics. I wish my cats would communicate with those signs on sticks. I think they’d get their way even more often than they do. A very fun read (have a little one read it to you for even more laughs!).
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Pepper and Poe
Anne Zoet September 13, 2016If you’ve ever dared to introduce a new cat to the sole family cat, you’ll enjoy Pepper and Poe. My older cat, Nino, has gone through it twice and once very sweetly…but once had a similar first reaction to Pepper’s, “I don’t like it.” Over time the two cats start to play and collude and act like pal kitties. The illustrations and text are beautiful. However, Frann Preston-Gannon is one author who never thinks about the ebook experience–the Kindle version is impossible to zoom into or see all the beautiful details. It is actually quite a bad experience, but I can’t let that take away from the print version, which is what the author had had in mind in its conception!
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Mr. Tiger Goes Wild
Anne Zoet August 23, 2016Let your inner wild-side out: Mr. Tiger Goes Wild is a fantastic commentary on customs and norms and fitting in. You are both biting your lip wondering how far things can go with Mr. Tiger and you’re rooting for him as well. It is absolutely beautifully paced and beautifully illustrated. The colors and composition of each page are worthy of hanging on your wall. It is superbly done!
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Blucy the Blue Cat
Anne Zoet August 10, 2016The Purrball in me says “power to you!” to the strong-willed Blucy the Blue Cat. (Purrball would like her color choice, too, lol!) On the list of negatives, the typeface has a large outer glow to it that detracts from the beautiful illustrations. The rhymes are long-winded. The biggest drawback to the book comes along with one of the pluses: I love that the author ends with some fun facts for kids, but anyone drawing attention to the heaviest cat on record should really take pause: no cat would do that in nature and it is not ok for us to marvel at that fact. If you could take away these negatives, the book has much to be said for it!
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Mr. Wuffles!
Anne Zoet July 26, 2016Maybe it is because my Lella looks like Wuffles. When she watches flies and moths like they’re little aliens, I can picture Mr. Wuffles and his world. Mr Wuffles! is one of the most charming stories you will never read! I say that because it is 99% devoid of words. It is beautifully illustrated and the storyline comes from you as you read to your little ones. Each time I’ve pulled this out and have had to wing it (plot, sound effects, you name it), it has been a hit. You’ll make yourself laugh out loud all the while reading it.
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I kick off my reviews with a very moving true story about a cat who saved her litter from fire, the book Hero Cat. A tale of bravery and the wonders of felines. Cats are simply remarkable and nothing better than a real-life story to show that. This would be an excellent story for children of first responders as it shows the heroism of helping those in danger. I had to Google this event for myself to learn all I could. I was deeply moved by all I learned. This story will stick with me forever, no doubt.
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