Skippy Blackfeet

Skippy Blackfeet

Rebecca Fraser

Jennifer Horn

Wombat Books, 2025

121pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9781761111662

Woken by the loud rumble of his empty tummy, the little black cat cowers down in the agapanthus bush in the cemetery, knowing he needs to find something to eat but afraid of the noise and busyness of the world beyond the cemetery walls.  But as his peace is disturbed by a little girl clearly upset and crying because she is lost, he overcomes his trepidation and reaches out to comfort her – changing his life, and hers, forever. 

This collection of three short stories tells young readers of how May and Skippy Blackfeet become each other’s support network as they face life together, first convincing May’s dad that Skippy Blackfeet should stay and then coping with the fierce neighbourhood dog whose barking sends May into meltdown,  birthday party bungles, tumultuous trips to town, fireworks and thunderstorms and other everyday occurrences that are daunting and overwhelming. 

For newly independent readers, particularly those who love cats, this is a charming story of how a pet can change a life, and help even the most timid or shy have the courage to take on the world