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Hats Are Not for Cats!

Jun1
Hats Are Not for Cats!

Hats Are Not for Cats!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hats Are Not for Cats!

Jacqueline K. Rayner

HarperCollins, 2023

30pp., board book., RRP $A16.99

9780358731085

Who hasn’t heard of the cat in the hat – the Dr Seuss story that is a staple for all little people?  But what if hats are not for cats?

In this fun rhyming book for our youngest readers, a bossy dog in a very fancy hat is laying down the law to the cat that hats are not for them.  But the cat disagrees.  Who wins the argument? Or can there be a compromise?

Young readers can learn a lot about peaceful conflict resolution in this simple, silly story as they put themselves in the shoes of both the cat and the dog.  Perhaps they can figure out a win-win solution.  And then have fun designing a hat for a dog and a hat for a cat!

 

 

Robodog

May8
Robodog

Robodog

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robodog

David Walliams

Adam Stower

HarperCollins, 2023

320pp., pbk., RRP $A19.99

9780008581435

Bedlam is one of the most dangerous places on Earth – home to a host of wicked villains, it has a huge crime problem. Nothing and nobody is safe from these evil criminals. The Chief of Police is stressed because she can’t  get ahead of it, and the entire city is now suffering. There is rubbish everywhere, smog in the air and pollution in the rivers.  Usually  the city Police Dog Training school trains excellent crime-fighting dogs to help her and the police force to keep the crims in check but even this isn’t working any more. She needs MORE. What could possibly help the city of Bedlam? And then she gets an idea!

At home, she asks her clever wife who is a Professor to build her the perfect dog. A dog than can do all the things the Police Dogs can, but even better! At first the Professor isn’t sure about building such a thing – a Robot Dog and their cat Velma is horrified at the idea. until now, she has had the Chief and Professor to herself and that’s how she likes it. Why on earth would they introduce a dog of all things to her happy household? She goes completely mad when the Professor presents Robodog!

The bedlam in Bedlam really steps up. There is a billion dollar robbery to be foiled, where only a rat who swears he’s a mouse can save the day. Velma is determined to wipe not only Robodog off the planet but every other dog in Bedlam, and suddenly every villain has escaped from Bedlam Prison. What is a Robodog to do?

Thoroughly modern, action-packed and easy to read with all sorts of illustrations that enhance and explain the text throughout, this is one for all Walliams fans, those who enjoy fast-moving slapstick humour and those who may be reluctant to tackle such a thick book, thinking they don’t have the skills to master it.  David Walliams is such a prolific author that this could become an opportunity to create a display of his works with your older, not-so-able readers taking the lead in providing a review or synopsis of each one to entice others to read them.  Not only does it give them a purpose for reading, but provides an opportunity to read at their level without stigma.  

 

 

In or Out: A Tale of Cat Versus Dog

Mar23
In or Out: A Tale of Cat Versus Dog

In or Out: A Tale of Cat Versus Dog

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In or Out: A Tale of Cat Versus Dog

Stacy Gregg

Sarah Jennings

HarperCollins, 2023

32pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9780008549237

Dog wants in. He’s trying to build blocks, play with his cars and finish his painting masterpiece.  Cat wants in. No, Cat wants out. In. Out. In. Out. It’s enough to drive Dog crazy!

Any child with a cat or a dog is going to relate to this hilarious story as they recognise the familiar situation of their pet not being able to make up its mind about being in or out.  Whether they have the patience of Dog is another matter.

But the power in this story for our youngest readers is that they can tell the story for themselves just by looking at the picture and thus predicting the simple, large text that accompanies it. They can be “real readers”, strengthening their belief that they will master those squiggles on the page by looking at the context and drawing on their existing knowledge to make sense of what is going on. That, in itself, makes this book worthwhile and the underlying themes of friendship and understanding wrapped up in an hilarious, familiar circumstance  just add to the fun. 

Cats in Chaos

Nov18
Cats in Chaos

Cats in Chaos

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cats in Chaos

Peter Bentley

John Bond

HarperCollins, 2022

32pp., pbk., RRP $A19.99

 9780008469184

In the dark of night, as their owners sleep, the cats of the city are all headed to one place: Catsby’s Great Circus! Step this way and see conjuring cats, felines that fly, Siamese that swing from above, and don’t miss the mighty PURRCULES CLAW. But with so much activity, it only takes one little mouse in the wrong place to put the whole circus in chaos…

I have to confess to not being  a “cat person”  although I have always loved T. S. Eliot’s Macavity’s Not Therethat lingers in the back of my childhood memories as one of the few poems I truly loved from my schooldays.  But this rhyming, tumbling jumble of cats would be up there too, now, as one to share with students just for the fun of the language, let alone the storyline.  Bright, eye-catching pictures capture the chaos as the story hums along with humour and madness – all the qualities that are going to engage young readers who are going to wonder what their cats do at night.  Are they cunning criminals in league with Macavity, the Hidden Paw, or are they secret circus artists with talents hidden from their owners? 

Floof

Jul13
Floof

Floof

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Floof

Heidi McKinnon

Albert Street Books, 2022

32pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9781761180088

This is Floof.
Floof is floofy.
Floof is VERY floofy.
Floof is the FLOOFIEST!
Floof is going to have a very busy day…

This is a story for our youngest readers, particularly those who have big, fluffy cats because they will recognise their pet immediately.  From breakfast in the morning till the final evening snooze, Floof is busy, often creating havoc unintentionally as he just goes about his day.  

The text is simple and little ones will need to connect it with the illustrations to fully appreciate McKinnon’s tale, an essential part of those early reading behaviours as they learn to read beyond the lines.  In fact, the astute adult will skip the words initially, and have the child suggest what is going on, getting them to retell Floof’s adventures in their own words. 

While we are familiar with those who over-write, who share every detail in words as though their audience cannot see or draw their own connections, this is a case of less is more, and in that, lies it appeal and brilliance. 

Cat Spies Mouse

May15
Cat Spies Mouse

Cat Spies Mouse

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cat Spies Mouse

Rina A. Foti

Dave Atze

Big Sky, 2022

32pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9781922615213

When Cat spies mouse, he grabs him and tells him he is going to gobble her up.  But being a feisty mouse, she disagrees and asks, “Why would you do that?” And so begins a back-and-forth conversation about the fairness of bigger being allowed to eat smaller because “that’s the way it is”. Mouse, who must be terrified, nevertheless has courage and tries to convince Cat that it would be better to be friends, but Cat is not interested until along comes D-O-G!

Told entirely in conversation with different coloured text identifying each speaker, this is a charming story about assumed power invested by size – just because you’re bigger doesn’t make you in charge – and it will promote discussion about whether being little means giving in or having rights. Is Cat (or Dog) a bully? Mouse’s arguing against the status quo is very reminiscent of little ones who feel injustice keenly but who don’t quite know how to get something sorted, although they are determined to win and make their own world fairer. Having the courage to speak up for change is a big lesson in assertiveness, and while parents might end the conversation with “Because I said so!” it is nevertheless a sign that their little one is maturing and gaining independence.

The illustrations are divine – set on a white background, all the emotions and feelings are contained in the animals’ body language and facial expressions that even without being able to read the words for themselves, very young readers will still be able to work out the story and participate in that crucial pre-reading behaviour.

Don’t be fooled by its apparent simplicity – this is a thought-provoking read that we can all take heed of, regardless of our age!

That Cat

Mar19
That Cat

That Cat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That Cat

Jacqueline Harvey

Kate Isobel Scott

Puffin, 2022

24pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9781761040702

All over the country I meet lots of interesting cats

Cats of all shapes and sizes in many different guises…

Using simple rhyming terms but very clever, detailed illustrations to completely engage the reader, this is a brilliant book for all cat-lovers and all ages.  For the Mat Cat is not a modest moggy curled up on a rug in front of the fire as you might expect, but a very fit, energetic yoga expert!  The Rat Cat hasn’t caught something nasty to leave at the front door but an echo of the Pied Piper of Hamelin.

While young readers will love being able to read it for themselves because of the simple rhyming pattern, it is drawing the connections between the words and the pictures that adds depth, humour and a storyline that has the most comforting ending. Author and illustrator first met when Harvey taught Scott at school and that relationship shines through this book as though Scott knew that Harvey would never intend for a Fat Cat to be a self-satisfied feline surrounded by dead mice. 

Adorable in itself, and never written to be an instructional text, nevertheless this is one that could be shared with a class focusing on phonics and word families (don’t get me started…) but in a fun way where the children search out other -at words and then use their imaginations to illustrate them in surprising ways.   Or just re-interpret the words in the story.  Either way, they will not only learn a common sound for the -at combination but also start to look at character and how that can be expressed in the details of an illustration.  Can what has happened to Scat Cat be any more obvious even though there are but three words on the page???  The cues and clues offered through the pictures in a picture book are a critical, integral part of the child’s early language and reading development and texts like there that require a focus on both are an essential part of any book collection. 

 

Go Home, Cat!

Mar8
Go Home, Cat!

Go Home, Cat!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Go Home, Cat!

Sonya Hartnett

Lucia Masciullo

Puffin, 2022

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781760899493

When Nicholas finds a silver coin while he is playing in the garden, his first thoughts are that he can buy his favourite liquorice with it. So he sets off for the shops – the reader can follow his journey on the map on the endpages – only to discover that his beloved cat is following him.  No matter how often he says ,”Go home, Cat,” the cat keeps following. He crosses the road carefully but just as he pushes open the sweet shop door, he sees Cat stuck in the middle of the road, a very dangerous place to be…

Celebrating nothing more than the love and bond between a boy and his pet, this is a heart-warming, almost old-fashioned story that harks back to an era that perhaps many of its target audience are unfamiliar with.  For who among them can remember when there were little sweet shops in the main street, their windows filled with all sorts of delights and the anticipation of what to choose on the rare occasion there was money to spare, being as exciting as the purchase itself?  OH&S inspectors would be down like a ton of jaffas on such a place now, but this story took me back to Mary Gray’s lolly shop (and her fabulous fudge) in the Whitcombe & Tomb’s arcade in my childhood Christchurch, aided and abetted by Masciullo’s artistry which takes us back to a different time! How did we survive being offered handmade lollies in jars and trays, carefully scooped into white paper bags, sealed with a twist? Definitely dreaming with eyes open, here!

A companion story to Come Down, Cat, this is a nostalgic trip down memory lane that needs to be shared between grandparent and grandchild. 

 

Cat & Cat Adventures: The Quest for Snacks

Mar5
Cat & Cat Adventures: The Quest for Snacks

Cat & Cat Adventures: The Quest for Snacks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cat & Cat Adventures: The Quest for Snacks

Susie Yi

HarperCollins, 2022

96pp., graphic novel, RRP $A14.99

9780063083806

One day when their human leaves for work, Squash and Ginny find themselves in the most unfortunate predicament: without snacks. With a little help from a magical portal, the two cats embark on a quest to find ingredients for a potion that will produce unlimited goodies.

At first, their mission doesn’t seem so tough. It takes them on a boat race across Mewmaid Ocean and a hot air balloon ride over Mount Lava. But when the cats reach the Enchanted Rain Forest to gather enchanted rainwater, the last item on their list, their mission runs dry. . . It turns out it hasn’t rained in the Enchanted Rain Forest in weeks! 

Can Squash and Ginny get to the bottom of what’s causing this dry spell and secure the final ingredient they need Or have Squash and Ginny taken their last bite . . . for good?

Ever since comics, and their more sophisticated cousins, graphic novels, have been readily available there has been debate about their validity as reading material, particularly in schools.  Despite their popularity with students, there is controversy over whether they are “real reading” and so to offer a story in graphic novel format that is clearly aimed at young readers may spark discussion, if not debate.  While I, as teacher, reviewer, parent and grandparent, have no qualms about the format being one who believes that anything that includes text is available to read, the dichotomy is whether those who have the skills to bring all that is necessary to reading this story, will be engaged by a plot most suited for young readers.  Obviously, there are those who are very young who will be able to manage it, but to me, there is a disconnect between the target audience of the narrative and those with the wherewithal to get the most out of it.  So while there is clearly a demand for graphic novels, could the story have been presented in a different format and thus reach more readers?

For those faced with the dilemma of the inclusion of this format in general into their collections, the following articles were shared in a recent discussion on a forum for teacher librarians…

Understanding Comics

Why Graphic Novels Are Storytelling Quicksand for Reluctant Readers (In a Good Way)

Graphic Novels for Kids: Classroom Ideas, Booklists, and More

Cat Problems

Jan19
Cat Problems

Cat Problems

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cat Problems

Jory John

Lane Smith

Walker, 2021

48pp., hbk., RRP $A26.99

9781529506136

What could a pampered house cat possibly have to complain about?

Just like most cats, this cat lives an extremely comfortable life. But he has his problems, too… The sun spot he’s trying to bathe in just won’t stop moving. The nosy neighbour squirrel just can’t seem to mind its own business. And don’t even get him started on the monster that is the vacuum cleaner! It’s an absolute menace! Will this cat ever find the silver lining? 

The creators of both Penguin Problems and Giraffe Problems  have teamed up again with this new story that not only entertains but, like the others, has a subtle sub-text that is just right for these times.  Because while it has been an inside-cat for eight years and longs for a change of scenery, the squirrel has a different perspective on the outdoors and tells the cat so. Instead of being hand-fed in a warm cosy, exclusive setting, it has to share its tree, be out in all weathers and continually forage for its food. So while we might be tired of this pandemic and all its restrictions, there are those in other places who have it much tougher.  The grass is not necessarily greener… And while life, particularly misery and grief, is not a competition it is useful to view things through a different lens at times so we can be grateful for what we have. Even if we can’t get our favourite takeaway chicken right now because of supply chain issues, what would it be like to not even know if and when you are going to have another meal at all?

This a particularly relatable story for our young readers, not only because they have experienced the cat’s frustration of being confined, but because many of them will have their own cats and will have seen the behaviours that John and Smith so clearly articulate in words and pictures. But it might also give pause for thought – even though the preferred option is for cat-owners to keep their pets indoors these days, is that fair on a cat whose origins are wild and whose instincts are to be outdoors?

As with Penguin Problems and Giraffe Problems, the reader is once again encouraged to view particular situations through the perspective of others, a skill that helps develop both empathy and compassion while making them more aware of the impact of their own actions on others.  A powerful trilogy in the mindfulness collection.