Tick-Tock Around the Clock

Tick-Tock Around the Clock: A day in the life of a cat

Ruth Brown

Scallywag Press, 2026

32pp., hbk., RRP $A29.99

9781836300410

As the clock strikes 7.00am – bong, bong, bong, bong, BONG, BONG, BONG – each chime getting louder as it intrudes into Tick-Tock’s sleep, it is time for this cat to wake up and begin the day, beginning with breakfast. Then it is time to click-clack through the catflap and venture into the busy garden – where the action really heats up as the squirrels and a cheeky mouse let Tick-Tock know they are there and they are in charge.

Told through the most stunning illustrations and not much more than a series of onomatopoeic phrases, this is the story of the chaos that ensues when Tick-Tock’s ire is raised when the squirrels pelt him with acorns and he spies the mouse and gives chase…

A peek inside…

It is another masterpiece from the creator of A Dark, Dark Tale, a story which had my beginning readers enthralled all those years ago because its limited text and captivating pictures meant they could read the story by themselves – suddenly they were readers! And this is no different because even if they can’t quite work out the words, there is so much else happening on the pages, they can make up their own text. Even if the garden is quintessentially English, and they may not be familiar with squirrels and oak trees, it doesn’t matter because the tale of a cat chasing a mouse is universal, as is that of the daily routines of a cat. Those who own cats may well recognise their own in Tick-Tock but even the most ardent dog-lovers can appreciate the joy and charm of this story.

While teachers’ notes are available, slightly older readers might like to consider how Tick-Tock is feeling throughout the day, building their vocabulary with synonyms, or think about what he might see and do if he were in an Australian garden, while those studying literary devices such as onomatopoeia have the perfect example of it in print providing an opportunity for them to retell the story with their own suggestions.

Something special that may lead them to her other works like A Dark Dark Tale and Greyfriars Bobby which may, in turn, lead them to the original of that classic true tale.

Cat Nap

Jan23

Cat Nap

Cat Nap

Brian Lies

HarperCollins US, 2026

48[[., hbk., RRP $a29.99

9780062671288

In the warm, late afternoon sunlight, a girl sits on the couch reading a book while her kitten dozes nearby. But when Kitten hears a scritching noise and notices a mouse that dives after it through a framed poster on the wall advertising an exhibition of Egyptian Antiquities, the kitten cannot resist the chase and an epic pursuit through time, art, and history begins. As the cat and mouse leap from one page to the next, they are portrayed in the style of masterful artworks from history—an ancient Egyptian relief, an illuminated manuscript, a stained-glass window, a ceramic dog—each painstakingly and lovingly re-created in its original media by Brian Lies. When the sly mouse gets away, Kitten finds himself lost and alone. Will art help him find his way home?

To be honest, not being a student of art history or really having the faintest idea about paintings beyond being able to recognise the Mona Lisa and knowing the Claude Monet was a Frenchman who liked waterlilies, much of this story went over my head. BUT thankfully. not only does its creator identify the artworks and their stories in the back matter, but he explains his painstaking work physically recreating the originals so he could have authentic illustrations for his story. And even though the reader might now have the same patience and skill, there is a strong message that whatever you like to make, the key to improvement is practice and the achievement is fun and satisfying. “If people before us could do it, why not me? Why not you?”.

A peek inside…

Others more knowledgeable than I am, have reviewed that literary, artistic and technical merits of this book – the word masterpiece has been used frequently – and an internet search readily delivers them, but for me it is an intriguing way to introduce young readers to the different styles and media that artists use, as well as considering how art, like stories and music, have been a constant thread connecting people’s lives throughput history. While all the pieces depicted in the story itself are on display at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art or at the Met Cloisters, it could be an opportunity to investigate the value of galleries, museums and libraries in preserving human history – such as the statue of Matthew Flinders’ cat Trim at the NSW State Library – perhaps even visiting a local institution to see how their town’s history has been interpreted.

A Cat Called Trim

Jan15

A Cat Called Trim

A Cat Called Trim:: Voyages Around Australia and the World with Matthew Flinders

Corinne Denton

Craig Smith

A & U Children’s, 2026

32pp., hbk., RRP $A26.99

9781761182693

In the days of sail, particularly, ship’s cats were common, deliberately kept to keep the rats and mice that seemed to be constant cargo at bay. But, perhaps the most famous one of all was Trim who travelled the world as the special pet of Matthew Flinders, the explorer who gave Australia it’s modern name after proving that it was, indeed an island.

Immortalised in many books including Flinders’ own biography Trim, Being the True Story of a Brave Seafaring Cat, Matthew Flinders’ Cat by Bryce Courtenay, and Trim illustrated by Annette Macarthur-Onslow, a podcast telling his story, and even having six memorial statues dedicated to him including this one on a window ledge in the Mitchell Library in Sydney, this is a re-release of this book by one of Australia’s foremost authors of narrative non-fiction for young readers.

Trim

On a dark night 225 years ago a little kitten. more adventurous than his brothers and sisters, fell from the deck of HMS Reliance into the deep, dark sea doomed to drown if it had not been for the quick thinking of a sailor, Matthew Flinders who threw a rope to the struggling creature and it was smart enough to clamber to safety. And so began a unique relationship between the two that lasted until Flinders was captured by the French, accused of being a British spy and imprisoned on Mauritius for years. While Trim was with him initially, after a few months it was time for him to seek a new adventure…

In this stunning picture book, Fenton and Smith have drawn on a wide variety of sources to present the story of this famous cat to younger readers , offering not only a true tale but also a glimpse into the early exploration of this country, perhaps sparking an investigation of Flinders’ own story and its wider ramifications. Fenton’s factual retelling of Trim’s adventures combined with Smith’s detailed, lifelike illustrations bring together a story that all our children should know in a way that puts a human face on history, bringing names and events to life in a unique way that will show them there are special stories behind the facts and figures, maps and charts.

A peek inside…

Cat’s Christmas

Dec12

Cat’s Christmas

Cat’s Christmas

Alison Murray

Bloomsbury, 2025

32pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9781526665614

Cat HATES Christmas.

He hates the fancy decorations. He hates the sickly food and the silly presents. And he hates the surprise visitors that come to stay . . . He loves peace and quiet, familiar tings and routines. And when a dog takes his place on the little girl’s lap, that is the last straw – and off he goes outside to express his feelings to the night sky.

But maybe Christmas isn’t ALL bad. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, the festive season can surprise you.

From the moment you glance at the illustration on the front cover you know this story is going to be about a grumpy cat, and indeed, much of this story is carried in Cat’s expressions so even our youngest readers are going to be able to tell it to themselves over and over again. If they have a cat themselves they might compare this animal’s behaviour to that of their own pet – dies it, too, hate the disruption to its daily life?

Much is said about how cats actually rule their households, making their likes and dislikes known and Alison Murray has certainly captured this in both the text and illustrations, and maybe, even the human who hates Christmas might look at it through new eyes.

Spud and Snowball and the Fancy Fish

Nov16

Spud and Snowball and the Fancy Fish

Spud and Snowball and the Fancy Fish

Judith Rossell

ABC Books, 2025

128pp., pbk., RRP $A15.99

9780733343865

Every day, Spud and Snowball lie on the couch and watch TV. When they see an ad for Fancy Fish, the two cats work out a way to have this new food delivered to their doorstep. But what arrives is totally unexpected …

Can Spud and Snowball outwit this loud, bossy and very fancy intruder?

This is a new series that is going to captivate the newly independent reader who loves cats. With its hilarious storyline and format that has all the supports the young reader needs including mimicking the graphic novels that their older siblings and peers are reading, this is one that provides that vital stepping stone to more complex reads.

A peek inside…

While it’s a long way from the more sophisticated novels like the Stella Montgomery series and The Midwatch that we are used to seeing from this talented author/illustrator, nevertheless the quality of the story is still there with Rossell’s characteristic imagination and humour yet underlying thought-provoking provocation. Even though as humans, young readers might not have been tempted by an ad for Fancy Fish, there will be many who have seen something so cleverly marketed that they MUST have it NOW! And their lives will not be complete if they don’t. And having pestered until they get it, discovered it’s not necessarily what they envisaged. Everyone will have a story to tell…

So as well as being an entertaining read that promises sequels that will appeal, this is also a chance to introduce the concepts of advertising and the marketing tactics that are used to draw us in – particularly as Christmas is upon us – who really wants a pompous opera-singing fish named Sir Mimsy Woffle-Poffle Foffington who thinks you are his servants when you are expecting a delicious treat to replace your regular, boring Kitty-Bix?

Shibu’s Tail

Sep30

Shibu’s Tail

Shibu’s Tail

Tess Thomas

Kamwei Fong

A & U Children’s, 2025

48pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781761182525

Whatever Shibu the cat is feeling, whether he’s happy, afraid or literally bristling with anger, his tail tells his mood. But when the other cats started looking at him strangely when he expressed his feelings this way, rather than attracting the spotlight, he decides to stifle them. Shibu represses his joy over the milk delivery, his rage over a broken toy, and his fear during a lightning storm but while it might have helped him blend in with those other cats, it wasn’t long before he felt that he was going to explode. And then, one day, he did…

Using thousands of tiny, monochromatic strokes as fine as cat fur to depict Shibu and his emotions, and including a tactile cover, this is a masterful depiction of a cat and its feelings, that once shared with young readers, will enable them to return to it again and again to tell themselves the story unassisted, while the story itself can serve to help them understand that emotions are natural expressions and it is healthy to share how we are feeling, particularly if we are starting to feel overwhelmed.

A peek inside…

There are many books available to help our youngest learn to recognise and deal with their emotions, but the development of emotional intelligence is a gradual process, different for each and so the more often they hear this message the better equipped they will be. What sets this particular one apart is that by using Shibu and his tail to express his feelings, they can begin to think about how others might be feeling rather than just themselves. Learning to interpret facial expressions and body language is a critical skill in developing relationships and this is an excellent gateway to discussing, “How can you tell if someone is feeling….?” or “How can you tell if your mum is cross with you?” They can have lots of fun pulling all sorts of expressions and adopting different stances, while at the same time learning that there are messages being conveyed and some contain a line not to be crossed.

Shmoof

Jul17

Shmoof

Shmoof

Heidi McKinnon

Albert Street, 2025

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

9781760876661

Shmoof is Shmoofy.
Shmoof is super shmoofy.
Shmoof is ready to be best friends.
But Floof? Floof is not so sure…

The sequel to Floof, this is an hilarious story of Floof, who, being a cat, rules the household, being introduced to a newcomer to the family – and it is a dog!

It’s a classic tale of cat meets dog and the interactions between the two are all you’d expect -until they find a common enemy.

Told is very limited text because the action is carried long perfectly in the distinctive illustrations which express the thoughts and feelings of both Schmoof nd Floof so well, the young reader can really engage with the story using their own words to tell the story, developing all sorts of early reading behaviours as they do, including the way some words just roll around your mouth. Both animals have particular individual personalities – the cuddliness of friendly Shmoof and the haughtiness of aloof Floof – and as well as sharing the story, littlies will enjoy sharing stories about their own pets, perhaps even venturing into how there was someone or something they didn’t like but have overcome the feelings.

One to put on the must-share-with-preschool list.

Detective Beans: Adventures in Cat Town

Jul10

Detective Beans: Adventures in Cat Town

Detective Beans: Adventures in Cat Town

Li Chen

Penguin, 2025

208pp., graphic novel. RRP $A17.99

9781761353406

Dressed in the traditional trench coat and fedora hat that are the trademarks of real detectives, Detective Beans -known as Jellybean to his mother – is a tabby cat who takes his job seriously. He believes he is “a hard-boiled detective cleaning up this city one case at a time” and he is back on the job after solving the mystery of his missing hat.

This time there are many mysteries to solve in between playing Scrabble, having sleepovers and trips to the beach, including who ate Mum’s donuts, who has lost their handbag in the park, which pigeon stole King Chip, or even a burgled diamond ring. Beans is ready for anything. He’s so ready that he’s even starting a detective school – if he can find any students . . .

It’s interesting to watch younger students gravitate towards the graphic novel section of a local school library searching for something in that format that is suitable for both their ability, interest and maturity. Clearly they have the notion that this is the format that real readers read, but it is seldom that they find something to meet their needs, so they will be happy to discover this one which will appeal. A clever but funny cat who is also a detective who solves everyday crimes is much more suitable, particularly if they can solve the mystery before Detective Beans does.

Told through the perspective of his friend Biscuit presenting a documentary featuring some of Bean’s more colourful jobs as well as his everyday life, there are over 30 short stories told in comic form that showcase a variety of Cat Town’s characters who need his help whether it’s a duck who has been burgled or finding Mr Kipper’s gloves, interspersed with some of his daily activities and his ambitions to be a graphic artist himself, so that he is a more-rounded personality that readers will relate to. Even though it is 208 pages, each adventure is a manageable entity making it a good pick-up-and-put-down entry into this format for younger reader, particularly as the text is not written in all upper-case as is usual with graphic novels.

Morris and the Magic of Stories

May28

Morris and the Magic of Stories

Morris and the Magic of Stories

Didier Lévy

Lorenzo Sangio

Thames & Hudson, 2023

40pp., hbk., RRP $A28.99

9780500653258

Morris the cat’s favourite food was mice, but he was tired of having to run around all day to hunt them. He decided it would be much better if he were to lure them to him by reading them stories, just like magic. But no matter what story he chose – sad, funny. boring – he and the mice got so involved in it that when it ended, he was no longer hungry and the mice sauntered off, safe. Just like magic.

Morris even tried writing his own story – but after many attempts at trying to make one up, he decided he wasn’t a story teller at all. But when he shared his own story about a cat who tried to catch mice by reading to them and who, as usual, came to listen, he found that he couldn’t eat them after all. They had all become friends through the magic of stories.

Was Morris going to starve? Or did the mice have a surprise for him?

Ever since I reviewed Wolfgang and the Magic of Music and learned of this predecessor, I’ve been waiting for it to arrive because it seemed to be at the very essence of what we do – share the magic of stories to anyone who will listen – and I was not disappointed because it echoes my current situation. At the start of the year, I volunteered to read to the littlies at the local preschool each week so I could leave the books with them and try to shrink the piles I have collected, but now they give me more than I give them in the form of cuddles and smiles and the inevitable shout of recognition in the supermarket aisle! Love it. The magic of stories. And it spans time and space as 2,204,658 registered participants in 16 632 locations took part in ALIA’s National Simultaneous Storytime last week and already excitement is mounting as CBCA Book Week approaches. And that’s just in Australia!

This is one for all ages. Little ones will just love it for the story itself while those who are older can share their own stories of stories that have significance for them for whatever reason, and maybe create a display of the titles to encourage their friends to read more widely. There is the opportunity to introduce genre as they share sad, funny and boring stories, particularly in the build-up to the Book Week theme – or just celebrate the magic of the printed word that can be revisited over and over or lead you to new places altogether.

Skippy Blackfeet

Mar14

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

The Bottom Shelf

Great books for little people

Archives

Tick-Tock Around the Clock

Cat Nap

A Cat Called Trim

Cat’s Christmas

Spud and Snowball and the Fancy Fish

Shibu’s Tail

Shmoof

Detective Beans: Adventures in Cat Town

Morris and the Magic of Stories

Skippy Blackfeet

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