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Pomona: Stories of the Cat Witch by Tor Freeman

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 8 Oct 2026
Indie Book of the Month October 2026

Publisher: Guppy Publishing Ltd
ISBN: 9781916558823

See also:
Boss Of The Underworld [ACHUKA Book of the Day 5 Mar 2025]

Pomona lives in a little house in the forest, near her friends Ratso, Prince Frog, Elfis and Grandma Wyona.

In this funny and charming collection of stories, she learns how to bake a cake with love, finds a friend for her lonely pet caterpillar, discovers empathy and confirms that there definitely isn’t enough room for anyone else in her hammock!

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Frankenkitty by Maudie Powell-Tuck ill. Mini Grey

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 15 Sep 2026

Publisher: Little Tiger 
ISBN: 9781801048613

“Powell-Tuck goes all in with her spoof of old-time horror tropes, although kids needn’t know who Boris Karloff is to be tickled. For the book’s every scare (a severed foot and hand, their bones visible), there’s a wink (in a bit of metafictive fun, the skull urges readers to opt for a story about “unicorns, beasts, or bears”). Grey, a glutton for detail, leans on menacing reds and sickly greens to capture the frights, which include, in a line for the spooky-story ages, “walls as gray as old underpants.” … A top-grade creepy/funny addition to the spooky-picture-book canon. ” KIRKUS
“Antic artwork fizzes with ghoulish glee across busy, castle-set scenes featuring splashes of electric green and orange. As skittering disembodied appendages and a cerebrum in a jar pull back a tasseled curtain on the story, the narrative voice howls with fun, skipping through horror movie tropes (“IT’S ALIVE!”) and addressing the reader (“You want to turn the page? Be warned!”). An ambiguous finale gets the last laugh in this entertaining readaloud.” PublishersWeekly

From Little Tiger’s acquisition announcement:

Mini Grey said:

As a child, I was a massive fan of all things cheesy-horror, from The Munsters to Carry On Screaming to Young Frankenstein – I loved them all. So when I had a chance to help make a funny horror-zone picture book, I had to take it! 

Maudie Powell-Tuck said:

Frankenkitty is a love letter to Gothic parody – camp, silly, mischievous and just a little bit scary. It’s been an utterly magical experience to pair up with the incredible Mini Grey, and the fabulous Little Tiger Team, to work on this book together.

Here is a tale to chill the blood and thrill the soul – a tale of spooky paws and eerie claws…The tale of Frankenkitty!

Born of stitches and lightning, Frankenkitty wanders the halls of the darketty dark castle. Everyone trembles at the sight of him. But is he really such a foul and loathsome creature? And can anyone save him before it’s too late?

Packed with deliciously dramatic narration from bestselling author Maudie Powell-Tuck and freakishly fun illustrations from Kate Greenaway Medal-winner Mini Grey, this spine-tingling tale serves as a mischievous reminder that looks can be very, very misleading.

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“With Frankenkitty I got the chance to fulfil my illustration dream of making picture book pics that were a homage to all the cheesy horror films I loved when I was a kid (and older.) Scroll to see some of my faves…”

 

 
 
 
 
 
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The Skeleton and the Cat by Brandon James Scott

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 24 Aug 2026

Publisher: HarperCollins 
ISBN: 9780063455887

“The humor is dry and character-driven throughout, and the friendship utterly genuine. Scott’s text sits on clean white pages opposite full, cheerful artwork, including a showstopping spread of the pair dancing together in the flower-drenched garden. Prose and artwork blend seamlessly for a reminder that appearances—bony or otherwise—don’t always tell the whole story. Funny, vibrant, and surprisingly tender—in short, everything a good friendship should be.” KIRKUS
“What is not said in the text is fully articulated in the stunningly expressive digital illustrations that deploy small visual cues to amplify the humor; the scenes in which Cat tries to show Skeleton how to properly eat a sandwich, for example, are made especially comedic by the smiling then unimpressed then horrified faces of the figures in the portraits hanging above them on the wall. ” MUSE

This book garnered five starred reviews in the US. It is rare for books to even receive three. Will it be as well received in the UK? Publishing here this week.

A humorous and touching tale of the unexpected friendship that blossoms between a peaceful skeleton and a persistent cat, told in five short and charming stories.

Skeleton lives alone in lonesome bliss. She reads books, drinks tea, and tends to her garden. It’s simple and peaceful. Until, one day, a cat knocks on the Skeleton’s door…


“Can I come in?” asks the Cat.

Readers and cat lovers of all ages will adore this surprising duo who is sure to convince you that skeletons are gardeners, cats tell good-ish jokes, and, together, they make the best of friends.

Follow Brandon James Scott’s Instagram account. It’s where the idea for the book began, as he told Betsy Bird:

It was originally just a personal art project with these two characters and was never intended as a book. I treated it as a playground for visual ideas for the longest time, and shared them online and built a bit of a following. But after making hundreds of illustrations, the Skeleton and the Cat really started to develop strong personalities and felt like real characters so… I had to do something with them. I have to credit my wonderful literary agent, Emily Van Beek at Folio Jr., for the gentle nudge to pursue making a book with them. She really convinced me it was something worth trying.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Scaredy Cat by Alex Falase-Koya ill. Ken Wilson-Max

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 15 Jul 2026

Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 9781382062954

See also by Alex Falase-Koya:
MARV And The Mega Robot [ACHUKA Book of the Day 4 Feb 2020]

Love this picture book and can’t wait to share it with my grand-daughter when she comes to visit next week. Ken Wilson-Max’s illustrations catch a timid rescue cat’s permanently on-edge expression perfectly. Alex Falase-Koya’s pacing of the story is just right for a picture book. Art the cat is soon nuzzling up beside Gabe the boy to listen to him talking about his comic book.

Gabe is a very shy child, especially at school. But when Gabe’s parents adopt a cat who is even shyer than Gabe, everything begins to change.

Whilst the rest of the family’s attempts to engage with their new pet only send it into hiding, it is Gabe who senses what the cat, Art, needs. Gabe sits quietly reading his favourite comic and slowly, slowly the cat comes out of hiding to join him.

As Gabe and Art bond, both grow in confidence and assurance. So much so that when it is Gabe’s turn to stand up in front of the class and tell them about his favourite book, he surprises himself, and his schoolmates, with his newfound confidence.

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Neighbour’s Cat by Michael Rosen ill. Alex Willmore

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 7 Jul 2026

Publisher: Walker Books
ISBN: 9781529502411

Our neighbour has a cat. We call it “Neighbour’s Cat”. Sometimes, he comes to our house … and he acts like he lives here! But what does he get up to when he’s out of sight upstairs? Does he play with our toys? Take a bubble bath? Or worse?!

Alex Willmore’s artwork tells as well as illustrates the story. At the time of writing, Alex’s Instagram page does not seem to be active but you can see some go his sketches here:
https://www.alexwillmore.co.uk/sketchbook

The poetry book is not a new collection. It is essentially a new edition of The Hypnotiser (1988), with the words from a few additional poems added.

Waffles and Julius: No Hugs Please by Ed Vere

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 8 Jun 202

Publisher: Penguin Random House Children’s UK
ISBN: 9780241709832

See also:
The Elephant And The Sea [ACHUKA Book of the Day 20 May 2024]
The Artist [ACHUKA Book of the Day 11 Apr 2023]

“Vere presents the classic cat-and-dog conflict with humor that primarily comes through his colorful mixed-media illustrations. The dog’s tongue rarely stays in his mouth, his large goggly eyes convey eager excitement, and the cat’s reticence is displayed through a perpetual frown reminiscent of Grumpy Cat’s. The playful text makes for a lively read-aloud. Underneath the silliness is a welcome lesson about patience, respecting boundaries, and accepting others as they are.” Horn Book
“Ed Vere is the master at packing humour into his illustrations.  His images are bold and uncluttered. The focus is on the characters – in this case Waffles and Julius – and their emotions. There is no doubt what each feels conveyed through Vere’s vigorous lines together with his brilliance in facial expressions. The text is pared back to the minimum. There is no need for any extraneous description; it is all there in the images which fill each double spread.” Bfk 5-star

Meet Waffles and Julius.

Waffles loves hugs.
Julius does not.

Waffles would very much like to hug his friend Julius. Julius, however, prefers other things: most notably, cat-naps. But definitely not hugs.

Waffles will wait until Julius is ready. It won’t be so hard…will it?
(Yes…it will.)

Will Waffles get a hug?

Of course!

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Cat Nap by Brian Lies

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ACHUKA Book of the Day

Waterstones
Bookshop

“Utterly beautiful, playfully fun, and, above all, breathtaking.” KIRKUS

Our Russian blue/Siamese mix, Dylan, disappeared one day, and we couldn’t find him anywhere in the house. A few hours later, he reappeared, unruffled, but his whiskers were full of spiderwebs. We wondered where he had gone and surmised that he had found a wormhole in space and time—maybe he’d gone back to ancient Egypt, where cats were revered, and had adventures there! That idea morphed into a wider story about Kitten journeying through works of art from different times and cultures.
Brian Lies, talking to KIRKUS

With lush paintings and intricately constructed 3-D artwork, bestselling and Caldecott Honor–winning author-illustrator Brian Lies introduces a sleepy kitten whose afternoon nap transforms into an epic journey through art, time, and history. Includes a note from the author about how the illustrations were created.

In the warm, late afternoon sunlight, a girl sits on the couch reading a book. Her kitten dozes nearby. But when Kitten notices a mouse and dives after it through a framed poster on the wall, an epic chase through time, art, and history ensues. Is it a dream? That’s up to the reader to decide, but for the kitten, every leap and bound is full of suspense and makes for a masterpiece.

Caldecott Honor–winning andNew York Times bestsellingauthor-illustrator Brian Lies creates a truly unique picture book journey that invites young readers through the galleries of an art museum as well as through time, space, and history. 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?

This visual showstopper by an award-winning and bestselling picture book creator offers readers a page-turning cat and mouse chase, an introduction to famous works of art throughout history, an epic adventure story, and a homecoming. Backmatter includes information about how each of the illustrations in the book was created, notes on the original artworks featured in the book, and an afterword inviting young readers to make, create, and build things.

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Winnie and Wilbur: Looking for Wilbur by Valerie Thomas ill. Korky Paul

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 29 Sep 2025

Waterstones
Bookshop

See also:
Winnie and Wilbur: Winnie the Witch 35th Anniversary Edition [ACHUKA Book of the Day 13 Dec 2022]

Winnie and Wilbur are back! But wait – Wilbur the cat is missing. This is the 27th picture book in the series. Korky Paul’s colourful illustrations are as lively and detailed as ever and Valerie Thomas’s storytelling is pitch perfect.

In Winnie and Wilbur’s latest adventure, Winnie wakes up from an afternoon nap to find her beloved black cat, Wilbur, has vanished. She can’t find him anywhere and her friends haven’t seen him either. Can Winnie use her magic to track down her missing pet?

The best-selling Winnie and Wilbur series has been delighting readers both young and old since 1987 and Winnie and Wilbur have become favourite characters in homes and schools all over the world. Why not try another Winnie and Wilbur picture book-there are over 25 to choose from!

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Korky Paul drawing live at a festival in Lisbon, summer 2025:

My Friend May by Julie Flett

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 25 Jul 2025

Waterstones
Bookshop

“Flett’s (Cree-Métis) signature minimalist illustrations, which make use of rich colors and vivid textures, are a highlight, as is the thorough backmatter, which includes an author’s note, a Plains Cree glossary, and an explanation of the intricate system of family in Cree culture. Cat lovers—especially anyone who’s had a pet disappear, only to turn up in a most unexpected spot—and those interested in Cree language will particularly enjoy this sweet tale. A quiet yet affectionate tribute to familial relationships of all stripes.” KIRKUS
“A delight for young readers, and a reminder that stories—like friendships—are meant to be shared. Tender, beautifully paced, and resonant long after the final page, this is storytelling as an act of care.” BfK
“The story’s surprise ending satisfies, and so does its slow, thoughtful buildup. It’s an emotionally rich telling that smartly, tenderly foregrounds multiple characters’ perspectives to limn close familial connections.” PublishersWeekly

I’d like to tell you a rather true story about a big black cat who started out gray. Her name was May.

Margaux and her cat May became friends when Margaux was just six years old. They grew up together, sharing countless memories along the way. But one day, May is late coming home. Where is May? Is she under the porch? Maybe on the roof?

Margaux’s nitôsis (the Cree word for auntie) helps search for May in the tall grass. But soon nitôsis needs to leave: she’s moving away to the big city, and has to pack her things into boxes. Margaux helps nitôsis, but she can’t take her mind off May. Will she ever return? nitôsis is worried, too. But little do they know, May has a surprise in store for both of them!

This fun and heartwarming story with a surprise happy ending invites readers to share their own cat stories. My Friend May is a tribute to love and the balance between all beings, and the experiences and emotions that connect us all.

From the winner of the New York Times Best Illustrated Book Prize and the American Indian Youth Literature Award

The book also features:

  • a glossary of Cree words used throughout the book
  • backmatter content that includes a pronunciation guide

Julie Flett is a Cree–Métis author, illustrator, and artist who has received numerous awards for her books, including two Governor General’s Awards, the American Indian Library Association Award, and the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award.

That’s Not Stella by Donna Fredin

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 24 Jul 2025

Waterstones
Bookshop

How well do you really know your pets?

Milo is convinced that his cat pet Stella is an imposter! Is Stella just trying some new things or is she a completely different cat altogether? A humorous story of the bond between a young boy and his pet.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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