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Bathe the Cat by Alice B. McGinty ill. David Roberts

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 10 Feb 2022

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“Cleanly rendered illustrations show the family dutifully following orders while things go hilariously wrong. Roberts’s  precise pencil and watercolor illustrations go beyond the entertaining premise to matter-of-factly portray a family at the intersection of a number of identities.” Horn Book
“The colourful illustrations are an absolute joy, and contain so many wonderful details, from stylish clothing to the fabulous facial expressions of the characters.” BookTrust
“Pencil and watercolor scenes by Roberts  emphasize the increasing goofiness of the family’s repeated efforts to get their mess under control, and light rhymes by McGinty  pair smartly with the amusing concept.” Publishers Weekly
“McGinty’s jaunty, rhyming text makes for a fun read-aloud, but Roberts’ brightly colored, energetic illustrations are the real attraction. The increasingly frantic family, with light to dark skin tones, doing silly tasks from a muddled list will incite giggles. The smart and sneaky puss wins the day.” KIRKUS

 

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This riotous romp of a picture book follows a frantic family as they try to get some chores done-with no help from the family cat, who keeps scrambling the list of chores with hilarious effects. Get ready for a rollicking read-aloud with a truly purrfect ending.

It’s cleaning day, but the family cat will do anything to avoid getting a bath. So instead of mopping the floor or feeding the fish, the family is soon busy rocking the rug, vacuuming the lawn, and sweeping the dishes. Bouncy rhyme carries the story headlong into the growing hilarity, until finally Dad restores some kind of order-but will the cat avoid getting his whiskers wet?

Dad and Papa are the heads of this large and loving biracial family, mirroring illustrator David Robert’s own orientation and providing picture book readers with a positive depiction of LGBTQ+ characters in a fun and funny family story.

Alice McGinty is a prolific author of books for children, and David Roberts is well-known for his work on the popular Questioneers series. Together, their upbeat text and energetic art with pops of neon color make for a standout picture book, just right for gifting and enjoying together at storytime.

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A Cat Called Waverley by Debi Gliori

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 31 Aug 2021

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Born in a city park, Waverley has breakfast with a postman, lunch with Mrs McKinnon and her kittens, afternoon tea with the soldiers at The Castle, but spends every evening and night with his best friend, Donald. Until, one fateful day, Donald signs up to fight in a war-zone far away. Loyal and patient, the homeless little ginger cat waits for his friend at Edinburgh’s Waverley Station. He waits… and waits. Years go by but Waverley never gives up. He knows that home is where Donald is. Will Donald ever return and will he and Waverley find a home at last?

Debi Gliori, on her reasons for basing the story around a cat: “The addition of [Donald’s] fictional ginger cat, also homeless, added a poignant counterpoint to a story of war and the damage done. The cat’s story, of spending years being homeless in Edinburgh, also echoed that of his beloved human, serving in some far-off desert war, in ways which I hope will spark meaty subject matter for discussion in a classroom context.

The other reason I invented a cat? If we have to develop more kindness and empathy as a species, and all recent evidence points in this direction, then let it be a two-way process of development to be shared between adults and children. Children, on first exposure to the sight of homeless street people, are curious about why anyone would want to live their lives in such a precarious fashion, at the mercy of the elements, down in the dirt, begging for money. Adults, being more accustomed to witnessing such injustices, are made to feel deeply uncomfortable by having to explain why such inequalities exist. With the aid of stories like A Cat Called Waverley, children and adults can learn from each other, but only if we engage in honest and truthful discussions about the way our societies work ( or fail to work). This is challenging subject matter, but by using the cat’s story as a form of proxy, it enables us to enter into such discussions from a place of safety. Just as I used an animal’s story ( a fox, in ‘No Matter What’) to discuss the subject of death, I deliberately used the cat’s story to discuss homelessness.” from Just Imagine

For more background on the book’s genesis, see also this CILIP blog post by Debi Gliori.

Debi Gliori on Meet An Illustrator.

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The Bookshop Cat by Cindy Wume

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 24 Aug 2021

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“Utterly delightful” BookTrust
“A good, old fashioned narrative story with no rhyming or gimmicks, making it a delight for bedtime, or for early readers who are progressing towards longer paragraphs and more complex concepts.” Charming Language

The Bookshop Cat loves his job at the Children’s Bookshop, where he spends his time reading, purring and recommending his favourite books to all the children that come into the shop. But one day, disaster strikes! The bookshop is flooded, and the children stop coming to visit. With a bit of help from his family and friends, the Bookshop Cat comes up with a brilliant plan to bring the Children’s Bookshop back to life!

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Gaspard’s Foxtrot by Zeb Soanes ill. James Mayhew

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 4 Mar 2021

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Gaspard’s friend Finty the dog and her owner Honey are travelling to a classical concert in London’s Hyde Park – if only Gaspard could join them! But while good-naturedly attempting to return Honey’s scarf, the handsomest fox in London suddenly finds himself on a tour through the city’s streets aboard Finty’s bus passing some of London’s best sight-seeing spots such as: Islington Green, Museum Street, Chinatown, the theatres of the West End, Piccadilly and many more.
This latest adventure in the Gaspard the Fox series sees Gaspard thrust literally to centre stage as he becomes a musical inspiration.

Read our Meet An Illustrator Feature:
https://www.achuka.co.uk/blog/meet-an-illustrator-2-james-mayhew/

Follow the illustrator on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrjamesmayhew/
Follow the author on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zebsoanes/

Earlier adventures:
Gaspard The Fox
Gaspard Best In Show

Maggie Blue and the Dark World by Anna Goodall

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 2 Feb 2021
Sunday Times Children’s Book of the Week 21 Mar 2021
Costa Book Awards 2021 Shortlist

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A  gripping tale of friendship, courage and the power of being yourself. Cover design by Sandra Dieckmann.

Maggie Blue is an outsider, both at home and at school. She lives with her eccentric aunt Esme, and has no friends other than the irascible Hoagy, a stray cat who can talk to her. When Magge sees Ida, her foe from school, being taken through a window to another world by one of their teachers who has transformed into a wolf, she is determined to save her, whatever the cost. But the dark world is full of danger, a place where happiness is valued above all else, and Maggie discovers that her role is far more important than anyone could have guessed.

After working in publishing, running a small literary magazine, bookselling and very occasional journalism, Anna took a Masters in Scriptwriting at Goldsmiths but instead of doing what she was meant to do after that (ie, write a film or at least a short film) decided to write a novel instead.  This is it.

The Kitten Next Door – Animal Stories 47 by Holly Webb ill.Sophy Williams

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Sophia loves cats but her parents think she and her sister are too young to have one of their own. So when a tiny kitten creeps through the fence from next door’s garden, Sophia immediately falls in love with her.
Then Sophia hears that her neighbours are moving away. She won’t get to see Willow any more! To her surprise, though, the little kitten is left behind. Can Sophia convince Mum and Dad to give Willow a new home?

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Mog author Judith Kerr, 94, to publish new book Katinka’s Tail

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Almost 50 years after the appearance of one of the most famous felines in children’s books, Mog creator Judith Kerr is to publish a book inspired by her latest pet cat, Katinka. The much-loved author and illustrator, who celebrated her 94th birthday last week, is to publish Katinka’s Tail in the autumn.The story of a “perfectly ordinary cat with a not-so-ordinary tail” was inspired by Kerr’s observations of her cat, the ninth in an inspirational line. “She is a ridiculous-looking white cat with a tabby tail that looks as though it belonged to somebody else,” she said. It was watching the “bizarre” behaviour of her first family pet, Mog – which included licking her sleeping daughter’s hair – that inspired the eponymous stories beloved by generations of children.

via Mog author Judith Kerr, 94, to publish new book Katinka’s Tail | Books | The Guardian.

Mog’s Christmas Calamity

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Sainsbury’s has turned to one of the nation’s best loved children’s book characters, Judith Kerr’s Mog, for its festive campaign highlighting the importance of sharing at Christmas.

Developed in partnership with Kerr’s publishers – HarperCollins Children’s Books – and Kerr herself, the full length three-and-a-half minute long film, entitled Mog’s Christmas Calamity, debuted across multiple channels at 7:15pm this evening (Thursday 12 November).

via Sainsbury’s partners with children’s author Judith Kerr and Save the Children for ‘Mog’s Christmas Calamity’ | The Drum.

Hachette Children’s Books – My Cat Pip: Pip, Pip, Hooray!

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PIP

The first batch of these My Cat Pip books arrived in the Spring, and as my wife is called Pip they immediately caught my eye. The books are credited to Karen Bendy of Over The Moon Design. Click the link to the Hachette Children’s Books website for more details.

The first books from My Cat Pip, a popular international brand in merchandising, homeware, stationery and apparel. Pip is an award-winning character with over 1.5 million products sold to date worldwide.

Pip is a little black puss with a very big heart – always ready to try new things, even if his adventures don’t quite turn out as planned! This interactive flap book is bursting with surprises and fun. Preschool children will love dressing Pip in cute little outfits, peeping inside his house, and discovering lots of hidden kitty-cats!

Pip regularly appears in SparkleWorld (the number one multi-character magazine) and Easy Peasy alongside some of the biggest brands in the industry. He is a star in the making! If you like Hello Kitty, you’ll love Pip!
Other books in the series: Where Are You Pip? (a fun look and find book), Purrfect Pip! Sticker Book, Showtime Pip! Sticker Book. Read more about Pip at www.pipthecat.com.

via Hachette Children’s Books – My Cat Pip: Pip, Pip, Hooray! – Group.