How to Give Your Cat a Bath in Five Easy Steps - a review

How to Give Your Cat a Bath in Five Easy Steps

by Nicola Winstanley
Illustrations by John Martz
Tundra, 2019

The “five easy steps” in the book’s title are more difficult than they sound when the cat refuses to cooperate! The title page shows a dark-skinned girl with pink hair striding purposefully with a limp white cat under her arm. All signs point to a successful bath experience until,

STEP ONE
Fill the tub with warm water. 

The girl fills the tub with too much warm water, prompting a new step one,

STEP ONE
Put a little warm water in the bath. 

As “step one,” changes with the circumstances, Mr. Flea, escapes. After a lengthy (and messy) search throughout the house, step one becomes,

STEP ONE
Have some milk and cookies. 

The steps change amusingly as the cat wreaks havoc in the house, the water cools to an unacceptable temperature, and the process continues through a multitude of steps before resolving in a way that pleases as least one of the two! Simple ink drawings are digitally colored with a limited palette. The cat’s only coloring is a round pink nose that perfectly matches the girl’s hair buns. The same pink boldly lists the ever-increasing steps required to “give your cat a bath.” Pages are a soft beige with white comic book style margins. The text is witty and droll instruction,

STEP FIVE
Chase your cat down the stairs! 

The girl’s comments appear in white word bubbles above her head,

 “I thought you said there were only five steps!” 

The girl and Mr. Flea burst with action and expression. The result is a hilarious confirmation of the well-known fact that cats do whatever they please. How to Give Your Cat a Bath in Five Easy Steps is sure to be a favorite for small group sharing, cat families, and children who appreciate nuanced hilarity.

Peek inside How to Give Your Cat a Bath.

My copy of How to Give Your Cat a Bath was provided by LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

I am a Cat - a review

I am a Cat
by Galia Bernstein
Abrams, 2018

This is a positively delightful debut picture book that reminds us to celebrate our similarities rather than focus on our differences!

Read this for storytime, or use it as a humorous introduction to a lesson on animal classification. This is definitely one of my new favorites! Watch the video and see for yourself that I am a Cat is a "must-have" picture book.

I can't wait to see what @galiabernstein does next. 😺

Picture Book Roundup - kind, find, and confined

It's been a while since I've done a picture book roundup.  Here are three that struck my fancy:

Kind. This boy is the best!

Have you seen Elephant? 

Written and illustrated by David Barrow.
Gecko Press, 2016

A kind young boy plays hide-and-seek with his elephant friend and takes care to keep the game going, despite the fact that his friend is a very poor hider! Have you seen Elephant? is bright and cheerful and funny, and above all - kind. This is the first book I've seen from Gecko Press and the first by David Barrow. I love it!





Confined? Can the colortamer catch them all?

Swatch: The Girl Who Loved Color

Written and illustrated by Julia Denos
Balzer Bray, 2016

Bright, bold, and expressive, Swatch is a color tamer - trapping and using colors in the most fantastic of ways. A bold and fearless artist, no color had escaped her artistic eye ... no color but one,

"Morning came, and there it was, fast fading and fierce, the King of All Yellows, blooming in the sidewalk crack in spite of the shadows. Swatch was ready .... At last, Yellowest Yellow would be hers."

Or would it?

This is the first book that Julia Denos has written as well as illustrated. I would love this book even if my favorite color were not the hero of the story!


Find. Where is that cat?

Spot, the Cat 

Illustrated by Henry Cole
Little Simon, 2016

A beautifully detailed, wordless book - more than just a seek-and-find, it follows the path of an adventurous cat in the city and the boy who wants to find him. Join the young boy and search the city for Spot, the cat.

Picture Book Roundup - June 2015 edition

Enjoy a slide show version of this month's picture book roundup - a sampling of my new favorites!

 If the slide show doesn't work for you, I've listed the books below with links to my reviews on LibraryThing.

 

• Butterfly Park
• Pepper & Poe
• Bunny Roo, I Love You
• My Pen
• Baby Love

The Cat with Seven Names - an audiobook review

(My review of The Cat with Seven Names, as it appeared in the April, 2014, edition of School Library Journal.)

Johnson, Tony. The Cat with Seven Names. 1 CD. 15 min. Recorded
Books. 2014. $15.75. ISBN 9781490602479. digital
download.

PreS-Gr 2— A plump, seemingly stray cat wanders occasionally into the home of an older librarian. She names her visitor Stuart Little. At an elderly neighbor's home, he receives the moniker Kitty-boy, while a lonely Mexican man names him Placido for his "singing" voice. A homeless vet calls him Dove, for the peace he brings. Only the cat is lacking his own voice in this heartwarming story of a busy neighborhood, full of unconnected adults. Each character has his or her own first-person narrator, each distinctly different. The Hispanic man peppers his speech with Spanish words, as he first meets "Placido" on a day when it rains gatos y perros. Humorous wordplay abounds throughout, in which the cat is the common fixture in the lives of seven adults and a young girl. When the cat has a near accident, the full cast calls out seven different names, as each rushes to save the feline that has befriended them all; and through the cat, they befriend each other. The Cat with Seven Names will be sold with and without its corresponding picture book. Consider purchasing the set. Absent illustrations, the steady stream of elderly and adult voices may not be enough to hold a child's attention.


Copyright © 2014 Library Journals, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. Reprinted with permission.

##

Listen to a sample of The Cat with Seven Names here. 

Simon's Cat vs. the World - a review

Technically an adult book, Simon's Cat, like Garfield, appeals to kids and teens, too.

First published in the UK, Simon's Cat is published in the US by Akashic Books.

Tofield, Simon. 2013. Simon's Cat vs. the World. Brooklyn, NY: Akashic.
(Advance Reader Copy provided by LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program) 

A Facebook, YouTube and Twitter phenomenon, Simon's Cat is as complex in attitude and emotion as he is simple in depiction. This fat, white, bug-eyed cat views himself as the center of the world; and in Simon's Cat vs. The World, the world may be out to get him.

Each page features Simon's Cat and his adversary - chickens, static, Monday, starlings, and many, many more.  Sometimes the world wins (it's hard to look dignified in a "novelty hat") and sometimes Simon's Cat wins (mere cloth cannot keep Simon's Cat from the joyful fun that awaits inside the beanbag chair).

A page of stickers is included as are instructions for drawing several kinds of cats and a squirrel. Less cynical than Garfield, and hipper than Heathcliff, Simon's Cat is irresistible.

My library shelves Simon's Cat books in DDC 817 - American humor and satire.  I think 741.5 - Comic books, graphic novels, fotonovelas, cartoons, caricatures, comic strips is a better fit, however, either way you slice it, it's funny.

Not familiar with Simon's Cat?  Here he is on YouTube.

 Today is Nonfiction Monday. You can find the day's roundup at Stacking Books.  

Next week's roundup is right here!

Picture Book Roundup - May edition

So many great picture books have passed my desk lately.  Here are a few:

• Joose, Barbara. 2012. Old Robert and the Sea-Silly Cats. Ill. by Jan Jutte. New York: Philomel.

Each night, Old Robert counts "his regular things in their regular place"

Clean socks
a clock
my ship in the slip at the dock.
One dish
one spoon
a slice of the silver moon.

Things are always the same until the night a cat asks to come in.  There was no room for a cat on Old Robert's boat,

And yet ...
        and yet ...
               Old Robert said yes ...
... and the cat came in.

This is a delightfully, quirky story about Old Robert, his boat, and how one small decision can change a life (or two, or three, or ...).  Illustrations by the Netherlands' Jan Jutte, give Old Robert and the Sea-Silly Cats a salty and silly air reminiscent of old comics (think Popeye or original Tin Tin) touched with whimsy.  Comforting, repetitive refrains make this a great read aloud. 

There is just something irresistible about Old Robert and the Sea-Silly Cats.

And there's apparently a song available, too,  "Old Roberts Jig" by the Happy Racers.

• Elya, Susan Middleton. 2012. Fire! ¡Fuego! Brave Bomberos. Ill. by Dan Santat. New York: Bloomsbury.

My husband has had a long and wonderful career in the fire department, so I'll admit some partiality to firefighter books, even ones that feature firefighters rescuing cats from trees.  For the record, professional firefighters don't rescue cats from trees. They will, however, rescue animals from fires, and in Fire! ¡Fuego! Brave Bomberos, a house fire traps a poor kitty on an upper floor,

Climbing up la escalera,
KITTY, KITTY,
COME AFUERA.
Coaxed by food in small pedazos,
kitten jumps to outstretched brazos.

See how easy that was?  You're speaking Spanish. Even without the brightly colored double spread illustration of a firefighter on a ladder, hand extended with cat treats, you knew what it meant, and kids will too!  The story rhymes, the meter's fine, and if you need help with pronunciation, it's all in the Glossary.  All bias aside, I like it!

• Kohuth, Jane. 2012. Duck Sock Hop. Ill. by Jane Porter. New York: Penguin. 

I've been waiting to see this one, ever since I saw it on Fuse #8's Librarian Preview.  As usual, Betsy Bird knows her stuff. 

Warm up, wiggle,
stretch your beak.
Duck Sock Hop
comes once a week.

Short, fun, and simple with colorful illustrations surrounded by white space with minimal text on each page.  Perfect for storytime, for toddlers, for reading aloud.

And another song!  This one comes with the free "Duck Sock Hop Bop," composed by Jeremy Stepansky, the author's cousin.  I'm always game for singing, so I'll give it a try.  Thankfully, children are such kind audiences.

And last but not least, a little beauty of a book,

• Isadora, Rachel. 2012. Bea at Ballet. New York: Penguin.

Rachel Isadora's simple words are accompanied by pen and pencil sketches of an adorable mix of multicultural children.  All are highlighted by colorful clothing painted in oils. Another perfect book for very young listeners.

If you have or know a tiny ballerina, this book is a must!

Minette's Feast - an interview with Chad Beckerman

Today I have the pleasure of welcoming Chad Beckerman. He is here in his capacity as Creative Director for Abrams Books for Young Readers, to talk about the newly released Minette's Feast: The Delicious Story of Julia Child and Her Cat, written by Susanna Reich, and illustrated by Amy Bates.

Lisa: Although I did ask to interview the editor of Minette’s Feast, I did not anticipate interviewing the Creative Director for Abrams books.  When I looked you up online, I admit to being more than slightly intimidated by your very impressive resume.  I’m interviewing the art director behind the wildly successful Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Origami Yoda series? Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes? The artistic muse behind Escape! and my new favorite, Huff & Puff?   Be still, my nervous heart.  Please forgive me in advance for my lack of knowledge in your area of expertise and allow me to quote one of my favorite lines from Mary Rose Woods', The Mysterious Howling, "all books are judged by their covers until they are read."

So, on we go …

Chad: Wow, you really have done your Designer research!  I am the evil design mastermind behind all of those books!

Lisa: Minette’s Feast– a superbly written narrative by Susanna Reich paired with the pencil and watercolor paintings of Amy Bates that exude the aura (and aroma!) of a 1950s French kitchen.   Was it you who brought these two talents together?  How do you choose an illustrator for a manuscript?  Was there ever a case where you’ve found artwork that sent you in search of a writer?

Chad: Tamar Brazis, editorial director, and I had worked with Amy Bates on two other picture books, The Dog who Belonged to No One and A Bear in the Air. We had been on the search for a picture book for Amy. When Susanna's Minette's Feast came across Tamar's desk, we knew without question this was a book for Amy. In most cases we have a manuscript and will search for just the right illustrator. Thankfully we had Amy stowed away for a rainy day.

Lisa: I understand that you have designed all of Amy Bates’ books for Abrams. You must be quite familiar with her and her work.  Does that make your job easier?

Chad: Being familiar with an illustrator's work definitely makes an art director's job easier. You know what their strengths and weaknesses are. You know where and when to push them to get better work from them. In the case of working with Amy, our first book we worked on together was The Dog who Belonged to No One. I had seen Amy's work on a few other pictures from our houses so I had an idea of what she could do. I wanted to make the books that she did with ABRAMS different than her other work. To solve that idea, we pushed Amy into creating designs and patterns that fit the content of the story; in turn giving the viewer more to look at than just full bleed or spot illustrations.  These border designs helped bring you into the time period of the story.

Lisa: Your job is to create an overall  “vision” for the book, to give it a particular “feel,” how do you affect that vision?  Within the pages of the book itself, is it primarily a matter of space and placement, typeface and font,  or is there more that you can do to achieve a particular effect? 

Chad: The first way a designer helps create his or her vision on the book is through his font choice. I feel this helps set the mood or time period for the story. Designers need to ask themselves, is this book wacky and deserves a more fun take on the typography, or does the typography need to be played down to let the art be the main star? Is this an historical book where a typeface from that time period or region might be the best choice?  This is the question I asked myself for Minette's Feast. I searched mainly for fonts that said "Paris" to me. This choice helped set the stage of where the story takes place, perhaps hinting at the atmosphere of the text.


The second way a designer or an editor helps create a vision for a particular book is working with the illustrator to shape the look of the book. For example we spent a lot of time working with Amy getting a few spreads to work exactly right.

As you can see we had to reshape the sketches so they worked better with the text and told the story better.

Lisa: How involved are you in the early sketches or color studies?  I saw the many transformations that occurred in the making of Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes.  How do artists feel about going “back to the drawing board" for so many iterations? Are most cooperative?

Chad: I am very involved in the early stages. In a cover like Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes, I had a idea of what I wanted the cover to be before hiring Gilbert Ford; but I also knew it might not be the right idea so I wanted to see what ideas Gilbert had.  This was definitely a long process - one that Gilbert stuck by me with.  No one likes to have to go "back to the drawing board." It helps to be very transparent about what is going on. Artists are not in the office with you; they don't hear the reasons why a cover or illustration is not working for someone. Not being part of that process can be hard since an illustrator can feel on the outside of the process. It's my job to make sure they don't feel that way.

Minette sketches

Julia sketches

Lisa: Why choose different artwork for the book’s cover and its dust jacket?  I love them both, but I am curious. Don’t picture books usually have the same cover art and dust jacket?

Chad: I find that you are correct that picture books tend to have the same case as the front jacket image. I find this a bit lazy from the designer's point of view. I say this because I am guilty of just placing the cover on the case as well. More and more, I find that designing the case with new art offers up a little something extra to help the book feel more special.

Lisa: Were the endpapers your idea?  I love the tablecloth motif.

Chad: Amy had made the end paper art for the copyright spread, I believe. The art that is now on the copyright spread was originally intended as the cover illustration. During the process of working out the pagination of the text/illustrations, we moved the tablecloth pattern to the end papers. It was just too good not to use.


Lisa: What do you feel is your greatest contribution to Minette’s Feast?

Chad: My greatest contribution is working alongside Tamar Brazis. Our teamwork is an accomplishment. We sit down, go over the sketches, and shoot ideas off each other, helping the book to grow into what it wants to be. This relationship adds to the quality of our books and Minette's Feast. But, if you are asking what is my favorite part of the book, I am quite fond of the case and endpapers, but you have already pointed those out.


Lisa: Finally, I’m curious – are those “brass knuckles” on your coffee cup?

Chad: Those are indeed brass knuckles attached to, yes, my coffee cup. Oddly, there has never been any coffee in that cup.

Lisa: Thanks so much! I've truly learned a great deal - about Julia Child, of course, and about picture books in general.  Until this interview, I never gave much thought to the art director's contribution, being more of a wordsmith than an artist, myself.  Writer, artist, editor and art director - together you've created a delicious offering in Minette's Feast,

Ooh-la-la! Magnifique!

The blog tour wraps up tomorrow at Readerkidz.

Today's Nonfiction Monday roundup is at The Swimmer Writer.

Fashion Kitty's got a lot (more) to say

Harper, Charise Mericle. 2011. Fashion Kitty and the B.O.Y.S. (Ball of Yellow String). New York: Disney Hyperion.

Fashion Kitty and the B.O.Y.S. (Ball of Yellow String) marks a change in the successful Fashion Kitty series. Still aimed squarely at the reluctant reader, with simple vocabulary and a fast-moving story, the newest book is a foray into the illustrated chapter book format.

Fashion Kitty's latest adventure unfolds in twenty-six short (2 -3 page) chapters, with abundant illustrations and panel cartoons in several colors.  Now firmly entrenched in her role as a masked superhero, Kiki Kittie is learning a few of the unpleasantries that come with being a superhero. Hardest of all is keeping her identity secret, and mean Leon Lambaster III is about to start trouble in Chapter 6 with

The Six Words That Started it All
"I am gonna catch Fashion Kitty."

Throw in some marshmallows, some t-shirts, a secret club (Catch Fashion Kitty Club, or CFKC), and a slippery invention called "evaporating knot string," and you've got everything you need for a fashion-based superhero adventure!

The book's small size matches the earlier GN editions, however, with text and panels competing for the same space, both suffer in the size department. Harper's humorous illustrations deserve a larger venue, and a larger font size might be easier on the struggling reader.

If Fashion Kitty and the B.O.Y.S. signals the end of Fashion Kitty in graphic novel format, it could be a zero sum game - readers eager for more Fashion Kitty may be pleased with the new illustrated novel format, but fans of the graphic novel series may be disappointed. If this is indeed the future for Fashion Kitty, all readers may benefit from a larger size.

Glossy pages with Creative Ideas for Crafty Kitties (including marshmallow sculpture building) follow the story.

Look for Fashion Kitty's little sister, Lana Kitty, starring in her own picture book, The Best Birthday Ever.

Check out Charise Mericle Harper's website.  There's a Fashion Kitty page.

For the record, I received this free review copy of Fashion Kitty along with a valuable and enticing gift - one that I could smell even before I opened the package - a bag of marshmallows and a box of stick pretzels (for building my own marshmallow statue, I presume)!  A very clever promotion that would double as a fun book discussion activity!

Picture Book Roundup - Toddler style

The perfect combination of simple text and engaging illustrations for toddlers is more elusive than it would seem.  I am in the midst of a weekly toddler storytime series, and thought it would be fun to highlight toddler-friendly books today - one new and one old, both by prolific writers.

First up - Cynthia Rylant's newest series, Brownie & Pearl.  Although today I used Brownie & Pearl Step Out, I'll feature her latest, Brownie & Pearl Grab a Bite.
 

• Rylant, Cynthia. 2011. Brownie & Pearl Grab a Bite. Ill. by Brian Biggs. New York: Beach Lane.

 Listed by the publisher as appropriate for ages 3-5, this title is nonetheless suited for toddlers as well.  Simple words and bright illustrations make this a perfect series for little listeners.  Grab a Bite is an especially good choice because everyone likes to eat!

Personally, I love that Brownie eats string cheese (enjoying the peeling as much as the eating) and that she bites her Saltines into shapes.

Since I was loosely basing my storytime on the number two, I used an older title that we had in our storytime collection.  I'd never used this board book before (we have multiple copies so that each child and caregiver can follow along in their own copy), but I certainly will again!  Toddler Two is by the very kind and friendly, Anastasia Suen - author, teacher, consultant, and organizer of our weekly Nonfiction Monday roundups.

• Suen, Anastasia. 2002. Toddler Two. Ill. by Winnie Cheon. New York: Lee and Low.

The simple words, beautifully detailed felt art, and collection of commonplace items (tricycle, dog, ball, sandbox) make this a picture-perfect picture book for sharing with toddlers.

Q: Can it be that Cynthia Rylant doesn't have a website? 

Lemonade, Won Ton, and the Book: a poetry preview

A librarian plans early.  My mind is often several months ahead, planning library programs. I recently attended Booklist's webinar, "Spring into Books: Terrific New Titles for Youth."  There were many books previewed that I look forward to seeing, but I had an eye out for poetry titles, with April's National Poetry Month bubbling in the back of my brain.

I don't have these books yet, but here are three just released or soon-to-be released poetry titles that look very promising.

Wardlaw, Lee. 2011. Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku. Ill. by Eugene Yelchin. New York. Macmillan.

 

It's the story of a shelter cat who finds a home - written entirely in haiku. 

A Teacher's Guide is available from the publisher.

Also from Macmillan, Bob Raczka's, Lemonade: and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word. (Ill. by Nancy Doniger)

Just like the title says, these  poems are each created from a single word. How much fun can you have with that? Lots!

And finally, from Holiday House

I Am the Book, a collection of poems selected by Lee Bennet Hopkins and magically illustrated by Yayo.

Jane Yolen, Naomi Shihab Nye, and others are included in I Am the Book. This one's due out in March and it looked delightful.

I'm hoping that all of these arrive at my library soon! 

February picture book roundup

Here are a few of my recent favorites - mostly silly

• Bardhan-Quallen, Sudipta. 2011. Chicks Run Wild. Ill. by Ward Jenkins. New York: Simon & Schuster.

The Caterpillow Fight (Candlewick 1997) was(is) an old favorite of mine.  This is a similarly silly tale of siblings who run amok after Mama has tucked them in for the night. Of course, these aren't caterpillars, they're chicks.  Mama gets increasingly angry after each time she checks in on them,

Wings on hips, she warns those chicks, "No more games and no more tricks!"
One quick peck for each sweet child,
she slams the door . . .
those chicks run wild!

In the end, Mama beats them at their own game.  The illustrations are bright and cheerful and funny. The chick in the over-sized black frame glasses is a riot all by himself!

Illustrator, Ward Jenkins, offers a great preview and some bonus material on his site.  Check it out!

• Czekaj, Jef. 2011. Cat Secrets. New York: Harper.

This meta fiction picture book is funnier than its trailer. (see below) The cats discover the readers of the book and attempt to verify their identity,

It has come to my attention that someone other than a cat may be reading this book.

Shame on you.

Hey, you!  Yes, you! You don't look much like a cat!

None but cats are allowed to read Cat Secrets!

Cat Secrets by Jef Czekaj -- Book Trailer from HarperTeen on Vimeo.

• Dormer, Frank W. 2010. Socksquatch. New York: Henry Holt.

A tiny quirky book about Socksquatch, a monster in search of his socks.  Few words,

Flowers tremble.
Trees quake.
Socksquatch lumbers.
...
Got sock?

with hilarious illustrations in a style reminiscent of your funniest grade school pal's drawings. Funny!

And last, but certainly not least, my only serious pick today, the absolutely perfect, Little White Rabbit.

• Henkes, Kevin. 2011. Little White Rabbit. New York: Greenwillow.

Little White Rabbit is beautifully illustrated in a way that is deceptively simple.  The illustrations are clearly understandable, yet convey and invoke a child-like wonder and imagination.  The text is simple and calming.  This is pitch-perfect picture book.  I can't wait to read it aloud at my next storytime!

Activities to accompany Little White Rabbit.