Friday is a really excellent day. It means we're about to get a weekend, and it means a list of Perfect Picture Books to enjoy over that weekend - an unbeatable combination! All we need to make it true perfection is a nice chocolatey snack to go along with our picture books and our weekend :)
I had another book in mind for today. Based on the jacket copy I thought I'd love it. But when I read it my reaction could only be described as meh (not what you want for a Perfect Picture Book!) and then I read this one and loved it start to finish, so there was really no contest. Preconceived idea out, awesome surprise book in :) I hope you like it too :)
Written & Illustrated By: C. Roger Mader
Houghton Mifflin Books For Children, October 2013, Fiction
Suitable For Ages: 4-8
Themes/Topics: journey, pets, love (person/pet)
Opening: "Ever since Slipper was a tiny kitten, she'd lived with a little old lady in a little old house in a little old town."
Brief Synopsis: Slipper has always lived happily with Mrs. Fluffy Slippers, but when Mrs. Fluffy Slippers moves, Slipper accidentally gets left behind in the commotion. Slippers searches for a new home, but not just any home will do - it has to be the right one. Will she find a new family she can adopt?
Links To Resources: Washington Children's Choice Award Activities (scroll about 1/2 way down the pdf); Fun Facts About Cats; How To Draw A Cat video; learn to draw a cat step-by-step guide.
Why I Like This Book: First and foremost, I love the art! Soft pastels that render that beautiful kitty so life-like! Her expressions are perfect, especially her fright at High Tops, her polite pleading with Miss Shiny Shoes, and her bliss on the last two pages. And the cat's-eye-view perspective is wonderful. The story is a sweet one with both humorous and poignant moments. I love that all the people in the story are named for their footwear - which is what Slippers sees of them first :) And most of all, I love that this lost cat story has a happy ending :)
For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.
PPBF bloggers please be sure to leave your post-specific link in the list below so we can all come visit you and see what wonderful books you've chosen this week!
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! :)
Loved your choice this week Susanna. I also checked out the links. Love the pencil drawings. It was Waitangi Day here in NZ so a holiday. Love long weekends. Enjoy your weekend.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reviewing this one Susanna! Love the cover art too!
ReplyDeleteI love the cover for this PPB. The eyes draw you in. And it's perfect that the story follows suit telling the tale from the kitty's perspective.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way about selecting books for PPBF! Meh isn't good enough. I don't post on weeks when I came home with armloads of meh. Your cat's-eye-view book looks sweet! Not familiar with it and shall now search and find. :)
ReplyDeleteOh wow. I love the perspective on the page spread you showed from this book. It looks like the cat is looking straight up at a camera directly above it's head. Plus the cat is super adorable!
ReplyDeleteI agree about Fridays but I love Saturdays more. LOVE LOVE LOVE Saturdays! I usually find time to read and do away with my lap top. This Saturday we are going to my Neices recital. She went to Princeton for piano and now has a special opportunity to go to California for voice. She is a music teacher and also plays in cathedrals and churches.
ReplyDeleteThis book does seem magical with it's cat eye perspective and art like that. I am definiitely going to look it up and learn from it. thanks so much for sharing it. :)
Love this POV visually and from a literary perspective. The cover cat illustration is perfect!
ReplyDeleteI love cat books - will look for this one, Susanna! I know what you mean about the meh books. There are so many GREAT books out there, I don't want to spend time with something that's just OK.
ReplyDeleteA Lost Cat - found! This Slipper looks just like my Wally! Sometimes i wish he would get lost. But sometimes he's kind of cuddly. I may need to sniff out this book for him. Thanks Ms Hill!!
ReplyDeleteMy knee-jerk reaction is to boo a PB about cats.
ReplyDeleteBut, you're right. The art is amazing. And I love how the cat knows her owner as "Mrs. Fluffy Slippers."
Dangit! I'm intrigued.
The story sounds enchanting from the first line, I'm ready to jump into the "little old town." The perspective on the picture has caught my interest too, I like that the illustrator has changed the orientation!
ReplyDeleteWhat a clever and unique story. I love that the people are named after their shoes. So will kids! This looks like an entertaining read. And the illustration of the cat is life-like. Great choice.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a fun story. I say I'm not a cat person, but I may be a cat story person. Looking forward to the list this week. Some fun titles.
ReplyDeleteIt looks so sweet! I'll definitely be on the lookout for that one. That being said, Cupcake has hope that next Friday we'll see a dog book here.... to make up for this.
ReplyDeleteI just read this one! I love it for the same reasons and breathed a sigh of relief at the happy, and perfect, ending. Yay!
ReplyDeleteYou had me at 'Mrs. Fluffy Slippers'...looks like a book kids will love...and their parents will love reading it to them. ;) Thanks, Susanna...and I agree...where did the week go?
ReplyDeleteI know, isn't that terrific, Vivian, and just what a cat might think since feet are what they see? And even if you're not a cat person, I dare you not to love the art in this book - it's just gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteWasn't that just purrfect :) I'm glad you liked it too, Jilanne :)
ReplyDeleteThat spread you showed is AWESOME! What a terrific perspective. I have a total thing for cats and this book sounds perfect for me (I have no little ones to share it with).
ReplyDeleteForgot to come back on Wednesday to answer you, but yes! I'm so thrilled to have finally met you! What a fun lunch! And I am mortified I didn't mention that in my Facebook update. Will you still love me? ;)
Happy Friday, Susanna!
Yeah... sorry about that Cupcake. Apologies to Rhythm too, if she happens to read this. It would be easy to imagine this book with Cupcake in it, though. You can just read along and picture her instead of the cat :)
ReplyDeleteI don't think you have to be a cat person to enjoy this story. A shoe person might REALLY enjoy it :) but I think it's just a plain old good story for anyone. Loved your pick this week, Stacy! :)
ReplyDeleteI know - wasn't that such a great idea? So perfect for a ground-level MC :)
ReplyDeleteIt was very clever, wasn't it Michelle? And boy can that illustrator paint cats! He must love them. I think you have to really relate to an animal to be able to paint it so truly!
ReplyDeleteAs you know, Mike, I am more of a dog person myself, as a general rule. And I know you are a guinea pig person :) But this is a very cute and cleverly done story that is easy to like even if you cats make your knees jerk :)
ReplyDeleteI think you will enjoy this book, Rhythm! A dog's-eye-view isn't all that different from a cat's, so you might appreciate the perspective :)
ReplyDeleteI hope you like this one as much as I do, Carrie! The art is just delicious! And I know what you mean about great vs. okay. I feel the same way. But I guess every book that is published was loved by quite a few people in order to get to the bookstore/library shelf, so even though I sometimes wonder why a certain book made it, I know it myst appeal to someone... just not necessarily me :)
ReplyDeleteI thought you would like this one, Joanna! If you haven't seen it, you must! You will LOVE the art!
ReplyDeleteWow! What a musically talented girl! Enjoy the recital! And I'm glad you liked today's book :)
ReplyDeleteShe really is, isn't she, Heather? She's so perfectly "cat"! It's an interesting idea - illustrating from the cat's POV. I bet you, as an illustrator, could have all kinds of fun experimenting with that with different characters and things!
ReplyDeleteI'm always so disappointed when I hit on a meh book. I feel like if someone loved it enough to publish it, it should be great! But I know different books appeal to different folks, so just because I don't like something doesn't mean lots of other people don't love it. I know I'm picky :) I hop you like this book, Wendy! I'm going to have to go out and read Gravity!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you like it, Angela! Are you a cat person?
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Robin! Thanks for coming to read :) The art in this book is really wonderful - definitely worth a look next time you're at the library :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful book! Loved the pictures and the hints about the story! I wasn't a cat person until we adopted a stray. He changed our hearts!
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed it, Diane! Happy, happy long weekend! Lucky you! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you liked the book! And that's so funny that a stray changed your mind, because this book was inspired by a stray that came to the author/illustrator's door!
ReplyDeleteI will always love you, Teresa :) I hope the conference is going awesomely and art editors are loving your wonderful, wonderful work! And I'm glad you like this book - it's really beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree Susanna! I remember an artist's talk, while in art school saying that she really needs to live (metaphorically) with whatever she is creating for a while to bring it to fruition.
ReplyDeleteThis looks so sweet - and love the language from the first page. Gorgeous illustrations too! Thanks
ReplyDeleteI think you're feeling punny today. :D
ReplyDeleteI like both cats and dogs, though there are some who might say I have certain tendencies like a cat lol!
ReplyDeleteThe illustrations are just wonderful, Joanne - you would love them! It's worth getting a look at the book if your library has it :)
ReplyDeleteI think that is true of writers too, Michelle. We need to walk in our characters' shoes, look at the world from their POV, so that we can write them convincingly.
ReplyDeleteI just couldn't help myself :)
ReplyDeleteI like both too, although at this point I guess I'm more of a dog person. I grew up with cats, though. And I sometimes think I was one in a former life because I love to sit in sunny patches or too close to the fire and soak up the warmth :)
ReplyDeleteThe artwork does look spectacular and, even though I am not a cat person, I think I will check this book out. It sounds very sweet. Thanks for the post.
ReplyDeleteI hope you like it, Rosi :)
ReplyDeleteLOVE this. Ivy is our resident cat girl (though we all love our barn cats). I must buy this for her, even though she's 17. Beautiful art, Sus.
ReplyDeleteGlad you like it, Rob! And who knows? You could have an opportunity to win it... Phyllis and I haven't figured out what to do with all the awesome poems and videos etc from her bonanza yet! :)
ReplyDeleteThe illustrations in this book look gorgeous! Then, too, kittens are beautiful animals :)
ReplyDeleteVery true :) There's something especially appealing about tabbies, don't you think? :)
ReplyDeleteI love stories about cats - especially stories with happy endings. Thanks for sharing this one.
ReplyDeleteI had a couple cats back in high school...brothers. One was more angora and I've always loved their fluffiness :) I'm allergic to cats now, though, much to the disappointment of my boyfriend : /
ReplyDeleteWe adopted a kitten last year who was an abandoned kitty. We bought her home and lost her in the house (because she was super shy). It took us THREE days to find her in the basement office ceiling. Fortunately she had a happy ending. :)
ReplyDeleteI remember that from your blog, Stina! She is such a cutie :)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you like it, Sue! It has a very happy ending - you need to see the picture to see just how happy that kitty is :)
ReplyDeletePerhaps a bunny? They're about the same size and softness, but have different dander :)
ReplyDeleteAs you may have noticed, I like dogs :)
ReplyDeleteI borrowed this book from the library yesterday. I love the story and the pictures.
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice ending!
I'm so glad you liked it, Carol :)
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