Brainstorm 245: Cat Books Part 1

Both International Cat Day and International Dog Day were celebrated this month. I think that makes this the perfect time to share my favorite cat and dog stories. And besides, what is better to lift your spirits than some fluffy and funny antics from a dog or cat? I have 2 weeks for the cats to rule (because their day did come first this month, and let’s face it, they are much less likely to sit and wait around). Now there are thousands of cat books out there in the world. To help narrow down my lists I’m leaving out the ones I shared in Brainstorm 186: Cats In/From Space. I'm also leaving out all wildcats and big cats. And I’m also going to split things up. This week are picture books, novels, and nonfiction books featuring cats. Next week will be the cat comics and graphic novels. Then it will be the dogs’ turn for two weeks. Obviously, all of these are great for Cat Lovers, so I won’t bother to put that in every single Target Reader list. Click on the titles to see my full review of each book and any content notes/trigger warnings.

Calling on Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles, #3) by Patricia C. Wrede

There's something wrong with the magic of the Enchanted Forest. Morwen and Telemain bring this to the attention of King Mendanbar and Queen Cimorene, and it is pretty obvious that someone needs to get to the bottom of this. But the King can't leave, so Cimorene sets out with Morwen, Telemain, Trouble the rabbit donkey, and some of Morwen's cats to see if they can save the Enchanted Forest. Morwen’s cats have a big part in this story and often act like the snarky, oh-so-cat narrators of the tale.

Target Readers:

Fantasy Fans, Quest Story Fans, Adventure Fans, Humor Fans, Middle Grade Readers

The Cat Man of Aleppo by Irene Lathan & Karim Shamsi-Basha, ill. by Yuko Shimizu

A picture book biography of Mohammad Alaa Aljaleel, an ambulance driver from Aleppo who stayed when others left and started a home for the abandoned cats people left behind that has grown into other charitable organizations for human and animal orphans.

Target Readers:

Feel Good Story Fans, Nonfiction Fans, Biography Fans, Inspirational Story Fans, Art Lovers, Award Winner Readers, Lower Grade Readers

Catalyst by Sarah Beth Durst

Zoe has been banned from taking in stray animals, but she can't just leave the poor little kitten out by itself. She brings it in promising herself it is just for the night, and she'll take it to the shelter tomorrow. But she quickly grows attached and decides to see if it being her birthday weekend and just weeks before her brother leaves for college will get her parents to cave for the kitten. Little does Zoe know that this is no ordinary kitten. As it grows, and grows, and the media becomes obsessed with rumors of a flying dog in town, Zoe has to figure out what to do with a very oversized cat and how to return her to normal.

Target Readers:

Fantasy Fans, Adventure Fans, Middle Grade Readers

Cats Are a Liquid by Rebecca Donnelly, ill. by Misa Saburi

The author uses a sustained metaphor comparing cats to liquid and other states of matter because of the way they act. I highly suggest reading the author's note in the back of the book BEFORE you read the main text. It helps frame the text and set the stage so you better understand the comparisons going on.

Target Readers:

Metaphor Studiers, States of Matter Studiers, Art Lovers, Humor Fans, Picture Book Readers

Chinese Whiskers by Pallavi Aiyar

Tofu and Soybean are two kittens adopted by a foreign couple living in Beijing in a year leading up to the Olympics. (The building of the Stadium comes into the story.) The story follows Tofu and Soybean for the first year of their lives and through their eyes readers get a feel for what life is like in Beijing for average citizens, the plight of migrant workers, the panic that can spread because of a virus in such a crowded city, and the consequences of corruption.

Target Readers:

Contemporary China Story Fans, Expatriot Story Fans, Adult Fiction (though approachable to Young Adult and Middle Grade Readers)

Flubby Will Not Play with That (Flubby) by J.E. Morris

Flubby's owner brings home a whole bag of new toys for him, but Flubby doesn't seem to find any of them worthy of play. Poor Kami feels like she's struck out. Or has she?

Target Readers:

Beginning Readers, Humor Fans, Picture Book Readers

The Forbidden Library (Forbidden Library, #1) by Django Wexler

Alice's world is turned upside down the first time when she accidentally sees her father having a conversation with a real, live fairy. Her world is then overthrown again when her father is presumed dead after the boat he is traveling on sinks in a storm and she is sent to live with an Uncle Geryon she's never heard of. Life there is rather dull, until she follows a cat through a rather unusual library on the grounds of the estate and finds herself inside a book. After this accident, Alice discovers that she is a Reader, someone who can find and use magic in books. Once this becomes known, it is clear that there are many people and other creatures interested in using Alice for her skill. Alice's one goal is to figure out what for sure happened to her father, while others want her to find a special book, the Dragon, that promises to be dangerous in the wrong hands. The talking cats around the library were one of the highlights of this series for me. They can be fun, have hidden depths, you aren’t sure if you can entirely trust them, but they are most definitely interesting and unique. And they are solidly tied to the library, which is another win in my book.

Target Readers:

Dark Fantasy Fans, Jumping Into/Out of Books Story Fans, Adventure Fans, Middle Grade/Young Adult Readers

 

Kitten Lady’s Big Book of Little Kittens by Hannah Shaw

Hannah Shaw (aka the Kitten Lady) introduces kids to how she takes care of kittens through fostering. She gives a little overview of a kitten's growth and development, and some of their biggest needs. In the back of the book is further information about how kids can get involved in fostering with their families or helping those who do foster. (Kitten Lady also has a much longer book for teens and adults with lots more details about fostering kittens, Tiny But Mighty. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42955069-tiny-but-mighty And if you want your social media feed filled with cute kittens look for the Kitten Lady on Instagram and Youtube.)

Target Readers:

Curious Kids, Nonfiction Readers, Families Considering Animal Fostering, Lower Grade Readers

Kitty and Dragon by Meika Hashimoto, ill. by Gillian Reid

In this collection of stories, Kitty is looking for a quiet place and meets Dragon. Then Dragon takes care of Kitty when she has a cold. And finally, Dragon and Kitty find out how to live together when one is a neat freak and the other is not.

Target Reader:

Beginning Readers, Fantasy Fans, Best Friend Story Fans, Art Lovers, Picture Book Readers

Louise Loves Art (Louise Loves, #1) by Kelly Light

Louise is preparing for her art show. She's finishing off her final masterpieces and finding places to hang them. For her greatest masterpiece she has reserved The Gallery du Fridge. BUT when she goes to hang her greatest masterpiece she finds that her little brother Art has added some of his own touches. At first Louise is devastated, but she quickly rallies and her love for Art triumphs. I love Kelly Light's illustrations. They don't have a ton of detail or color, but what they do have is very strategic. The addition of the cat to the antics of Louise and Art was pure genius, because the cat frequently threatens to steal the show (in all the best ways) with it's actions and expressions.

Target Readers:

Sibling Story Fans, Art Lovers, Homograph Studiers, Contemporary Fiction Fans, Picture Book Readers

Marigold Finds the Magic Words (Marigold, #2) by Mike Malbrough

Marigold is excited to host his own birthday party. He's worked out the perfect magic show. But when the magic show takes on a life of its own, will he keep his cool or will the control freak freak out? A very funny look at how even when things don't quite go the way we planned or expected, it can still be a good thing. There's also a little lesson on saying please and thank you woven in too.

Target Readers:

Humor Fans, Pun Lovers, Recovering Perfectionists, Manners Learners, Picture Book Readers

Max the Brave (Max, #1) by Ed Vere

Max is a kitten. A kitten who prefers the title of brave rather than cute. To prove his bravery he will chase a mouse...if he can find out what a mouse is. Max goes around asking the various animals if they've seen Mouse, they point him along the way and eventually he thinks he's found a Mouse. But is the Mouse really a mouse?

Target Readers:

Humor Fans, Animal Lovers, "Are You My Mother?"-Like Story Fans, Picture Book Readers

 Mr. Wuffles by David Wiesner

Mr Wuffles is a cat. Therefore, anything small and moving of its own free will is considered fair game to play with. The tiny aliens piloting the space ship Mr Wuffles has battered around aren't so fond of the play time. Their ship is damaged and they are in danger from a huge furry monster. With the help of some friendly insects (who also have had rough encounters with Mr Wuffles), the aliens are able to get their ship repaired and escape the clutches of Mr Wuffles. Much to the dismay of Mr Wuffles, who rather liked his new toy.

Target Readers:

Wordless Book Fans, Science Fiction Fans, Picture Book Readers

Mrs. McTats and Her Houseful of Cats by Alyssa Satin Capucilli, ill. by Joan Rankin

Mrs McTats has a cozy little cottage and one cat. But soon, more and more cats show up. She names each one in alphabetical order until she is all the way to Yodel, number 25, when there is one more scratch at the door. Zoom isn't a cat, but he's welcome in the cozy cottage all the same.

Target Readers:

Alphabet Book Fans, Counting Book Fans, Humor Fans, Picture Book Readers

Nevermoor: the Trials of Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor, #1) by Jessica Townsend

Morrigan Crow has known since forever exactly when she would die. Not that it is a big secret. She was born on Eventide, which means she'll die at midnight before the next age begins on her eleventh birthday, and also means everyone knows she's cursed. Her long-suffering father has paid off many a person who fell foul of her look or touch, though Morrigan doesn't believe half of them are really her fault. As the age draws to a close and her death looms, Morrigan is desperate for any sign of affection from her family or hope that she could live to see twelve. Hope comes in the funniest packages, like a wildly dressed ginger-haired man named Jupiter who snatches her away to the land of Nevermoor and sponsors her as a candidate for the Wundrous Society. But others don't want her to pass the trials for Society membership, her sponsor seems to forget to train her at all, and if she fails she will be sent back to her home to the death she narrowly evaded. My favorite Deucalion resident is Fenestra (seen in the window on the cover), the magnificat head housekeeper (think grumpy giant cat that talks, but can be awesome friend to have on your side when it gets rough).

Target Readers:

Fantasy Fans, Magic School Story Fans, Middle Grade Readers

No Fuzzball! (Fuzzball, #1) by Isabella Kung

A cat who introduces herself as Nofuzzball introduces us to her kingdom and subjects. But then they disappear so she decides to fix the place up and make it an even more appealing so they will return home. (ICS readers look for more cat books by Kung to hit our shelves this year.)

Target Readers:

Humor Fans, Cat Owners, Picture Book Readers

Ra the Mighty: Cat Detective (Ra the Mighty, #1) by A.B. Greenfield, ill. by Sarah Horne

Ra the Mighty is the Pharaoh's cat. He loves his cushy life and the fact that everyone adores him. When an amulet belonging to the Great Wife is stolen, Ra isn't very interested. But Miu, a cat from the kitchens, recruits him and his best friend, Khepri the scarab beetle, to help find who stole it. Ra isn't so sure all the effort of clearing the servant girl Miu says was wrongly accused of the crime is worth it. But Miu and Khepri insist.

Target Reader:

Mystery Fans, Ancient Egypt Setting Fans, Historical Fiction Fans, Reluctant Readers, Lower Grade/Middle Grade Readers

Socks by Beverly Cleary

When a beloved pet cat feels displaced by the arrival of a new baby, it starts demanding attention. But is the baby as bad as it thinks?

Target Readers:

Modern Classic Fans, Feel Good Story Fans, Middle Grade Readers

Spot, the Cat (Spot, #1) by Henry Cole

A spotted cat wanders out a window one day after a bird. The cat is off on an adventure all over the city, while the boy grows worried and starts looking for it. Eventually the two both make their way back home and reunite. The title is a play on words as this is a wordless, black and white illustrated picture book, and the main point of each spread is to find where Spot is.

Target Readers:

Picture Puzzle Fans, Wordless Book Fans, Art Lovers, Picture Book Readers

Stack the Cats by Susie Ghahremani

How would you stack various amounts of cats? What if there are too many for one stack, what are your different options? Kids get to play with numbers and cats in this book. This is definitely not your typical 1-10 counting book. The way it gives different arrangements of the cats for the numbers really sets a great foundation for adding, subtracting, fractions, and multiplying.

Target Readers:

Counting & Math Lovers/Learners, Sorting Book Fans, Picture Book Readers

Tabby's First Quest (Kitten Kingdom, #1) by Mia Bell

Tabby, Leo, and Felix are the three kittens of the royal couple. While their nanny is dozing, the sneak out into other parts of the castle to explore. They stumble across the a golden scroll important in a ceremony for the kingdom that evening. The King and Queen will declare the laws for the kingdom which will appear on the scroll in the last rays of the sun. But the scroll is stolen, and the royal kittens are the only ones who know. Can they rescue the scroll before it is too late? I was quite pleasantly surprised by the depth of world building and complexity of plot in this.

Target Readers:

Fantasy Fans, Quest Story Fans, Sibling Story Fans, Adventure Fans, World Building Fans, Lower Grade Readers

There Are No Bears in This Bakery by Julia Sarcone-Roach

A guard cat at a bakery investigates a case of breaking and entering, and takes care of the problem. Make sure you read this in a Humphrey Bogart detective voice for full effect. The cat thinks of itself as this great guard and investigator. The reader and the baker may have other opinions about the cat's skills.

Target Readers:

Mystery Fans, Animal Lovers, Subtle Humor Fans, Art Lovers, Students of Any Grade Studying Voice, Students of Any Grade Studying Descriptive Language, Picture Book Readers

Brainstorm 244: Disney Animators Other Than Walt

While pretty much everyone knows about Walt Disney’s art skills and the company he launched, there are many unsung heroes who helped make Disney’s animation classics the successes they were. And at least in the past, many of them never even saw their name in the credits. Here are biographies of some of the unsung artistic heroes behind your favorite Disney animated movies. Hand any of these to readers you know love behind the scenes stories. Click on the titles to see my full review and any content notes/trigger warnings.

It Began with a Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way by Kyo Maclear, ill. by Julie Morstad

A picture book biography of Gyo Fujikawa. Gyo was born in America to parents who immigrated from Japan. Her art skills brought her to the attention of some teachers in high school who made sure she could go on to college to develop her skills. Gyo went on to work on a variety of projects from murals to Disney's marketing department and eventually got into making picture books. Her family was interred during WWII, but she avoided their fate because she lived on the East Coast. Her picture book Babies which shows children of all races mingling together broke ground for racial diversity in picture books. The back of the book includes some further biographical information.

Target Readers:

Picture Book Biography Fans, Art Lovers, Asian American Bio Fans, Lower Grade Readers

The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick by Mallory O’Meara

Milicent Patrick was an artist, designer, and actress in Hollywood at a time when few other women were working backstage. Rumor had it she created the design for the monster suit in the movie Creature from the Black Lagoon, but due to the fact that makeup and artists were not credited during the time period, it was hard to prove. As an ardent fan of the movie, and a woman working in the Hollywood horror genre herself, Mallory O'Meara wanted to learn more about this unsung woman. The task seemed daunting, but Ms O'Meara threw herself into the project while also pointing out a lot of the hardships women then and now face in Hollywood.

Target Readers:

Mature Female Teens Thinking about Working in Hollywood, Hollywood Backstory Fans, Art Lovers, Biography Fans, Gender Equality History Studiers, Adult Readers (and mature teens who can handle the content)

Paper Son: the Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong, Immigrant and Artist by Julie Leung, ill. by Chris Sasaki

A picture book biography of Tyrus Wong, an artist and illustrator who developed the backgrounds for Disney's animated feature film Bambi. This is an eye-opening look at the lengths people will go to for a better chance at life. Tyrus worked super hard to make it as an artist, and the book helps give credit to him that is due for Bambi's artwork.

Target Readers:

Picture Book Biography Fans, Asian American Bio Fans, Art Lovers, Immigrant Story Fans, Lower Grade Readers

Pencils, Pens & Brushes: a Great Girls’ Guide to Disney Animation by Mindy Johnson, ill. by Lorelay Bové

An illustrated collection of 2-6 page biographies of the women artists who worked on early Disney animations. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this doesn't just highlight the illustrators, but also the women who served as dance models, singers who gave a voice to the animation, paint chemists who invented new ways to bring color to the screen, story creators, and various others who filled integral roles in the animation process that aren't often talked about. So this book highlights a broad range of roles that go into the animation process. The book also has a special section for the Disney ladies who also served as pilots in various roles during WWII, and every few pages has an illustrated phrase of what makes a Great Girl.

Target Readers:

Collective Biography Fans, Readers Curious about the Animation Process, Art Lovers, Pilot Bio Fans, Middle Grade Readers

Pocket Full of Colors: the Magical World of Mary Blair, Disney Artist Extraordinaire by Amy Guglielmo & Jacqueline Tourville, ill. by Brigette Barrager

A picture book biography of Mary Blair, artist and Disney animator who is known for her vibrant, color-filled illustrations. (If you want to see some of Mary Blair’s actual concept work, check out Cinderella by Cynthia Rylant…they used Mary Blair’s artwork to illustrate it.)

Target Readers:

Picture Book Biography Fans, Art Lovers, Vibrant Color Lovers, Lower Grade Readers

The Queens of Animation: the Untold Story of the Women Who Transformed the World of Disney and Made Cinematic History by Nathalia Holt

A history of the unsung women who worked in Disney's animation division from it's beginning, what they contributed to the animated stories millions have watched, their struggles and triumphs in breaking into the upper positions in animation and gain acknowledgement for their talents, the ups and downs in the company and its dealing with its employees (especially women), and the progress that has been made in gender equality from the beginning of the company to seeing the first woman director for an animated feature with Frozen. Holt examines these ups and downs by focusing primarily on a few key Disney artists - Mary Blair, Grace Huntington, Bianca Majolie, Retta Scott, and Sylvia Holland - while also following the basic timeline of Disney animation productions and bringing up many, many other contributors along the way.

Target Readers:

Biography Fans, Film History Fans, Art Lovers, Gender Equality History Studiers, Adult Readers 

Brainstorm 243: Epically bad (and hilarious) vacations

The Brainstorm is back! Summer is over, and it’s back to school time. Which not only means the Brainstorm is off hiatus, it means everyone is being asked what they did with their summer. Some vacations are amazing. Some breaks are boring. And some are so bad they’re funny (at least in hindsight). If you need a little laugh right about now, or know someone who needs to feel a little bit better about how their summer went, snatch up one of these tales of epically bad (but hilarious!) vacations. Click on the titles to see my full review including any content notes/trigger warnings.

Bad Kitty Goes on Vacation (Bad Kitty, #14) by Nick Bruel

Uncle Murray has won a free vacation from the radio station! To Love Love Angel Kitty World? He's never heard of it, but Kitty sure has. And she's desperate to go with him. But will this vacation be what dreams are made of, or one giant nightmare cooked up by some devious chickens?

Target Readers:

Humor Fans, Graphic Novel Fans, Cat Lovers, Lower Grade/Middle Grade Readers

The Epic Adventures of Huggie & Stick by Drew Daywalt, ill. by Dave Spencer

When Huggie (stuffed rabbit & committed pessimist...slightly unlucky), and Stick (a stick & eternal optimist...also slightly naive), fall out of Reese's backpack, they get swept away on an epic adventure to all the continents of the world as they try to get home. Readers get to see their adventures on each continent through both Huggie and Stick’s separate diary entries. And when that title says epic, it means epic!

Target Readers:

Diary Fiction Fans, Dual Perspective Story Fans, Imaginative Story Fans, Adventure Fans, Armchair Travelers, Humor Fans, Middle Grade Picture Book Fans

If You Ever Want to Bring a Piano to the Beach, Don’t (Magnolia Says Don’t) by Elise Parsley

Magnolia is headed to the beach with her mom and two siblings. Her siblings are bringing things like boats and balls, she wants to bring the piano. Her mom warns her not to lose it, and they head off to the beach. Of course, things do not go as planned, and Magnolia realizes what a horrible idea it was to bring her piano to the beach.

Target Readers:

Humor Fans, Readers Practicing Their Prediction Skills, Humorous Art Lovers, Picture Book Fans

Mr Penguin and the Catastrophic Cruise (Mr Penguin, #3) by Alex T. Smith

Private detective Mr Penguin, and his friends, Colin, Edna, and Gordon, are setting off on a much needed little vacation. Colin is slated to perform a musical number with 7 elderly ladies on Mr Chuckle's cruise, and his friends get to tag along. And even though Mr Penguin isn't thrilled with water or sailing, he does need a break from the crazy adventures they've been on lately. Only, this cruise isn't turning out to be very relaxing. There are mysterious notes scattered around deck, the crew of the ship looks suspiciously pirate-like, and they overhear someone planning something for midnight during the big full moon party. Can Mr Penguin and gang find it in themselves once again to come to the rescue?

Target Readers:

Humor Fans, Mystery Fans, Animal Lovers, Penguin Lovers, Sea Adventure Fans, Lower Grade/Middle Grade Readers

Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome

Three young men and a dog set out on a two week rowing/camping adventure on the Thames River. Or make that misadventure. Because what they envisioned as a relaxing holiday is most certainly anything but, and none of them knows all that much about rowing, or camping, or really anything related to the outdoors…well, except for maybe the dog.

Target Readers:

Humor Fans, Classics Fans, Historical Fiction Fans, Teen & Adult Readers