Tara is an unhappy child who says unkind things to everyone.  For her seventh birthday, her granny gave her a special gift – a little grey kitten.  When deciding on a name for the cat, she gets a strange feeling in her forehead and is stunned to hear her cat talk.  The kitten tells Tara his name is Ash-ting and proceeds to guide Tara towards being more pleasant and being a better friend.  Ash-ting’s psychic comments act as Tara’s conscience.  He mentions Tara’s aura is pink when she is happy and black when she is cross.  Tara discovers how good it feels when she does something that makes someone else happy.  With Ash-ting’s help, Tara makes new friends at school and finally begins to think about helping others.  Kate Shannon’s simple, pen and ink drawings compliment the story and are on almost every page.  The value of this book lies in the common-sense suggestions of how to be a friend.