Tag Archives: cats fiction

Ethan and the Strays by John Sullivan

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Ethan spots three stray kittens on his way to school one morning. He is immediately captivated by them and starts visiting them every day on his way home. Though his brother insists their dad would never let them get a cat, he helps Ethan learn more about stray cats and how they survive. The book also teaches about a local vet’s trap, neuter, return process to prevent more kittens from ending up on the streets. 

Kids will immediately connect with Ethan’s obsession with the adorable strays and will be inspired by his quest to make sure they are okay. Hatem Aly’s illustrations will further enthrall kids as they see the kittens run, eat, and play. This is a great book for any animal lover.

Twisty-Turny House

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written by Lisa Mantchev and illustrated by EG Keller

In a twisty-turny house live four humans a rabbit, seven fish, a rat, two cats and three dogs. The cats are upstairs, the dogs are downstairs and the other pets are in the middle, which seems right. You know, cats and dogs don’t get along. But, one day, one of the cats comes downstairs. The pets in the middle are worried about the impending interaction – will the cat hiss and scratch? Will the dogs howl and chase it? Surprisingly, they get along. The dogs show the cat all the awesome things about living downstairs – the best snacks, great places to dig and great views of squirrels. The cat, along with his pal, show them the great things about upstairs – cold water, great clawing spots and a great place to watch squirrels. But, they wonder if they could look for even better things together in the middle? And, that’s what they do. The middle is the best, together.

This book is a gem! The simple text and colorful illustrations work so well together to convey the curiosity, trepidation, excitement and joy of the animal characters. The twisty-turny house is lovely and detailed and the animals are energetic. Readers will enjoy the interplay between the animals and eventual community they build. Buy this book for your library!

Cat Dog

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written by Mem Fox and illustrated by Mark Teague

Cat and Dog are hanging out and a mouse shows up. The ensuing chase ends with the mouse coming out of his mouse hole with…a violin? Each two page spread has a question about the scene on the recto and the next verso has the correct yes or no answer. This fun call-and-response story is sure to be a hit, with readers breathlessly turning the pages to see what will actually happen. This would be a great read-aloud as well. What a winning combination: Mem Fox with her witty word play and Mark Teague with his wonderfully expressive illustrations. Buy this for your library!

Styx and Scones in the Sticky Wand

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by Jay Cooper

Miss Hildy and Miss Hattie, two friendly witches, leave Styx (a purple cat) and Scones (a ginger colored dog) alone in their cottage when they go off to gather some fenfruit. They instruct their pets to leave various magical items alone, including a crystal ball, potions and herbs and the flying brooms. They don’t say anything about the stick on the mantel. So, Scones figures it’s ok to play with, right? Well, mayhem ensues as the two animals scuffle over the magical stick, turning Styx into a variety of purple animals and adding a ship, pirates and many other magical things to the mix. Upon the return of the witches, they learn that the stick is just that, not a magic wand. Yet, they turn Miss Hattie into a jar of peanut butter. So, what is that about?

This hilarious beginning graphic novel is perfect for new readers, who are introduced to the format by Styx and Scones on the first few pages. Cartoon-like illustrations are bright and the text is very accessible. This book will not be on the library shelves for long! Highly recommended.

Captain Cat Goes to Mars

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by Emma J. Virjan

Captain Cat and his friend, Pilot Matt, fly their spaceship to Mars. They meet some friendly aliens there and explore the surface of the planet. A storm comes up and they wait it out with their new friends and some yummy snacks. Unfortunately, the storm tips over their spaceship, which cracks it. Their alien friends save the day with some glue and tools. The intrepid astronauts take off and their new friends follow behind.

This book, part of the Ready to Read series, is a very accessible story, with simple text that rhymes that are not overwhelming for the beginning reader. Engaging illustrations make it even more fun. Add this to your collection for those newly minted readers in your school.

Kat Hats by Daniel Pinkwater

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Kat Hats Incorporated is a special training facility where special cats learn to be “living hats” for specific purposes. These cats are rented out to mountain climbers, Arctic explorers and other extreme adventurers. It is owned by Matt Kats, his wife, Glamorella, and their children, Pocketmouse and Lambkin.

Their most prized cat is Thermal Herman 67/8ths, who is the warmest cat ever known (a good thing, since over 90% of the the body’s heat is lost through the head). In this story, it’s a good thing he wasn’t on an expedition, because he was sent on an emergency mission – to find and help Thirdbeard’s mother, Chickarina (the witch), who walked off licking a fruitsicle. He was worried that she might get a brain freeze. So, Thermal Herman 67/8ths hurried up the mountain, encountered his own adventures on the way and saved Chickarina in the knick of time by pretending to be a witch’s hat. She put him on and warmed up enough to save herself!

This very silly story is engaging, helped along by the outrageously colorful illustrations. Young readers will need to spend extra time on each page, because there is so much going on. Kat Hats is a goofy book and is sure to make kids wonder why the notion of Cat Hats hasn’t been invented yet.