A Country Tale

A Country Tale

Diane Stanley 1985

 The best part about this story of two best friends is the detailed illustrations of Victorian cats!  Cleo and Lucy are two country cats and the best of friends.  They live simply and enjoy climbing Butternut Hill together on fine evenings.  Things change when haughty Mrs. Snickers moves into the manor house nearby.  Cleo becomes enamored with her fancy way of life and quite literally loses herself trying to be a fine lady.  In the end she makes her way back to her faithful friend, Lucy, who helps her rediscover who she really is and the kind of friendship that really matters.  

If you like Barbara McClintock illustrations (Heartaches of a French Cat, The Fantastic Drawings of Danielle), you'll like these as well!

The Valentine Cat

A bit belated for Valentine's Day...

 Here's an adorable story illustrated by Leonard Weisgard about an artist who adopts an abandoned kitten.  Soon the little kitten with a heart shape on his fur is inspiring the artist to paint and draw again.  Through a series of misadventures and one wicked chimney sweep, the kitten ends up at the palace.  Despite the title, there's no love story here, but a happy ending nontheless!

The Valentine Cat

Clyde Robert Bulla

illustrated by Leonard Weisgard 1959

Cowboy Sam and Freckles

 Who doesn't love a cowboy story that includes a kitten?  Beginner reader with plenty of repeating words to help in learning and retro illustrations.

Cowboy Sam and Freckles

Edna Walker Chandler

pictures by Jack Merryweather 1960

 

Marshmallow

 Since we are a house with both a bunny and cat, this book was particularly delightful.  Clare Turlay Newberry seems to write and draw from real life, and her illustrations make the case that simple pictures are often the best.  

Marshmallow

Clare Turlay Newberry 1942

In this story, Oliver is a contented cat whose owner brings home a new fluffy little bunny.  The owner is so besotted, she keeps writing poems about bunnies!  But it takes Oliver a little bit longer to decide how he feels about this potential new friend.  

(Our very best cat ever was named "Marshmallow", he's now in cat heaven, and I can attest that "Marshmallow" does indeed make a wonderful pet name!)

Mrs. Peachtree and the Eighth Avenue Cat

Mrs. Peachtree and the Eighth Avenue Cat

Erica Silverman

illustrations by Ellen Beier

Here's a cute story for us cat lovers.  Mrs. Peachtree owns a tea shop on Eighth Avenue.  One day a scruffy alley cat with one ear bitten off starts hanging around.  No-nonsense Mrs. Peachtree calls him "fool cat" but gives him food and milk.  It's not till he dissapears during a rainstorm that she realizes how much she really loves him.
 

The Blue Cat of Castle Town

The Blue Cat of Castle Town

Catherine Cate Coblentz 1956

illustrated by Janice Holland

This is such an unusual book.  It's a mix of history and magic all told through the eyes of a most extraordinary blue kitten.  Coblentz managed to weave the artisan crafts and craftsmen of a 19th century Vermont town into the story.  The layout and illustrations are wonderful as well.

A Kindle of Kittens

A Kindle of Kittens

Rumor Godden

illustrated by Lynne Byrnes

In a subtle cautionary tale (beware of those "love 'em and leave 'em" Tom cats!), a sweet tabby cat finds herself having to care for her four small kittens all on her own.  She selflessly searches the village, finding just the right home for each little kitten.  It bothered Charlotte that she had to give them away, but it showed a mother loving and wanting the best for her offspring.

Ghost Eye

Why not read a book with both cats and ghosts for Halloween.  One that's illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman, even better!

Ghost Eye

Marion Dane Bauer

illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman 1992

Purrloom Popcorn is a cornish rex show cat with big ears and velvet fur.  He's entirely unhappy that his show days are over and he now has to live in a big old house with a lonely little girl.  But Purrloom has a special feature, one blue eye that as he comes to find out, lets him see ghosts!