Collecting Cats Lorna Scobie

If you love cats and wish to become a collector of some, then you’d be wise not to emulate the narrator of Lorna Scobie’s debut picture book.

To attract the objects of her desire said narrator conceives a plan: use bait of the cheesy variety.

Now cats aren’t generally attracted to this delicacy, but certain small rodents much loved by the wanted felines most certainly are, and it doesn’t take long for the ruse to bear fruit – or should that be cats. A dozen of them to be precise – some fluffy, some spotty, some fat and the remainder, thin.

Not content with twelve, and still having some unconsumed cheese at the ready, our narrator leaves the remaining bait to do its job.

However, things start to get just a little out of hand as hordes of domestic cats descend, followed by bigger, wilder kinds.

Maybe this cat collecting idea wasn’t such a great one after all. Another plan might be more manageable, perhaps…

This is Lorna Scobie's first book as author and illustrator. Her cat and mouse portrayal is splendid; it looks as though she really enjoyed creating so many furry creatures, every one of which including the mice, has a different personality – no mean feat.

I’m anything but a lover of cats but I thoroughly enjoyed the feline frolics herein.

Hugless Douglas and the Baby Birds David Melling

As Douglas sits under a tree taking stock of his spring collection, it’s suddenly added to in an unexpected manner.

A nest of eggs plummets into his lap, closely followed by a squirrel that informs Douglas it belongs to Swoopy Bird. The eggs are fine but the nest is rather the worse for its tumble.

Douglas volunteers to mind the nest and its contents while its owner builds a new one.

One of the Funny Bunnies suggests egg hugging is a good way to keep the eggs warm – decidedly preferable to being sat upon by Douglas’ large rear – and it’s not long before the eggs are ready to hatch.

The next challenge is to get the eight little hatchlings safely up to the new home Fluffy Bird has finished in the nick of time.

Once installed it’s hugs all round.

As always it’s perfectly pitched for young listeners but with sufficient humour – visual and verbal – to satisfy adult readers aloud too. With its signature final double spread (here it’s things to spot on a spring day) and some crafty suggestions, this new story will please established fans, and make the huggable Douglas a lot of new followers.

I’ll Love You… Kathryn Cristaldi and Kristyna Litten

I doubt little ones these days are familiar with the phrase used on the opening page of this rhyming book, ‘I’ll love you till the cows come home’ but they’ll love the silliness of the whole thing.

There are already countless books whose theme is the love a parent has for a child but this one is altogether zanier, without the saccharine sweetness that many of the sub ‘Guess How Much I Love You’ kind have.

There are nine verses each one telling the reader they’ll be loved until … with each of the scenarios becoming increasingly outlandish. “I will love you till the frogs ride past, on big-wheeled bikes going superfast… in a circus for seahorses, shrimp and bass, I will love you till the frogs ride past.”

Or “till the deer dance by” (sporting dapper top hats), till “the geese flap down” (with gourmet marshmallows), till “the ants march in” and then some, for there’s no end to this love.

The litany concludes as all good before bed tales do, in a sequence of perfect bedtime scenes.

The catchy rhythm of the telling combined with Krystyna Litten’s portrayal of the animals’ exuberant activities make this wonderfully silly way to assure your child they’re forever loved.