Here’s my Perfect Picture Book Friday choice:
My Cat, The Silliest Cat in the World
Written and Illustrated by Gilles Bachelet
Abrams for Young Readers, 2006
Fiction
Suitable for: ages 4-8
Themes: Cats, Elephants, Art, Imagination
Opening Lines: My cat is very fat, very sweet, and very, very silly.
Synopsis (from jacket flap): Meet the silliest cat in the world. Sure, he behaves like any normal cat — sleeping, eating, getting in the way, making a mess — but this cat has a strange side, too. As well as a trunk!
Link to resources: Painted Elephant Art Lesson from the Deep Space Sparkle site, which shares tons of art lessons for children. Here’s a link to free art lessons by grade. You can also have a discussion about similarities and differences between cats and elephants.
Why I like the Book: You can hopefully tell by the cover that this cat — is not a typical cat. The story is from the adult artist’s viewpoint. He describes the cat, who is usually sleeping or eating. And, the final pages share a very, very funny visual twist (as if the whole book isn’t enough). We don’t have cats (we’re dog people), but we had fun reading this story and comparing cats and elephants.
Find more PPBF at Susanna Leonard Hill’s blog.
I’ll be at the Rocky Mountain Chapter of SCBWI this weekend. The conference coordinators have a great line up of authors, illustrators, editors, and agents ready to share their time and talent with us. More about that next week. Who else is at a SCBWI conference? It seems like many regional conferences are falling on this weekend.
Funny book idea -will check it out!
Have a GREAT time at the conference with JRZ!
Yes, we will. I can’t wait to meet Salina Yoon and hear her speak.
This looks like so much fun! Thanks for sharing about it.
It is fun. We’re not cat people and love it.
Love the humor in this one!
Yes. It’s very funny and a wonderful story for an author/illustrator to write.
This is such a funny idea for a book. I hope I can find it. I confess, sometimes My cat feels like an elephant when he sits on me.
Oh, this “cat” is very funny in how it sits on things!
Am I going? Or do I stay in the drawer? 😉 I had so much fun with you and Julie. I am loving all the books I’ve seen today. I guess I’ll have to order them. Except for this one. It’s older. My library is kind of sucky. No new picture books. They’re all at least five years old. But still I think I want to have this one. *waves*
Hopefully you can find this one Robyn. It’s clever. And, you’ll have to watch FB to see if you are stuck in a drawer or are frolicking at RMC-SCBWI…
Love this silly pick. Have a wonder-full time this weekend. 🙂
It is silly and so many things. I’ll likely be silly and so many things this weekend too. Hope your weekend is wonderful, too.
Still looking for the cat on the cover… 😀
Oh, you made me laugh. There is a cat somewhere in the book …
Oh that looks a hoot! I might check out the art lessons myself 😉
YES. The art lessons site is a great. There are so many activities. I share it with friend with school-age children and also for our own art time.
Oh my goodness! High-larious! I love quirky books and jokes like this; putting it on my to-read list. 😀
I love jokes likes this too Teresa. As a writer, you wonder if people will read them again and again. This one is a read over and over one.
This book looks and sounds delightful, Stacy! What fun 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
I’m enjoying all of the PPBF selections this week Susanna.
I have to know the twist now of this silly story!
I hope you enjoy it Joanna.
Terrific humor and have fun at the Rocky Mountain Chapter of SCBWI 🙂
I will have fun and hopefully learn a lot. Thanks Donna.
What a cute and quirky story. What fun for kids.
Have a great time at the Rocky Mountain SCBWI conference this weekend!
Yes it’s quirky Patricia. Thanks. I hope to learn at lot at SCBWI. There are some very exciting workshops.
What a fun one this book seems to be! Got to get it now, with the tease about the twist at the end. Putting it on my wish list.
Thanks Stacy for these great reviews… Damon Dean
Hope you enjoy it Damon. I really enjoy finding an older book that’s funny.
hahahahaha! This one looks pretty funny indeed! Thanks for the vision.
Rhythm, you will enjoy the twist on the cat story!
I better get this! It looks like one I’ll love! 😀
I hope you like it Erik.
Hilarious! My son loves cats. Although he’s a little old for this book, I’ll have to find it and read it with him. 😀
If he likes elephants, he will really like it.
Jodell was just using this book as an example in our pacing class. Great recommendation, Stacy!
Yes. I first saw her mention it at WOW. The word usage in the opening line is great.
Oh fun! And my library has it so I just put it on hold. Nice to know from Kirsten that it’s a good example of pacing.
Thanks, Stacy!
Hope you enjoy it Penny!