The Little Cat and the Greedy Old Woman by Joan Rankin

The story revolves around a little cat who one day is unceremoniously shooed out into the pouring rain after he attempts to gain a taste of a special roast dinner the "greedy old woman" has prepared. The anger which grows inside him causes him to grow into a great jungle tiger tyrant and he reenters the house hell-bent on revenge. The moggy is a lovable villain and the  muted softer watercolours used for the house and the old woman are contrasted with the vibrant oranges and browns used for the terrifying tiger cat. An amusing read.

Aristotle by Dick King-Smith and Bob Graham

Aristotle, which also under the title of The Nine Lives of Aristotle,  is a book by Dick King-Smith about an accident prone cat aimed at the middle primary audience. His owner, a witch named Bella Donna, spends most of her time cleaning up after his misadventures whilst counting down his nine lives.Her cottage is proving to be a risky sort of place for an adventurous kitten. Tall trees, streams, railway tracks, and roads are among the dangers which Aristotle seems to find very quickly.  As much as Bella Donna tries to keep him safe, Aristotle's lives are fast running out. Then there is the episode with Old Gripper with the studded collar... The gently drawn illustrations by Bob Graham closely match the text and provide the reader with extra insight into the near misses of both Aristotle and the efforts of his hardworking owner.

Looking at Paintings Cats by Peggy Roalf

Looking at Paintings is a series of books which helps students to understand what great artists see when they paint. This one is all about cats in the art world. Five thousand years ago, the ancient Egyptians worshipped the cat as a god. Ever since that time artists have been fascinated by the mysterious characteristics of this animal.  It is after all a skilled hunter, is fiercely independent, has keen vision and a graceful form, it can be aloof or affectionate. Some artists have depicted  heroic or destructive historical figures through the images of cats. In medieval Europe cats were believed to be demons and hundreds were burnt to death. This book contains paintings by Lorenzo Lotto, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Gauguin, Paul Klee, Pablo Picasso, and many more, all depicting cats in one way or another. I found it to be a very interesting and enjoyable read. This book is currently on display in our art area.

The Witches and the Singing Mice by Jenny Nimmo

Glenmagraw has three new residents. Three witches have renovated the once tumbled down building on the hill, it's now a solid brick structure with only a peephole for a window. It turns out that they are particularly evil, especially when they don't get their own way and, it's not long before the tradesmen of the village are in real trouble. Tam and Rory, two cats, watch horrified as the witches put the blacksmith's daughter and the carpenter's son into a deep sleep. When the weaver's baby is threatened with a similar fate, the cats decide it is time to act and to track down the singing mice whom the witches are using for their own evil purposes. This book, which retells an old Celtic tale, is complemented with illustrator Barrett's eerie paintings wherein the witches are never more than elusive shadowing images, which makes them more intriguing and sinister. The illustrations of the townspeople, on the other hand, are filled with warmth and light. Visit author, Jenny Nimmo's website to find out more about her life and her other books:

http://www.jennynimmo.me.uk/books02.html

Singenpoo Shoots Through by Paul Jennings

This is the third book in the Singenpoo series. Scott has since left the take-away shop and is now working for The Boss in a carnival doing shows with Singenpoo. Most of the other acts in the show are fake and The Boss doesn't believe that Singenpoo really can read. Scott even has his own caravan to live in but something at the carnival is not right, there is a sad old man there called Jack who seems to be being held captive there. Singenpoo takes a real liking to Jack and Scott is determined to find out what is the big secret about Jack.

The Paw Thing by Paul Jennings

Scott works at Major Mac's take-away chicken joint and there he become acquainted with Singenpoo the cat. Why such a weird name for a cat? Well, it so happened that Sigenpoo once swallowed a radio and as a result her owner, Mac, made her sit her on a chair every evening with her mouth open so he could listen to the news. She also had to follow him around everywhere so he could listen to music. One day, Mac found a cat poo singing the song "Please release me, Let Me Go" and that's when he recovered the radio. Anyway, Singenpoo wasn't much of a mouser and Mac was not hapy with her at all, and even less so when his secret recipe for making delicious fried chicken goes missing and a rival take-away is selling chicken that tastes suspiciously like his recipe. Singenpoo gets the blame and is going to be put down, and that's when kind-hearted Scott comes to her rescue. This is a humorous story and the illustrations by Keith McEwan add to the comical situations. It's a small book and could be read in one or two silent reading sessions.

Size Twelve by Robert Westall

I am a big fan of Robert Westall and have read the majority of his books and it's sad he is not here to write any more books. This novel is a much easier read than his novels like The Machine Gunners and BiltzCat. Valley Road Primary School is very run down, the students are disinterested and unruly...and the teachers have given up. Then along comes one black cat with incredibly large paws who makes friends with one of the most feared boys in the school, Taffy Thomas. Taffy names him Size Twelve and school becomes a much nicer place to be. Students and parents start to see the school in new light and revamp the tired old school. However, Edward Druel, the psychologically-damaged school bully is not won over and Size Twelve is suddenly in grave danger. Westall had a facination for cats and they feature in many of his novels. There are ink drawings by Mark Robertson throughout the book which help bring the characters to life.

The Cat Dictionary by Peter Mandel

Do you want to sharpen up on your cat vocabulary? Plain good fun and definitely a book for cat lovers and lovers of language, this dictionary is a tongue-in-cheek book about cat behaviour. Author Peter Mandell takes a look at the words in the English dictionary beginning with cat and then puts his own quirky interpretation on each one, cat-related of course. Here are a few from the book:

catapult: Any piece of furniture that your pet tends to use as a springboard while tearing around the house like a maniac. Popular choices include the backs of antique wing chairs and sofa cushions.

catnip: A feline's not-so-friendly way of informing you that you had better stop scratching its fluffy white tummy, or else.

catastrophe: A prize given annually to the cat that engineers the most spectacular domestic disaster.

Peter Mandel is an American writer living in Providence, Rhode Island with his wife Kathy and cat Chuck. He has written books for adults and children including The Official Cat I.Q Test and Red Cat, White Cat. The text is accompanied by black ans white illustrations by Annette Busse.

Jake and Pete and the Magpie's Wedding by Gillian Rubinstein

This is the fourth in the Jake and Pete series and it is an easy small chapter book to read, and fun. It has quirky ink drawings by Terry Denton. In the Garden of Lost Things, Jake finds his sense of smell, but Pete can’t find any glasses and Bog is too busy getting ready for the Magpie’s wedding to help him look. I believe the four stories can now be bought in the one book. It is probably good to read the three preceding stories first: Jake and Pete, Jake and Pete and the Stray Dogs, and Jake and Pete and the Catcrow Bats.

101 Cat and Dog Jokes by Katy Hall & Lisa Eisenberf

Some of these jokes are a little corny, others might just make you smile or laugh inside.

Did you hear about the cat who swallowed the ball of yarn?

She had mittens.

Where does a dog go when it loses its tail?

To a re-tail shop.

There are Did you knows, puns, riddles, dialogues, knock knocks and much more.

A light-hearted read you could read in one or two sittings.

Selina the Cat Who Saw the Sea Unintentionally by Pauline Cartwright

A sweet, straightforward little book written by a New Zealand author Pauline Cartwright. It has a simple storyline about a cat called Selina who feels her life lacks the excitement of the other local cats and who suddenly finds herself locked in the back of a van on the way to goodness knows where. It is an easy read suitable for 7-11 year olds.