Storytime with Valentine Cat

I really love the way this Mom reads Valentine Cat to her child. Take a look in here.

Santa Cat paperback edition is ready for the holiday season!

The paperback edition of Santa Cat is out today

The Horn Book review for the Tooth Fairy Cat

 Cat is back 
and craftier than ever

Cat, who wanted to steal the Easter Bunny’s spotlight (Here Comes the Easter Cat, rev. 3/14) and bypass the naughty list by impersonating Santa (Here Comes Santa Cat, rev. 11/14), is back and craftier than ever. Now he wants to meet the Tooth Fairy, but she’s already taken his tooth under cover of night. His attempt to lure her back with a comb’s tooth fails, but she sends him his own fairy costume and a note assuring him, “if you help me with a few deliveries, maybe we can meet.” Cat, in cahoots with a new mouse assistant assigned by the Tooth Fairy, manages to collect teeth from several challenging locations, and learns in a surprise twist that fairies can be tricky, too. Underwood crafts yet another original plot within the format established by the previous two books. As before, Rueda’s ink and colored-pencil illustrations allow Underwood’s characters (none of whom actually speak) to communicate clearly with the offstage narrator through actions, facial expressions, and the occasional placard, while white space creates a sense that the narrator’s opinionated voice echoes within the pages. The lost-tooth canon, smaller than the Christmas canon and maybe even the Easter-bunny canon, has plenty of space for this welcome addition. shoshana flax

Kirkus Review for The Tooth Fairy Cat

KIRKUS REVIEW

Mischievous Cat is back (Here Comes Santa Cat, 2014, etc.), this time determined to meet the Tooth Fairy.

After losing a tooth, Cat is disappointed that he didn’t get to meet the Tooth Fairy when she left a coin under his pillow. Never at a loss for ideas, Cat concocts a plan to lure her back. Underwood and Rueda continue their playful repartee between the oh-so-patient narrator and silent Cat, bouncing the narrator’s understated questions off of Cat’s humorous expressions and handheld signs. Cat finds that it’s harder to trick a fairy than he expected. Two packages arrive with a note that suggests, “if you help me with a few deliveries, maybe we can meet. Love, Tooth Fairy.” But: “P.S. You’ll have some help.” When Mouse shows up as Cat’s assistant, Underwood plays the two off each other to great effect. Both animals are full of not-quite-helpful suggestions (“Cat! Mouse can climb into the hole perfectly well without your, uh, help”), and Rueda’s ink-and–colored-pencil illustrations heighten the humor with spot-on expressions and sight gags. Generous white space, expert timing, and minimalist illustrations focus attention on the plentiful, playful banter.

Clever fun continues in this delightful series. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Review 

Easter Cat is up for Goodreads choice award

HERE COMES THE EASTER CAT is one of fifteen picture books up for the Goodreads Choice Awards this year. You can vote here (first round closes November 8th):

CAT is Back!

Easter Cat is #6 in The New York Times Bestselling list!

CAT animated!

8 Reasons Cat Should Be In Charge Of Easter

Why should the Easter Bunny get all the love? Here are a few reasons we believe Cat will do a much better job this year.posted on April 2, 2014 at 10:06am EDT

Cat has excellent communication skills.

He is in touch with his emotions.

Cat doesn’t hop. He ZOOMS!

Cat is a very snappy dresser.

And he is exceptionally well-rested.

Cat has promised not to put hairballs in any Easter baskets.

Most importantly, Cat is ambitious…

…VERY ambitious.

Buzzfeed

Four Stars for Easter Cat!!

A PW star for Easter Cat

Underwood and Rueda deliver an Easter book with real personality in this story of a cat who’s got his eye on the Easter Bunny’s job. Underwood (The Quiet Book) structures the story as a conversation between Cat and a witty unseen narrator; Cat never speaks, but instead communicates his responses his facial expressions, body language, and the occasional placard. Rueda (Is It Big Or Is It Little?) does a marvelous job of capturing Cat’s rapidly changing emotions, from his pride at picking the perfect vehicle to deliver Easter gifts (a massive red motorcycle, naturally) to his horror at realizing that an Easter Cat’s busy schedule would mean no time for naps. It’s a highly appealing blend of slightly edgy humor and underlying sweetness, and the ending suggests that Santa better watch his back. Ages 3–5. 

Publishers Weekly Feb. 17

Two Stars for The Easter Cat

Two starred reviews for Here Comes the Easter Cat!

From School Library Journal:The combination of witty text, plentiful white space, and brilliant images make this a truly winning book

From The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books: Cat's signs and facial expressions are cheekily amusing.

Easter Cat: Amazon Book of the Month!

http://tinyurl.com/ml2vqcq

SLJ Pick of the Day

Easter Cat is OUT today!!!

A Starred Review for Easter Cat!

School Library Journal

★ 01/01/2014
PreS-Gr 2—What happens when a lazy cat decides he wants to take over Easter? Readers meet Cat, who conveys his thoughts with pictures and facial expressions. As the story progresses, Cat becomes more and more convinced he is the perfect candidate to replace the Easter Bunny. Will he get his way? The narrator, who kids will enjoy pretending to be, explains Cat's actions and asks all the right questions. "Clothes? No, you don't need special clothes. Well…the Easter Bunny does wear a very nice vest. Wow. That's very…sparkly." This is a book that will be enjoyed in storytimes as well as one-on-one. The wonderful ink-and-color pencil illustrations depict the characters' expressions perfectly, enabling children to decipher what is happening even without the narrative. The combination of witty text, plentiful white space, and brilliant images make this a truly winning book, especially for libraries looking to expand their Easter collections.—Brooke Rasche, La Crosse Public Library, WI

The book will be out on January 28