Mr. Bo Finds a New Home and a New Name

Author & Illustrator: Timothy Battle
Publisher: Tate Publishing
Genre: Children / Cats
ISBN: 978-1-60696-938-0
Pages: 28
Price: $9.99

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A handsome cat waits in a cage at the animal shelter. Although his tag says he’s Linus, only he knows what his real name is. Trouble is, he just can’t tell anyone!

All Linus can do is try to be his most winsome self, hoping to attract someone to his cage. He knows what a great cat he is, and he tries to show it to the people that visit. Finally, the magical day arrives, and Linus gets to leave the shelter and go to his new home.

Everyone loves a happy ending, and seeing a cat go home makes the reader feel good. So if you’re looking for nothing more than a sweet animal adoption story, Mr. Bo Finds a New Home and a New Name fits the bill. But this book lacks the action and tension that would have made it more memorable.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

The Secret Adventures of Louie V

Author: Tracey Delio
Illustrator: Kit Grady
Publisher: The P3 Press
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-1-933651-36-1
Pages: 24
Price: $14.99

Author’s website

Louie V is alone, now that his human mom has left for work, but he has no intentions of sleeping all day. Feeling particularly sassy, Louie V decides on a day of shopping. Since he can’t go out, he visits his mom’s closet instead. What will she find when she gets home?

Kids often wonder what cats do when no one is around to watch them, and Louie V offers a clue. His dress-up game in the closet is whimsical and fun, and the colorful images of this Siamese cat and his playthings add to the charm. The Secret Adventures of Louie V would be a delightful read for any child who loves cats.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Kitten Up a Tree

Author: Melanie Abel
Illustrator: Anne Lederhos
Publisher: E & E Publishing
Genre: Children
ISBN: 0-9791606-4-2
Pages: 28
Price: $15.95

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Kitten is scared and runs up a tree. The mailman, the gardener and the newsboy all try to get her down, but she just climbs higher and higher. But little David thinks he knows how to coax her down.

After David waits patiently for several days, kitten finally climbs down. And now she and David are friends.

Anne Lederhos has created charming illustrations for Kitten Up a Tree. Children have always loved to rescue cats in trees, despite the fact they seldom need rescuing. This cute story will appeal to kids and cat lovers alike.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Choosing to Be

Author: Kat Tansey
Publisher: iUniverse Star
Genre: Visionary & Metaphysical
ISBN: 978-1-935278-13-9
Pages: 148
Price: $19.95

Author’s website
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I have lived with several Zen Masters — all of them cats. ~ Eckhart Tolle

During a rough spell in her life, author Kat Tansey picks up a copy of The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. Her cat, Poohbear, a Zen Master himself, offers to show her the way to her Buddha nature if she is willing to learn from him. But first she needs a kitten to observe, which leads to Catzenbear joining the family.

As the author works on her practice, Poohbear shares his wisdom with her. An expert at sitting, he offers his thoughts on why Tansey struggles at times. When she clings, he suggests she let go. And when she starts to feel successful, he reminds her that she still has a long way to go. Always gentle and loving, he pushes her to go farther along than she believes possible.

Choosing to Be was classified as fiction because of the author’s conversations with Poohbear. But this was simply the style she used to get her ideas across in a friendly and easily accessible manner.

If you’ve ever thought you’d like to get in touch with your own Buddha nature, this enjoyable and enlightening book will start you on your journey. And if you can, find a cat who’s willing to join you.

Update: Choosing to Be has been included in Wisdom Notes, featured picks by Colin Lewis. It joins such classics as The Prophet, The Science of Getting Rich, and Tuesdays With Morrie.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Dear Deer Friend

Author & Illustrator: Jodi L. Schirmer
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-1-4327-2540-2
Pages: 24
Price: $11.95

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Clay is a typical house cat. He enjoys the things cats love – sleeping, eating, and going outside. But one day he discovers a new friend waiting for him there. Based on the author’s true-life experience of her own cat’s adventures, Dear Deer Friend tells of Clay’s surprising encounter with a deer.

As an animal lover, I was looking forward to the author’s exploration of this unusual meeting, but I felt disappointed that it was glossed over a little too quickly. For the most part, this book touches on ordinary feline behavior, sharing no new viewpoints on their quirks. I would have preferred if the author had written this story in simple prose, rather than limerick style, and shared more of how Clay and the deer reacted to each other when they met.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Chloe Anne – Force of Nature

Author: Valerie Oblath
Publisher: Three C’s Publishing
Genre: Memoir / Cats
ISBN: 978-09800623-2-8
Pages: 148
Price: $17.00

Author’s website
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Meet Chloe Anne – a voluptuous, long-haired kitty. Full of curiosity and charm, she knows she’s “too beautiful for words.”

Chloe Anne begins life as Penny, before being incarcerated at the Big House, and before author Valerie Oblath adopts her. Living with her new Mom and sister, Chloe Anne never runs out of ways to amuse herself and find trouble. But despite her mischief, she’s secure in the knowledge that her Mom loves her, and she’ll never have to worry about ending up in the Big House again.

This humorous tale of Chloe Anne’s adventures is a joy to read. Even though it’s impossible to tell what a cat is really thinking, Valerie Oblath has created a convincing chat with this delightful feline. But even more than that, she shares her own warmth and devotion to the cats who share her home.

Anyone who’s ever lived with and been loved by a cat will enjoy reading this book.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Everyday Cat Excuses: Why I Can’t Do What You Want

Author: Molly Brandenburg
Publisher: Sterling
Genre: Humor
ISBN: 978-1-4027-5903-1
Pages: 64
Price: $7.95

Author’s website
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“Dogs come when they’re called; cats take a message and get back to you later.” Mary Bly

Anyone who’s ever been owned by a cat knows the truth of this statement. But what are they really thinking when they’re totally ignoring us?

Molly Brandenburg has climbed inside the mind of a cat to reveal their inner thoughts. In minimalistic line drawings, she illustrates cats at their very best, as they choose not to do what we want them to do.

If you’re a cat owner, you’ll chuckle at these kitty responses because you know they’re true. And if you’re not a cat owner? Well, you may just decide to get a dog.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Taro and Tomi: My Feline Son and Daughter

Author: Shizue Tomoda
Publisher: BookSurge Publishing
Genre: Autobiography
ISBN-10: 1419673874
Pages: 118
Price: $12.99

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Raising a pet can be a rewarding yet demanding experience. Especially if you are a first time cat owner, Japanese, and living in France. No one knows this better than Shizue Tomoda, proud mother of her “feline son and daughter,” whose lives are colorfully described in her book, Taro & Tomi.

Tomoda spares few details in her simple but straightforward prose.< Most of the book is about Taro, her first kitten, where he is described in every aspect as he adjusts from adoption to life in an apartment. Charming illustrations supply the reader with images that give further life to a young kitty’s antics and also to the patience of a proud mother. Later on we learn of another addition to the fold, Tomi, and how a second child can alter the family dynamics of a newly created household.

Tomoda literally treats her cats as children. True cat lovers will identify with and applaud this behavior. When friends come to stay for a short time and form a particularly affectionate bond with Taro, the author experiences motherly concerns for her son after they leave. “When I woke up in the middle of the night, he was still lying on one of the guestroom beds. I wondered if he had fallen in love with one of the girls.”

Taro and Tomi benefit from the counseling and guidance Tomoda gives them as they grow together as a family. Her parental concern is one of the book’s most endearing qualities. The love and compassion the author displays for her children will surely touch the reader whether or not they ever owned a pet. This short, but warm-hearted and expressive book is certainly a refreshing and worthwhile read.

Reviewer: Gene Berger