Rescue Cats

Did you know that two Fountaindale librarians volunteer at the animal shelter, taking care of cats? Here are some new stories about rescuing and bringing home cats and kittens.

Big Cat, Little Cat by Elisha Cooper
A moving tale about friendship, new beginnings, and cats.

A Cat Named Swan by Holly Hobbie
After surviving on the streets, a homeless cat discovers the joys of living with a human family.

Cat on the Bus by Aram Kim
Using onomatopoeia, this almost wordless story tells of a homeless cat who finds shelter on a bus where she meets a cat-loving Asian grandfather.

Little Night Cat by Sonja Danowski
When Tony, a little boy, bravely offers his stuffed animals–including his favorite toy cat–to the animal shelter to raise money for the needy dogs and cats, it touches his mom’s heart. Later that night when Tony misses his toy, she gives him her old stuffed cat. He embraces it with such care and devotion that his mom rewards him in a way that he never imagines.

Lola Gets a Cat by Anna McQuinn; illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw
More than anything Lola would like a cat, but first she must learn how to care for it.

Lost and Found Cat: The True Story of Kunkush’s Incredible Journey by Doug Kuntz and Amy Shrodes; illustrated by Sue Cornelison
A family of refugees is accidentally separated from, and then reunited with, their pet cat.

Eve Merriam at 100

Poet Eve Merriam would have been 100 years old today.  She is known for writing everything from children’s picture books to poems for adults.  Here are some of her books that you can find at the library; her poems are also included in several poetry collections.

Goodnight to Annie: An Alphabet Lullaby
In alphabetical order, creatures all over the world fall asleep, from alligators dozing in the mud to zebras asleep on their sides.

On My Street
This book is a good example of how families can make rhymes out of the ordinary people, places, and activities they see around them, like “Mr. Sklar washing his car” or “Pat at the laundromat.”

Ms. Merriam’s poems for older children are often playful.  Here’s one from Blackberry Ink:

Cat cat cat on the bed,
Bed’s too soft, it jumps on my head.
Head head, head’s too hard,
Cat wriggles out into the yard.
Yard yard, cat slips away
Over to the playground where the children play.
Playground seesaw, who wants to ride?
Cat’s all ready on the other side

Chortles: New and Selected Wordplay Poems

The Singing Green: New and Selected Poems for All Seasons features some poems that are about poetry– I could see these coming in handy for an English teacher.

Spooky ABC features spooky illustrations by Lane Smith (you probably recognize his style from books like The Stinky Cheese Man).
A poem for each letter of the alphabet introduces a different, spooky aspect of Halloween.