Winner of a Bell Picture Book Award for Early Literacy!
Illustrated by Kate Berube.
Nick and his cats, Verne and Stevenson,
do everything together. Except read.
Until Nick has an idea:
he’ll teach them to read, too!
But reading doesn’t come easily
for everyone…
In this celebration of reading,
Nick and his cats learn that
finding just the right book can sometimes
make all the difference.
Available from:
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Reviews
“A marvelous debut… Sometimes it takes the right nudge to fall in love with books.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Manley’s conversational text flows smoothly…. Berube’s charmingly childlike art … captures the cats’ personalities perfectly and creates a cozy, everyday world with just enough amusing details to reward repeat readings. Young listeners of all stripes (and species) will enjoy this warmhearted celebration of literacy and imagination.” Kirkus Reviews
“A satisfying combination of original storytelling and amusing, affectionate artwork.” Booklist
“This quirky tale filled with subtle humor makes a fun read-aloud, especially for cat lovers, literacy lovers, or anyone looking for a great story.” School Library Journal (starred review)
“…first-time picture book author Curtis Manley delivers an engaging story that blends seamlessly with Kate Berube’s beguiling drawings. The book is sure to become a read-aloud favorite.” BookPage
“Everyone (even cats) learn to read in their own way and in their own time. Sometimes it just takes one special book to get a beginning reader hooked on reading for life.” Sturdy for Common Things blog—with a craft to make a cat reading buddy!
Accolades
- Nominated for the South Carolina Picture Book Award for 2019
- Winner of a Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy’s 2017 CLEL Bell Picture Book Award for Early Literacy (see below for the activity sheet)!
- One of School Library Journal’s Best Books of 2016
- One of the Chicago Public Library’s Best Picture Books of 2016
Resources for Parents, Teachers, and Librarians
Support your beginning reader by downloading this book’s FREE early literacy activity sheet from the CLEL 2017 Bell Picture Book Awards. It discusses how children can practice “reading” before they can read; how they can act out stories; and how nursery rhymes help build word, reading, and memorization skills.
Interviews
My First Picture Book Q&A Karlin Gray blog, March 2017