Ginger Finds a Home

Ginger #2

by Charlotte Voake

No one captures cats better than Charlotte Voake! In this prequel to GINGER, a forlorn feline is coaxed inside by a little girl - and finds a new life as a beloved pet.

Once there was a little orange cat who was so scrawny that his tail was like a piece of string. He lived in a patch of weeds, and every night he had to scrounge for food to eat - until one day when, suddenly, everything changed. In this tender tale, Charlotte Voake’s delicate, sprightly illustrations offer a glimpse of the star of GINGER as he first meets the little girl who earns his trust and takes him home.

Genres: Picture Books, Cats, Fiction, Childrens, Animals, Storytime, Family

40 pages, Hardcover

First published May 14, 2003

About the author

"I don’t know that I’m a funny person," says author-illustrator Charlotte Voake. "But it seems when I begin to draw that the characters change, and they take on this amusing and amused look." Indeed, her illustrations are widely loved for this very quality of gentle wit, not to mention their quiet observation, airy exuberance, and utter charm.

Born and raised in Wales, Charlotte Voake says that book illustration is "the only thing I ever wanted to do," and she certainly has made a brilliant career of it. Skipping formal training in art, she studied art history at London University and worked at an art gallery before embarking on a freelance career in illustration. Among her most acclaimed picture books is GINGER, an American Library Association Notable Children’s Book that KIRKUS REVIEWS called a "flawless tale of two cats . . . to be read and reread." GINGER FINDS A HOME, a prequel to that award-winning picture book, shows how the loving ministrations of a little girl transformed the title character from stray to pampered pet. "We had a cat who lived at the bottom of our garden," Charlotte Voake says of her inspiration for this story. "It was a great moment when he decided to come and live with us."


Charlotte Voake was personally selected by the nephew of the esteemed children's book writer Eleanor Farjeon to illustrate the delightful classic, ELSIE PIDDOCK SKIPS IN HER SLEEP. More recently, Charlotte Voake wrote and illustrated PIZZA KITTENS, a dinnertime comedy of errors that she says stems from personal experience. "Good manners are not acquired overnight," she sighs. "The secret is to keep trying!"


Charlotte Voake lives in Surrey, England, with her husband and two children.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

The comfortable older cat whose territory is invaded by a rambunctious kitten in Charlotte Voake's Ginger is a kitten himself in this story, living a cold and hungry life: scrounging for food in garbage cans, sleeping in a patch of weeds, at the bottom of a garden. And then one day, he finds a heaping plate of food waiting for him in the garden, and is slowly won over by the little girl who put it there. Yes, Ginger himself finds a home, in this one...

I enjoyed this second book - a prequel of sorts - devoted to Ginger's story, not least because I'm a sucker for any tale in which a homeless and neglected feline finds a home and a family! I liked the gentleness of the narrative, and the non-preachy way that the author demonstrated the need for patience, when interacting with stray animals: that sometimes it will take a long time to win their trust and affection. The illustrations, done in watercolor and ink, were just as adorable as in the first! All in all, Ginger Finds a Home was a worthy follow-up to the first story, and enough to convince me to track down the third, Ginger and the Mystery Visitor .

[Mya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adored this book. It is a classic in its on right.

[gloriabluestocking · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a common re-read in our home.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a prequel to the book Ginger, a book I’d already read.

This story about a stray cat who first finds food, then meets a little girl who names him, and then is adopted into a home with the little girl had me near tears. It’s a lovely story. The only downside is that if you read it to young children, they’re likely to get it into their heads to adopt a cat in need. Depending on circumstances, having that request by a family member might be a big plus.

The illustrations are wonderful, and heartbreaking and sweet. I’ve always had a fondness for orange kitties and I do love Ginger.

I’m glad that this author-illustrator created this prequel. I am looking forward to reading other Ginger books. I’ve got Ginger and the Mystery Visitor on reserve at the library.

[Katie Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this heartwarming prequel, Ginger finds a home! This is a story about one small and poor cat, Ginger, who finds a home because of a lovely girl. She offers Ginger food and thus, Ginger comes back, eventually becoming a permanent pet for the girl. I love how the text take up almost the entire page, and that the only illustrations presented are of Ginger. They are small and simple and the pages are not filled with a lot of detail, rather they are filled with text. Any animal lover can relate to a book like this if they have ever accepted a stray animal into their house. Ginger now lives in a warm and safe home, and has a new friend.

[Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

There isn't a lot to this story. Ginger is a homeless cat, and a little girl wins him over with love and patience. However, the preschoolers I read it to were captivated, and worried for Ginger, and on the edge of their little seats waiting to see what would happen. I wasn't in love with the story, it's pretty simple, but the kids really responded. I think it also had a good side lesson about being kind to animals.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

if only Charlotte Voakes knew what this book meant to my lowest students. we struggled through the first book at the first of the year. I got this one at Christmas. They struggled far less with this one. This series is excellent for kids making the jump from short vowel words to long vowel and multi-syllable words. The story had a surprise in the middle and a sigh inducing happy ending. I will be happy to read this book with them again and again.

[Angelina Justice · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first Voake book and I like it the first time I read it. But I loved it more each time I read it.

It is a simple story with simple text and illustrations, but it captures the love, patience and nurturing that can reside in children.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is really a 3.5, but since I'm a cat lover and can identify with the cat and the little girl in this story, and since the illustrations are cute, I'm giving it the 4. I will look for the other Ginger books.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated story about a cat who gets adopted by a little girl (sorry about the spoiler) suitable for anyone who loves cats as it is a sweet story and the pictures are quite lovely. Simple, happy and pretty: just exactly what's required of a young child's picture story book.

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will admit to being a tiny bit biased on this one since I read it to my son right after we adopted three abandoned kittens, including an orange one we named Ginger. This is sweet and cute and made me a little misty.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful children's story about a stray cat named Ginger, who finds her forever home with a kind, young girl.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun story of a homeless cat who finds a forever place with a family. It's a children's story, but also a true story. Fun illustrations.

[Clarissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A stay cat finds a home with a girl who feeds him. Not an original storyline, but still charmingly told, and with nice illustrations.

[Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cat lovers in my class will love this book!

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet and simple, with great illustrations and elegant understatement.

[Thomasin Propson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet. We've only had this book for a few days but have read it many times. Simple words, simple pictures, compassionate tale.

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the sparse drawings and writing!

[Voracious_reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the illustrations. Very sensitive story about a stray cat finding a home with a little girl.

[Freddie D · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming prequel to Ginger, which is a favourite in our household.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

awfully straightforward telling of a common trope... but it did make me smile so ok rounding up to 3 stars.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aww, what a precious book! I loved it. The cat is adorable. What a sweet story! The ending was prefect.

[zunggg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deftly-written and dashingly-drawn, but not a lot of meat on the bones.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ginger was a scraggly stray cat who scrounged for his food and slept in the weeds. One day a dish of food was set out for him, and the next day a little girl tried to befriend him. This was the beginning of a new life for a lonely cat.

[Runell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read to my 4 year old

[Louise · Rating 2 out of 5]

An odd book that didn't quite capture my interest. A stray ginger cat lives in a patch of weeds at the bottom of the garden. A little girl finds him and offers him food. Like any sensible cat he takes to the good life.

[Bree · Rating 3 out of 5]

Notes:
prequel to Ginger
he's a scaredy stray taken in by a girl
sweet but we like the book Ginger better