When Fraser Met Billy: How The Love Of A Cat Transformed My Little Boy's Life

by Louise Booth

Billy the cat was rescued from an abandoned house. Fraser was a two-year-old autistic child with a multitude of problems when he first met Billy at the cat protection shelter. Billy purred laid his paws across Fraser and they have been inseparable ever since. Slowly but surely Billy has transformed Fraser's life.
Fraser's mother Louise has watched her son move from being a child prone to anxiety tantrums and sudden emotional meltdowns to now a much calmer less moody four-year-old whose future looks a lot brighter.
In their home on the Balmoral Estate Billy acts as Fraser's guardian - never leaving his side at mealtimes and bedtimes or whenever he's feeling low. Their profound bond has immeasurably improved their lives and the family's. And brought them lots of hilarious and touching moments along the way.
Like A Street Cat Named Bob this story will touch the hearts of all those who read it.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Biography, Cats, Memoir, Autobiography

247 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Neko · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for any books involving cats and I hadn't come across any this year so when I found this hidden in the shelves of Big W I picked it up out of curiosity...It was the last copy there..I decided if I could find the other items I wanted in the store I'll do a reloop and come back to the book section...Success was had so I bought this book as well and very glad I did!

This tells the wonderful story about an autistic child called Fraser and a grey rescue cat called Billy. It's a book that shows how strong relationships can be formed between cats and their owners. One of the wonderful things about owning a pet is how they are non judgemental, take you for who you are no matter what and can be a friend to you, exactly what Billy was for Fraser. As it's known if you've got autism the social side of life can be pretty damn daunting and can often send parents into worry about how their child will function through life. Well, with the encouragement of Billy, Fraser started to come out of his shell...They had some set backs (as per norm) but for every setback Billy never left Fraser's side.

Billy seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to Fraser and even the rest of the family. He proved time and time again what a fantastic family member he is. This book is a real heart warmer. Louise doesn't seem to sugar coat things either and does go into detail of her hellish times when Fraser wasn't diagnosed so you do get an insight into different periods of time for the Booth family.

This book I think will appeal to a great audience..If you're a mother, if you like cats, if you have an interest in autism, if you enjoy reading about bonds between animal and owner..

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four year old Fraser is autistic and sadly was born with many medical conditions. Due to these conditions, Fraser suffers from anxiety which usually contributes to melt downs during the day. Louise manages the best she can, but most days she struggles and worries about the future for her son.

Louise decides to adopt a cat, Billy hoping that this will help calm Fraser down. Not long after Fraser and Billy are introduced, Louise is wondering if she has made the correct decision in bringing Billy into the household.

This is a superbly written book that will have you laughing out loud, but it will also pull on your heartstrings. This book gives you an insight into just how tough mentally and physically it is to care for a child that is born with medical conditions. A beautiful story that I have no hesitation in recommending.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful book about a young autistic boy, Fraser and his cat Billy. Written by his mother she describes how traumatic it is for families trying to raise an autistic child. She hit on the idea of adopting a cat to see if it would it would help to calm Fraser down. Not only did Billy, the rescue cat, immediately take to Fraser, he exhibited great empathy for Fraser and his needs and encouraged him to reach milestones his mother thought were impossible.

It truly is an amazing story. Although remaining a quintessential cat who loves to roam and hunt small creatures on the Balmoral estate where the family lives, Billy appears to sense when he is most needed; sitting next to Fraser when he has his meals, appearing in the bathroom when Fraser has his dreaded weekly hair wash and sleeping next to him when he is distressed or unwell. In a simply told story, Fraser's mother tells how Billy helped to change her son from a child she was told would never attend a normal school to an essentially happy little boy, doing well at school and starting to interact with other children. Highly recommended for mothers and cat lovers everywhere!

[Deni · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is officially the worst book I've ever read. As a person with autism, I thought this book was going to be a relief from reading the title, instead of that this is truly heartbreaking. In the first place, this book is neither about Billy or Fraser. It's just a book about your own life around them. In the second place, after 100 pages of complaining about why your son is not good enough because of his behavior you start to compare him with your non-autistic child and give reasons why she is way better. This is where the trigger got me and I quit reading this book. I don't understand how this got published in the first place.

[Xana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Não é o meu tipo de leitura, mas de vez em quando gosto de sair da minha zona de conforto...
Sendo eu doida por gatos, nada melhor do que um livro sobre a amizade e o poder que um gato tem sobre a nossa vida. Não tendo eu problema nenhum de saúde, bem podia falar sobre o quanto os meus gatos enriqueceram a minha vida, mas não é sobre mim que se está a falar :)
Gostei bastante do relato desta mãe, a fé dela, na amizade que nasceu entre o filho e um gato que foram buscar a uma associação, é comovente.
Impossível não gostar!!
Aconselho :)

[Moony (Captain Mischief) MeowPoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, i just... I loved this book from the first page to the last. It was so interesting, so beautiful, sad and just: Awesome. How Billy helped Fraser change from day to day, made me smile, so much. I Believe animals can help humans in their magnificent ways. This book was such a lovely read and i hope this author gives us more heartwarming books!

[Hilde · Rating 3 out of 5]

Het is steeds moeilijk waargebeurde verhalen te beoordelen. Dus deze geef ik altijd 3 sterren.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eine wahre Geschichte kann man doch gar nicht an ihrem Inhalt bewerten. Es ist aber ein wunderschönes Buch über eine wunderschöne Freundschaft Ich bin froh dieses Buch gelesen zu haben.

[Iris Besseling · Rating 2 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the story of Fraser and Billy, as an autistic person it touched me a lot and I could really relate to some of the things Fraser experienced and the connection he had with Billy. However, there was a lot of repetition in the rest of the story, some events were recounted multiple times and - in my opinion - most of the book discussed how difficult it is for the mother of an autistic child to raise him. This ofcourse is true and it is good that there are books written on this topic, but for me it shed a too negative light on the joy the author experienced because of Billy coming into their lives. The last 50 pages or so showed the joy and lightness I was expecting to find in the rest of the book and really touched me, the rest of the book felt too much like a pity party for me. For autistic people this can be super triggering: the autistic child and his autistic behavior are critiqued a lot and compared often to his “normal” younger sister, the mother repeatedly says she is disappointed in him because he is not able to give her what she always dreamt of (like a normal Christmas or a holiday), while in the end he is able to give her exactly these things. I know raising an autistic kid can be hard (I am one and I often discussed this with my mother), but continually stating how your child’s behavior has disappointed you and how his sister can make up for that is just… Really sad… I know the mother in real life is probably a good woman who loves her child to pieces, which makes it difficult to write this review, but in this book I often was fuming with anger and sadness because of how she described her life and her son(‘s behavior).

[Kirsti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read everyone of these type of books that comes out, squeaking in happiness when I spot a new one on the shelf. I love animal memoirs! I love the power an animal has to help a disabled child. This is a sweet, yet sad story. The writing is very good, personal and interesting. Fraser is an autistic child, who has other disability that hamper his life. Though his parents and sister love him, when he meets Billy the cat something special happens. Fraser communicates more, learns more, and his parents grow closer to the boy of few words.

This isn't the first time I've read a story similar to this one; Cowboy and Wills was one that coms to mind. It's always been clear to me that animals have a mysterious sway in our lives, and deeper understanding than some give them credit for. Another lovely story, highly recommended!

[Sanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by one of my students. As I work with autistic children, I didn't expect this book to have such an impact on me. It did. Even though it isn't the most well written book around, it is easy to read and the story is lovely. What surprised me most is that I gained an even deeper understanding of what it means to be a parent with an autistic child. My love for cats couldn't get deeper, but I do wish more of my students could've found a friend like Billy. I will recommend this book to my colleagues.

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a heart-warming true story about a young family. Fraser is the little son of Louise and Chris, and Pippa’s big brother. He has autism, which can be very challenging at times for the family. When Louise decides to introduce Fraser to a new cat, named Billy, all of their lives take a turn. Positively that is.

This true story is about a wonderful bond between human and animal. Fraser had been socially struggling in interacting with others. After Billy came into his life, he finally starts to come out of his shell. Billy becomes his best friend, as Fraser also often mentions.
To hear how many struggles his parents have been trough to give Fraser the best life possibly is admirable. At first they don’t believe Fraser has changed that much because of Billy, although they do see a positive influence. But the more time goes by and the more Fraser progresses, they have to admit that Billy was such a big part of his growth.

Billy seems to really know when he is needed most. When Fraser has to go to bed and has a meltdown, Billy is by his side and lays down onto the bed until Fraser is asleep. When the dreaded moment of washing Fraser hair comes up, Billy sits down with him and helps him calm down. He even helped Fraser learn to walk up the stairs. Fraser was born with several medical conditions which prevented him from doing several things that you usually learn at a young age. Billy really gave him a little push as in: ‘You want to play with me? You have to get up the stairs first then.’

As professionals had said, Louise and her husband could never imagine Fraser to go to a regular school. However with help from his parents, professionals, teachers, but above all from Billy, Fraser’s growth was so strong, that he was able to attend a regular school.

This was a wonderful book about a wonderful bond. It was an easy read and to think that this something this family has really gone through and many people are still going through… It’s a special, magical read.

[Irni Farid · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Fraser meet Billy is a non-ficition novel about relationship between an austitic boy with his pet cat, Billy. His mother, Louise shared her up and down trials and tribulation of understanding her child and her success in bring him up ready for normal school. Billy the cat played an important role in calming Fraser while being his best friend. A lovely story with mixture of sadness, frustation, laughter and rejoice. Narrated from Scotland, I enjoyed the description of life in Highlands while appreciating a wonderful cat story.

[Gaby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of my "impulse purchase", but I'm glad that I picked it up. This book is beyond amazing. The way Billy the cat influenced Fraser the autistic boy amazed me in so many ways. This is undoubtedly one of my best readings this year.

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Louise Booth beschrijft hoe de kat Billy het leven van haar zoontje Fraser geweldig positief beïnvloedt. Fraser heeft een stoornis in het autistisch spectrum en op een dag besluit zijn moeder een kat aan te schaffen. Het blijkt een schot in de roos te zijn. Fraser en Billy worden vriendjes en op momenten waar Fraser hem het hardst nodig heeft verschijnt Billy ten tonele.
Fraser praat tegen de kat, is trots op hem en wordt rustig van de aanwezigheid van de kat.
Mooi om te lezen wat ouders en therapeuten, grootouders en leerkrachten kunnen betekenen voor een jongen als Fraser.
Moedig van Louise Booth om haar verhaal te delen met een groot publiek.

[Elanor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super sweet book

[Helena Penner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was written by a mom who has a son with autism, just like me. I related to so much of the book and after reading this I am looking into getting a cat for our family.

[Sam “My Cosy Book Nook” · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to start this review with a confession that I don't think I have ever made to more than a few people. I have Asberger's syndrome. Or, as it's been officially called since 2013, 'Level 1 Autistic Spectrum Disorder'. There, I've said it.

The reason I don't like to talk about it is really summed up in the new name, which I hate. I'd go so far as to say that I find it - and this isn't a word I use lightly - offensive. I will admit to a lot of things about myself, but having a 'disorder' is not one of them. And I really don't want to be defined by a label - especially not one that sounds so negative - or even to be thought of as "different" when I personally don't feel it.

It doesn't help that autism is not easy to describe. If pushed, I'd say that it's a condition of the brain which, because the human brain is such an incredibly complicated thing, affects people in many different ways. But these can include difficulties in interpreting body language or other non-verbal forms of communication, an intolerance of too much noise or too many different sounds and perhaps - though absolutely not always - a tendency to be affected by anxiety. But it's not something that's stopped me from getting a university degree, from holding down a full-time professional career, from qualifying as a scuba diving instructor - which relies on non-verbal communication pretty heavily - or from being happily married.

Not convinced by that story of success? Well, others affected by the same condition include actor Sir Anthony Hopkins, naturalist Chris Packham, actress and environmentalist Daryl Hannah and entrepreneur Elon Musk. It's also unproven, but widely believed that the same condition affected Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein and Jane Austen. And someone out there is trying to say that we all have the same "disorder"? Well, I'm sorry, but: get stuffed.

I will concede that there are moments when my condition shows itself. Most typically, these are in the form of moments of brain freeze in the middle of conversations. Someone will ask me a simple question to which the answer should be obvious, and there will be a pause of several embarrassingly silent or stuttering seconds as my brain refuses to form the answer that I, and it, both know is there. There are also instances when multiple conversations going on around me at the same time can do my head in to the point where I tune all of them out. Which is fine until someone tries to include me in one of them and I don't notice that it's happening. Again, this has been known to be embarrassing.

However, I liken it in my mind to being short-sighted and having to wear glasses, which cost me £250 or so every time they need replacing. Sometimes it's an inconvenience. But ultimately, it's something that I, and probably millions of others have to live with. The rest of the world can't be expected to produce all road signs in a larger font so that I can read them more easily, and nor should it.

It does mean though - and I am finally getting to the point here - that when I read the true story of Louise Booth's son Fraser, whose autism was more severe than my own and who was further hampered by having a physical disability as well, it was nonetheless easy to see some parallels. Like Fraser, I had some childhood obsessions. In my case it was the local trains that could be seen from the upstairs window of the house we lived in at the time. I could predict without fail what the next train that went past would look like, down to the colour of the carriages, the size of the windows and the shape of the buffers on the front (and no, they weren't all the same). Whether this was because I had unconsciously noticed a pattern, or because they all made slightly different sounds, I have no idea.

I am also told that, like Fraser, severe and uncontrollable tantrums could develop if something inconsequential to someone else played havoc with my own mind. My mum told a story fairly recently about one time I started screaming uncontrollably at having to board a train on which the carriage was 'the wrong colour' - to the point where she was sworn at by the train guard who was in a hurry for it to depart. Like Fraser, my parents were told that I would never be able to attend a mainstream school. And thankfully, like Fraser, with the help and no doubt hard work of my parents and a very sympathetic and understanding head teacher of a local small primary school, those 'experts' were well and truly proved wrong.

The special bond that Fraser forms to his cat Billy, who was rescued after being found abandoned in an empty house, is not something that was a particular feature of my own life. But it's not the first case I've read about an autistic child forming a special relationship with a pet. As I understand it, it's easier to form a bond with an animal because the struggle to recognise and interpret facial expressions - a common trait - is eliminated. But in this case, reading that Billy the cat is seemingly unperturbed by Fraser's sometimes violent outbursts, manages to act as a calming influence and is also able to encourage Fraser to learn to overcome his physical disability enough to climb stairs, really is heartwarming.

It's also not the first time I've come across an animal's seemingly telepathic ability to recognise a sign of illness in a human long before he or she is even aware of its existence. So - and I'll give no details for fear of spoilers - it's rather a shame that Louise almost seems reluctant to believe some of what she saw, and has written. I believed it when I read it.

The main problem for me though is that, despite my feeling a strong personal connection to some parts of the book and loving others, it isn't really about Fraser or Billy. The clue is in the dedication: "I know someone out there, is me five years ago. Someone who is facing the same enormities, despair and isolation that I faced when I gave birth to Fraser in March 2008. This book was written for that person." Ultimately, the book is about Louise and her struggles as a parent to a child whose special needs were so demanding that they threatened at times to overwhelm her. About how living in a remote part of Scotland was a blessing in some aspects and a curse in others. The trouble was that for me, it came across a bit too negatively. It almost felt as though Louise couldn't help but feel slightly bitter towards Fraser for taking up so much of her time and energy that she couldn't give her daughter, Pippa, as much attention as she would have liked.

It almost feels wrong for me to say this, because I'm sure it's not true. I'm sure that she loves both of her children dearly and would be horrified to think that she'd given a different impression. But I'm not going to lie about how I felt.

The thing is, though: who am I to judge? If this book has given help, encouragement or even reassurance to just one more parent of a special needs child, or even encouraged someone else to adopt a rescued pet, then it's done its job. And it's for this reason that, even though I've been thinking all the way through writing this review that I was going to rate it three stars, I've just made up my mind to add a fourth.

I'd also like to add that I wish all the best to Louise, Fraser and their family. And I'd love to hear more about how Fraser has progressed since the book was published in 2014, when he was six years old. Maybe another edition, with a new introduction from Fraser when he feels able to write it, would give the book a whole new dimension.

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

“When Fraser met Billy” is the story of how a rescue cat called Billy, helped a little boy make sense of a very confusing world.
Billy came into Fraser’s life at a time when the world made no sense at all to Fraser who after being diagnosed with autism and other conditions was struggling with life as a toddler. However, Billy and Fraser bonded immediately and soon they became inseparable. The book charts the life of the Booth family from when Billy first came into the family for about 4 years until Fraser went to school in 2013.
The story is not just about Billy and Fraser but about how the whole family coped with Fraser’s problems and their life in what seems to be a beautiful part of Scotland.
At the end of the book I had real admiration for how she, her husband and all the other people in Fraser’s life dealt with his condition. What came through was the amount of love that they all had for Fraser and how they all (including Billy) never gave up on him.
It was lovely to see how the relationship between Billy and Fraser developed and being a cat owner myself I truly agree that cats are remarkable creatures.
I loved this book, it was a moving and inspirational story and I can only hope that in a few years Louise will write another book enabling us to catch up with Billy and Fraser.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for a good animal/pet story, so naturally was drawn to this one. I'm especially interested in stories which highlight the extraordinary relationships between people and their pets, or pets who have special 'skills' that bring even more value to the relationship.

That being said, this book fit the bill nicely. Of course I loved reading about all the seemingly simple, yet profoundly important and helpful, things that Billy did to help Fraser and the Booth family. Those who think cats aren't capable of understanding and bonding with people are clueless. I very much believe that a cat is smart enough and has enough of a sixth sense to do the things that are described in this book. I also enjoyed reading about Fraser and the challenges his condition presented to the family. Obviously I knew there were challenges involved in raising an autistic child, but reading all of the nuances was fascinating.

Overall, a great story for any cat lover - especially one who is interested in reading about the special bond our feline friends have with us.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally a book that is about what it says on the cover and no oh look at me as a mummy coping with it all and promoting everything for my own cause
From the first page this book is about Fraser and billy. Yes it makes reference to the parents prior to Fraser and his sister but it concentrates on the relationship between Fraser and billy and how they associate with each other. A refreshing read. I was disappointed after reading other similar books ESP the one that won the cats protection award as the author wrote at least he's not got autism (has aspergers) so there's hope. I kid you not it was all v opinionated on look how wonderful I am and this book is the polar opposite it is straight forward truthful and focuses on what is important. A must read for any parent with an additional needs child

[Simona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Si sa che gli animali sono da sempre una grande compagnia. Chiunque abbia un animale, che sia un cane o un gatto, sa cosa significa vivere, crescere con accanto un animale. Un animale, un gatto, in questo caso, capace di dare amore, affetto e aiutare un bambino nel suo percorso di vita, di crescita, di indipendenza e autonomia.
La storia di Fraser,un bambino autistico e del suo amico a quattro zampe, Billy, raccontata con speranza, difficoltà, dolore, amore e piccoli progressi dalla madre, che è anche l'autrice del libro, ci apre il cuore, l'anima facendoci capire quanto gli animali possano essere grandi amici e risollevare anche l'esistenza più triste.

[Dorien Sigin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dit boek is een absolute aanrader! Wat een prachtig verhaal over de liefde tussen een autistisch jongetje Fraser en zijn kat Billy. Het verhaal is waargebeurd en prachtig geschreven door de mama. Het is een hartverwarmend boek dat me meermaals heeft ontroerd maar me daarnaast ook heeft doen lachen met de grappige verhalen over de geweldige kat Billy. Het boek leest ontzettend vlot en ik weet nu al dat ik het gerust meerdere keren kan (her)lezen.

[Amandine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Très belle histoire d'amitié entre un chat et un petit garçon autiste. Le jour où les parents de Fraser décident d'adopter un chat pour l'aider, sans le savoir, c'est le plus beau cadeau qu'ils vont lui faire.
Billy va bouleverser leur quotidien et aider Fraser à s'ouvrir au monde qui l'entoure. J'ai beaucoup aimé ce témoignage que je recommande à tous.

[Alex T. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Actual rating 0.25

Basically the most ableist shit I've ever read.

Full review at: https://skybookcorner.blogspot.com/20...

[Drevni Kocur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Książkę przeczytałam dzięki temu, ze Jagodowa podrzuciła mi ją, jak sama przeczytała. A książkę znalazła pod Choinką... Od kiedy siadłam nie minęła doba, a książkę pochłonęłam z przerwami na sen i obowiązki... I zawsze obok któryś z moich kotów mi chrapał i łapki zarzucał, by czasem nie zapomnieć o kuwecie... ;)

Jestem bardzo pozytywnie zaskoczona książką! Podchodziłam ostrożnie, ponieważ nie umniejszając samej historii, poprzednia książka w tej tematyce ("Niezwykły talent Iris Grace. Opowieść o małej dziewczynce i jej wyjątkowej kotce") niestety mnie nie zachwyciła. Sama historia może i była niezwykła, ale za mało moim zdaniem było kota w tamtej książce i samo wydanie przesadzone jak dla mnie.

A tutaj bardzo miła niespodzianka! Książkę napisała mama chłopca, a poza tym sama szczerze pisze, że myślała, iż przesadza uważając więź dziecka i kota za jakąś magiczną. Życie jednak samo dawało dowody, że to prawdziwa przyjaźń, a koty mają swój magiczny siódmy czy tam nawet szesnasty zmysł - wiedzą i czują więcej niż nam się wydaje!


Poza samą relacją Frasera i Billy'ego, są także przygody Billy'ego. Nierzadko bowiem nastraszył on swoich opiekunów, nie tylko pod samym kątem "Co by było gdyby..." ze względu na autystycznego chłopca, który się do niego przywiązał. Jest też sporo zabawnych elementów jak i wzruszających. Podobnie, jak przy innych książkach o kocich przyjaciołach (seria o kocie Salomonie, niezastąpiony Kot Bob oraz historie Alfiego) utwierdzamy się w przekonaniu, że koty mają to COŚ. I bez wątpienia są magicznymi przyjaciółmi człowieka - trzeba to tylko zauważać.

W równej mierze, co i o kocie jest o samym zjawisku autyzmu, problemach jakie się z tym wiążą oraz różne opisy przypadłości - takich jak to, że kolory krzyczą, wydają dźwięki. Sporo ciekawostek można się dowiedzieć. Ale czasem mam wrażenie, że także my pozornie zdrowi ludzie mamy swoje dziwactwa, bez których np. nie wychodzimy z domu albo nie zasiądziemy do czytania. Tak na szybko nie potrafię nic przytoczyć, ale pewnie obserwatorzy zauważają to czy owo. Np. Mały mój nie zaśnie do póki nie odczyni swojego rytuału układania pluszaków i poduszek. Bez tego nie ma mowy o zaczęciu czytania mu bajki do snu.

Najpiękniejsza opowieść o więzi człowieka i zwierzęcia od czasów książki "Kot Bob i ja".

Książkę polecam, czyta się ją bardzo przyjemnie i życzę każdemu takiego Billy'ego u boku. Koty wszak pomagają każdemu opiekunowi przyjacielowi.
A jak ktoś kotów nie lubi i nie wierzy w ich moc - podrzućcie im tę książkę! :)

[Glafira Regina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story written by the mother of an autistic child, whose friendship with a cat greatly impacted him. It seems like Billy and Fraser were meant for each other (and who knows, maybe they were? 😉). The book is written quite simply and directly, starting with the mother’s experience of postpartum depression, her gut feeling that something wasn’t right (though no one wanted to believe her), then moving on to the diagnosis finally given to her son, and the family’s struggles with his condition.

The author also shares insights, based on her son, into what an autistic child might feel. Naturally, most of the book focuses on the bond between the child and the cat, whose behavior encouraged the boy’s development and showed an uncanny understanding of him.

On one hand, the book is a quick and relatively light read despite the subject matter. But… unfortunately, it drags a bit and feels overly… hmm… matter-of-fact? I don’t know how else to put it—it didn’t really grab me. The same story could have been told in a much more engaging way.

[Tita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Já sabem que adoro histórias com e sobre gatos e se forem histórias verídicas ainda melhor.

A vida da família Booth não é muito fácil, moram numa pequena casa na herdade de Balmoral e o seu filho mais velho, Fraser, de três anos é autista e tem também um problema muscular. Mas a vida desta família vai mudar quando decidem adoptar Billy, um gatinho branco e cinza. E e incrível a ligação que Frazer e Billy criam e como este gato vai conseguir fazer Fraser florescer e fazer progressos.
Uma história muito ternurenta do impacto de um gato na vida de uma criança autista e na sua família.
O livro só peca por não ter fotografias pois continuo a dizer que todos os livros sobre gatos deveriam ter fotografias dos mesmos =D

Vídeo de opinião aqui

[Diana Baptista · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is sweet story about a boy and a wonderfull effect one single cat had in his autistic life. If it is, indeed, all true, it´s amazing the power of animals, especially this one (Billy), can have to help humans.

It is super easy to read and amazing to know this beautifull friendship about a boy and his cat!

____
Esta é uma história incrível sobre o incrível efeito que um gato tem na vida de uma criança autista. Se, realmente, tudo o que aqui é contado for verdade, então é espantoso o poder deste animal (Billy) na vida desta família e em especial desta criança e do seu desenvolvimento.
É de leitura super fácil e é bom conhecermos este tipo de histórias sobre a verdadeira amizade entre uma criança e o seu gato.

[Rebecca gubbels · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weer een mooi boek dat gaat overautisme en hoe het is om met iemand te leven die dat heeft.

Dit verhaal is geschreven door de moeder van het jongentje en vertelt het verhaal over zijn leven en zijn kat Billy waarmee hij van alles leert, dingen die hij eerder niet deed. Het laat zijn groei zien.

Ik vind het altijd bijzonder om te lezen hoe wij als autisten groeien en dingen leren. Ik lees er graag over om te begrijpen hoe het bij andere werkt en om de verschillen maar ook overeenkomsten te lezen.