Growing up in North West England and in Germany, Anna wrote plays about talking animals, and stories about naughty children, and drew on every available surface. After school, she did an Art Foundation course, then a degree in German Literature & Philosophy at Oxford University. In 1998 she found her perfect job at Usborne in London, writing about everything from curious penguins to trips to the Moon. Usborne.com
Cats is a very attractive early reading book in the "Usborne Beginners" series of of almost 50 factual books. Each is a slim hardback, a little bigger than a typical paperback size. They are illustrated profusely within the text, using both photographs and beautiful realistic artwork. The series is overseen by a reading consultant, and it shows.
What makes this book stands out from other cat books for children, is its clarity and accuracy. Of course it is beautiful to look at, and any cat lover of any age will be tempted to pick it up and have a look for a moment or two! This one also uses very clear bold text, in a "sans serif" font style, and using the simple written letter "a" which children themselves write, and find easier to recognise. Here is an example taken from part of the back cover:
There 14 sections, each consisting of a double page spread, covering areas such as "Cat talk", "Keeping Clean", "Nightlife", "Kinds of Cats" etc. Each title is listed in the table of contents, as is the glossary and index, which are both at the back of the book.
Although this would be suitable for a child of around 5 to 7, a much younger child will enjoy hearing it read to them, and looking at the pictures. You may even find that you learn something new about cat behaviour yourself, from this attractive little book!
"If a cat partly closes its eyes and purrs, it means it feels happy."
"A cat's tongue is very rough. When a cat licks its fur, its tongue works like a comb."
"Most cats hate water, but Turkish Vans love swimming."
Tübitak yayınlarının çocuklar için bilim kitapları seriainden bir kitap. Kediler hakkında bilgilerin yer aldığı ve neyi neden yaptıklarına dair güzel bir kitap. Fakat az biraz daha bilgi olabilirdi. Örneğin kedilerin bırakın sadece kedileri, hayvanların yaşam haklarının hiçe sayıldığı ülkemizde onların da en az bizler kadar hakkının olduğunu, birer can olduklarını çocuk yaşta anlatmalıyız diye düşünüyorum.
Little One's Book Review: "Cats" (Usborne Beginners Series) by Anna Milbourne, designed by Michelle Lawrence
Read together April 25, 2020
Rating: 5 / 5 ⭐️
Book #25 in our 1000 Books Before Kindergarten challenge
This Usborne book is a great children's introduction to the exciting world of kittens and cats. It's a detailed book, heavy on the science and biology of the feline species, but still elementary enough for little people. (Note: At almost 8 months, Logan is definitely not the target audience for this title -- or most of the titles we read -- so it is much more appropriate for an older child).
The book is interesting and full of facts, and I read some things that I didn’t know about cats, even as a cat owner. The graphics include both photographs and artwork and fill out the book in a streamlined way. It's a good primer for cat newbies and lovers alike, or for anyone eager to learn something new about their feline friends. We will revisit this one when Logan is older, maybe about 4-5.
5 / 5 ⭐️ for being richly informative and entertaining.
I mean, easy 5 for me, I'm bias as hell because I love cats but also I found a lot of the info new and neat. I think this is a great kids (and some adults) book to get aquatinted with what it's like owning a cat and how to interpret their mannerisms. Very fun read.
This nonfiction early reader was a huge hit with my 5-10-year-olds. Interesting facts told in an accessible, engaging way. A good addition to the nonfiction pet section.
This book was surprisingly very good, very on target with what children find interesting. The coolest parts to Benjamin were the brief, simple explanations of cats' behavior ("If a cat rolls onto its back, then it feels safe with you." etc.) The pictures are all fantastic, the language is just right for young ones and beginning readers, the whole book is just extraordinarily well made. And, a beautiful hard back that only cost me $4.99. I will be ordering more.
My advanced beginning reader is really loving the Osborne Beginners Set. It is really excellent non-fiction that uses simple vocabulary but does not dumb it down. It is peppered with silly/strange facts at the end of each page and there are a lot of drawn pictures. The whole set is really great.