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CATalphabet!
This is a book many collectors of Shelagh Duffett's cats have been waiting for! Her first full colour children's book. We've lost count of all the wonderful cats between the pages of CATalphabet! Both children and adults will enjoy this colourful romp through the alphabet with their favourite catty characters. Just the right length for bedtime and lots of learning opportunities tucked inside.
The text is whimsical, witty and wonderful! Jonathan Mills is a wordsmith with whacky talent: )
This is an ABC Cat Bedtime Story/Picture Book, about learning the alphabet. 26 colourful wonderful Illustrations, Ages 2-65
Shelagh Duffett's art is vivid and fun. The verse is simple and clever. This is a book you will enjoy reading with your child and they can have fun with on their own. 5 STARS!
The text is whimsical, witty and wonderful! Jonathan Mills is a wordsmith with whacky talent: )
This is an ABC Cat Bedtime Story/Picture Book, about learning the alphabet. 26 colourful wonderful Illustrations, Ages 2-65
Shelagh Duffett's art is vivid and fun. The verse is simple and clever. This is a book you will enjoy reading with your child and they can have fun with on their own. 5 STARS!
30 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1766
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 8, 2018
A few months agao, I received a delightful postcard in the mail from a friend of mine who lives in Nova Scotia, Canada, the author/illustrator's home province (I live in Ontario). It depicted a charming rendering of a tuxedo cat, so delightful, in fact that I decided to look up the artist and was introduced via google to the whimsical world of Shelagh Duffett.
When I saw that she had recently published a collection of her art in the form of a children's picture book, I knew I had to have it. As a recent grandmother, I had an excuse to buy it, but I probably would have anyway, cat and folk-art lover that I am, and how glad that I did!
I am a lover of books, I work in a public library, I have conducted children's storytimes, read hundreds of picture books to my own children, so I have a sense of what constitutes a 'good' picture book. Of course so much of that is personal, but there are also objective criteria. One of my favorite criteria for 'judging' a picture book is that the pages present a lot of elements that invite exploration, discovery and opportunities to 'engage with the page'. Catalphabet does this wonderfully!
Each letter of the alphabet is celebrated on its own page. The use of alliteration invites conversations around vocabulary (a shout-out here as well to co-author Jonathan Mills). The whimsical sentences invite use of imagination in order to connect the sentences to the images. The wonderful drawings pull the readers right into the page so that when you see Max looking out the living room window at the sea in the distance, YOU are looking out with him. While the rest of the 'menagerie' on the 'M' page are stretching or sleeping, YOU the reader are stretching or sleeping with them.
My favorite page must be the 'L' page: 'Lily leaps like a leopard from leaves to laundry lines lilting by the lake" How LOVELY is that? And there is Lily the cat, tight-rope walking across the clothes-line, flowers and grass in the foreground, the sea and a sailboat in the background- she could be walking on water!
You don't have to be a child or a cat-lover to enjoy this sweet book. You basically just have to be a person who delights in the delightful and who loves to have their imagination tickled by the creative use of words and images. I really should buy two more, though. I have one-year-old grandson and newphew I could give my copy too, but I really want to keep it for myself!
When I saw that she had recently published a collection of her art in the form of a children's picture book, I knew I had to have it. As a recent grandmother, I had an excuse to buy it, but I probably would have anyway, cat and folk-art lover that I am, and how glad that I did!
I am a lover of books, I work in a public library, I have conducted children's storytimes, read hundreds of picture books to my own children, so I have a sense of what constitutes a 'good' picture book. Of course so much of that is personal, but there are also objective criteria. One of my favorite criteria for 'judging' a picture book is that the pages present a lot of elements that invite exploration, discovery and opportunities to 'engage with the page'. Catalphabet does this wonderfully!
Each letter of the alphabet is celebrated on its own page. The use of alliteration invites conversations around vocabulary (a shout-out here as well to co-author Jonathan Mills). The whimsical sentences invite use of imagination in order to connect the sentences to the images. The wonderful drawings pull the readers right into the page so that when you see Max looking out the living room window at the sea in the distance, YOU are looking out with him. While the rest of the 'menagerie' on the 'M' page are stretching or sleeping, YOU the reader are stretching or sleeping with them.
My favorite page must be the 'L' page: 'Lily leaps like a leopard from leaves to laundry lines lilting by the lake" How LOVELY is that? And there is Lily the cat, tight-rope walking across the clothes-line, flowers and grass in the foreground, the sea and a sailboat in the background- she could be walking on water!
You don't have to be a child or a cat-lover to enjoy this sweet book. You basically just have to be a person who delights in the delightful and who loves to have their imagination tickled by the creative use of words and images. I really should buy two more, though. I have one-year-old grandson and newphew I could give my copy too, but I really want to keep it for myself!
October 31, 2020
Such bright illustrations, kiddo loved finding all the cats on the pages and learning new words. The alliteration impressed her a lot.
February 16, 2017
Sweet illustrations will enchant any reader - young or old! Shelagh Duffett's whimsical artwork is always popular, but to have an entire book to enjoy is a treat. A different painting on each page will certainly brighten your day. Children will love the bright colours and the different cat personalities.
January 8, 2017
I loved this book and so did my one year old grandson! The artwork is colourful and playful and the words are clever and catchy. All in all it is a great book for kids. My grandson was totally focussed as we read it together for the first time. He loved all the cats and we had fun trying to find all of them in each picture. He is just learning the alphabet and this is a wonderful aid to help him. I am impressed that Shelagh created this project and is managing to promote and sell the book using many of her own resources. I heard about it when a friend posted something on Facebook. Thank you Shelagh !
February 7, 2017
This book is adorable. I've been a big fan of Canadian, Shelagh Duffett's art for several years. Shelagh did the illustrations for the book and the verse was by Shelagh and Jonathan Mills. Page after page of cats reciting the alphabet. The illustrations are bright and cheerful and the verse is a lot of fun. For example: " All About Artisan Anchovies' announced Alice to Amos and Andy -- as Alice sits in a chair and reads out loud to her cats. This would be a fun bedtime read -- for any age, including me!
March 29, 2017
Delightful artwork of Shelagh Duffet draws you into a colourful world of wide-eyed cats and sunshine.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews