Librarian-turned-bestselling author Julie Murphy (Dumplin'; Puddin') and illustrator Eve Farb (Clovis Keeps His Cool) give young readers a comforting, lighthearted chapter book about a "half cat, half girl" named Catty.
Catty's half cat, half woman mother is about to start her "dream job at the fish cannery," meaning neither Catty's wholly human dad nor her mom will be home during the day. So Catty is going to attend school for the first time, and she is very nervous about third grade: "Would they like playing games, like throwing felt mice up in the air with their feet? What kind of naps did they take?" Although she knows the three big rules for time outside the house--"No hissing, no scratching, no biting"--school makes Catty skittish enough to break all three. Can Granny Tabby's beloved Scratch Pad diary help Catty calm down?
Murphy keeps an uplifting, animated tone in this first book (published simultaneously with Catty Corner Pounces into Action) in a new chapter book series. Not only are Catty's feelings acknowledged and respected by the adults around her, she's also given plenty of opportunities to cause innocent catastrophes. For example, when her teacher uses a laser pointer on a map, Catty jumps out of her seat and chases the dot around the classroom. Farb's full-color illustrations--both spot art and full-page bleeds--capture Catty's meow-titude perfectly, depicting the cat girl with a round face and ginger hair and tail; her images are full of both motion and emotion. A perfect blend of cats, humor, and paws-itivity. --Kharissa Kenner, library media specialist, Churchill School and Center