My Cat, Coon Cat by Sandy Ferguson Fuller & Jeannie Brett

I've never hid the fact that I adore Islandport Press for their heirloom quality children's books (and also regional books about Maine).  So if I gush, forgive me.  For this new children's book is very worthy of lots of gushing! 

My Cat, Coon Cat is a picture book that follows a stray who turns up at a gorgeous Cape Cod-style home, and over the course of a day explores the area and gets friendly with the owners.  Maine coon cats are known for being enormous, and the friendly cat that scores the best possible new home is no slouch.  A little girl, about ten or eleven-years-old, encourages the cat to stay.

The art work is expressive yet simple.  Highly detailed from the little girl's eyelashes to the patterns on the cat fur make it gorgeous to look at.  The artwork also has subtle clues as to what the household is like, and my four-year-old likes discovering things in the pictures.  One bunch of roses on one page has launched a heated debate as to whether they are berries or roses.  They're roses.  I'm positive, but he is just as sure that they are clumps of red berries.

The story is simple, sweet, with a gentle rhyme.  Appropriate for all children and cat lovers alike, the reading level would probably be considered K-1 grade.  As with their other books, Islandport uses heavy-weight paper stock, matte inks, and a printing and binding process that means this book will last and be enjoyed by (hopefully) my grandchildren some day. 

It joins Islandport's Dahlov Ipcar titles on the 'favorites' shelf at our house.

Special thanks to Melissa Kim of Islandport Press for the Review Copy.