Cat Book: Purrseverance (Inspiring Stories of Cat Resilience and Hope) Compiled by Sierra M. Koester

 

Since my beloved Cody passed on June 30th, 2020 as many of you know, my time blogging has been greatly limited. When Cody left, any desire to blog that I had left (to be frank, it was waning before he passed and his passing, as well as precious Dakota's nine days later, pretty much sealed the deal).

Eventually I returned, albeit sporadically. I also vowed to no longer do ANY book reviews. Why? Because many of them were just too painful for me to read. (Being candid, they STILL are.)

Back in April or May I was contacted by Sierra Koester, the writer who compiled the above book "Purrseverance" (Inspiring Stories of Cat Resilience and Hope). For those of you who may not be familiar with Sierra, she is "an award-winning freelance writer and professional blogger. Sierra is a Professional Member of the Cat Writer's Association and the Content Manager at The Cat Blogosphere, a place for all pets and pet bloggers. She also writes Fur Everywhere, an educational and entertaining blog about cats."

I'm not going to lie. I sat on this book for the LONGEST time because while it is now 4 years since Cody is gone, the pain is still raw. After enough guilt passed for not opening the book, I decided to finally read it.

I am glad that I did.

It was Sierra's own cat Jewel that was the inspiration behind this compilation. Jewel came to live with Sierra at the ripe old age of 14 after having lived a challenging life. Sierra penned, "it wasn't until I met Jewel that I understood just how remarkably resilient our feline friends can be. Jewel's persistence and resiliency served as the inspiration for this anthology that features other cats who have overcome life's struggles".

A few of my favorite stories in this book are:

My Name is Not Scooter-written by Lorianne Miller about her tripod kitty Evan. Lorianne writes the blog fourleggedfurballs.blogspot.com

Lazarus Cat-written by Sierra M. Koester about  her precious cat Lita

Wren: "A Caged Kitty Can't Purr" written by Julia Williams. This one resonated with me because when I first adopted Cody, he didn't have the fur color that I preferred. I also remember following Julia on social media when she first adopted Wren and was trying to come up with a name for her. 

Brian is Home-written by Terry Frum (who in the Cat Blogosphere is so well known he technically needs no introduction.) Terry doesn't just "talk the talk" he "walks the walk", rescuing a multitude of cats and tending to ferals for YEARS. Terry's beloved Brian, an endearing, wise, gentle and loving tabby boy won my heart many years ago when I first began blogging. Terry and his wife are two of the most dedicated pet parents I've ever known. Not just for their own pets, but Terry has been there for myself and countless others when we just needed an ear to offer support or anything else they may need.  Brian, had many of the same qualities as Terry. He believed "if you're kind, then everyone gets along and we can overcome adversity together." You can find Terry's blog Brian's Home at brianshomeblog.com and you can also find Terry on the Cat Blogopshere: blog.catblogosphere.com.

Carmine Fulfills His Purpose-written by Sierra M. Koester about her beloved kitty Carmine.

AND MANY, MANY MORE!

It is Sierra's hope that the stories in this book inspire you the way they inspired her (AND ME!!!). Sierra reminds us that "sometimes even seemingly hopeless situations can turn around. Our feline friends have so much to wisdom to offer. The next time you are facing a difficult challenge, she hopes you'll choose to follow these cats' example to "NEVER GIVE UP!"

TO PURCHASE :

BookBaby: https://store.bookbaby.com/book/purrseverance&b=p_fr-ve-bl

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Purrseverance-Inspiring-Stories-Resilience-Hope/dp/B0CVRXJ6K1/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1707969034&sr=8-1

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/purrseverance-sierra-koester/1144891890?ean=9798350932331

In Full Disclosure: I received no compensation for this book feature. I received a copy of Purrseverance in exchange for my featuring it on my blog.

Cat Book: Schroedinger the Wonder Cat, (The Life and Times of Schroedinger J. Cat Jr. III) by Aaron Rosen

 

FROM THE AUTHOR:

 SCHROEDINGER THE WONDER CAT is the story of fourteen years of living with the world’s most amazing feline. His actions and antics are chronicled and there are many pictures of beings with whom he has had relationships and places he has been. He is truly a member of our family and we treat him as an equal – at least most of the time – and never refer to him as a pet as that would be demeaning to him. It is also the story of our lives and how we interact with Schroedinger. How he came to live with me, how he grew up, how our lives changed when Sandy, my wife, joined us, how we moved and how we live together.

The first excerpt, from “SCHROEDINGER GROWING UP” clearly demonstrates his ability to think, reason and make decisions. It will astound you, but not as much as it did me when I saw him gloating at me with that crazy cat smile. Every new day with Schroedinger brings us joy and laughter and we delight in his company. He has added a new dimension to our lives and we are grateful for his presence.

Aaron Rosen

MY THOUGHTS:

Schroedinger the Wonder Cat, is a short read at just slightly over 100 pages. It is self-published, which normally is somewhat of a turn-off for me on a host of different levels/issues, but in this case my hat goes off to Author Aaron Rosen. Being older than me, (is that even POSSIBLE? lol), and having overcome some physical issues that took place in his life, it is no small feat to sit down and write a book.

SOME OF MY FAVORITE CHAPTERS:

• HOW I FOUND SCHROEDINGER
• HOW SCHROEDINGER GOT HIS NAME
• HOW WE BECAME FRIENDS
• SCHROEDINGER AND THE CATTLE
• SCHROEDINGER AND HIS DEER FRIENDS
• SCHROEDINGER AND ME

There is a discussion of and a deep appreciation for how important it is to read to children, which I couldn't agree with more. There is a section called CATTIONARY (cat dictionary), with various words that begin with CAT and their meanings (as defined by the author), which reminded me of a blogpost I did years ago, called "Catspeak Defined"

Aaron Rosen has a larger and more creative version of the words that he chose.

What touched me the most about this book, and to me is the prevailing theme, is the LOVE AND ADORATION that Aaron Rosen has for Schroedinger. It is MORE than evident throughout the entire book. I also LOVED how he wouldn't do or say certain things to Schroedinger because he thought it might be an insult to his intelligence (the cats' not his), and he obviously has a DEEP understanding and appreciation in reference to EVERY SINGLE aspect of this cats personality and body language.

"We have never thought about him as a pet because that would be demeaning to him. He's so much more than a pet. He's our companion, our confidant, our playmate, our comfort and our joy."

About The Author (In his Words)

The author, Aaron Rosen, that’s me in the photo (I’m the one without the tail), was born on April 18, 1937 in Philadelphia, PA. I went to Overbrook High in the same years as Wilt The Stilt, but didn’t know him personally as I was neither a jock nor a sports fan. I went to MIT from 1955-1959, but my degree is in 1961 because I was a bit of a screw up and that’s a bit of an understatement.

I came to California in 1959 and went to work on the XB-70 bomber and the X-15 rocket research aircraft. Computers were relatively new and I became interested in programming. Mostly my computer work was related to aircraft and space vehicles. I retired when I was 40, moved to the country, got divorced and went back to work. Along the way I owned and operated three tropical fish stores.

I finally wound up living alone on a cattle ranch on a hilltop and that’s when I started to write. It got lonely – the cattle didn’t talk much – so I found Schroedinger (he’s the one with the tail in the photo) and life took a turn for the better. It got orders of magnitude better when I met my now wife, Sandy. She encouraged me to finish the first book, “On Brick And Mortar Retailing” and now has inspired me to finish this one.

Aaron Rosen is without question a devoted Cat Daddy, and while this book is for EVERYONE, it would warm my heart to see a number of the Cat Daddies out there who are reading this right now, pick up a copy. (AND BE SURE TO TELL THEM CAT AND DOG CHAT WITH CAREN SENT YOU!!)

AVAILABLE ON THE AUTHOR'S WEBSITE BY CLICKING HERE

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON BY CLICKING HERE

A Tale For Cat Lovers Of All Ages: "A Sense Of Purpose" by Russell H. Plante

In December of 2019 I had the honor of reading/reviewing "Journey Home A Cat's Tale: by Russell H. Plante. I had written:

If you are looking for a thought-provoking, touching, deeply sensitive and philosophical read that will draw you in and not release you until the very last page, I urge you to add this deeply touching book to your ever-growing cat library. It is simply beautiful. I had a few tears at the end (happy tears), I also had a few chills. I smiled, I cried, but most of all I was happy that I jumped on the opportunity to read this most beautiful story. It is my wish that you will do the same!

What I wrote above are my exact sentiments about A Sense Of Purpose, by Author Russell H. Plante. It is intended to be the sequel to Journey Home A Cat's Tale.

A Sense of Purpose

"A sense of purpose means having something in your life that, without you, might never be achieved or accomplished. We all have a sense of purpose, but we may not always understand its significance to our own lives or how it can affect others."

Allow me to repeat what is posted above on the back cover: "Inspired by actual events, this is a philosophical story for all ages about life's journey from the perspective of a cat---a journey that teaches us the things we do in life, no matter how small, can affect others in so many ways and that every living being has a sense of purpose..."

While the trailer is a tad ominous and dark, the book as a whole, is NOT. It is inspiring. It is comforting. 

This time the focus is on Chester, an important character in Journey Home: A Cat's Tale. "he was that down to earth, honest and helpful character that we all wish existed in our lives, always there to help, to be a friend, to be a positive influence. who was orphaned on the streets of Manhattan." Chester, in the first book  was known for teaching cats  "how to observe the things around them, how to fight if I needed to, how to understand themselves better by putting themselves in the place of others and treating them as they would want to be treated, and how to be a good and decent cat."

Chester was definitely a "good and decent cat." 

When I am reading books that I will be reviewing, I often dog-ear pages (yes, I know that is an awful thing to do, but I do it!) that contain excerpts that I might wish to refer back to when I am writing my review. When I finished "A Sense of Purpose" and looked to see what I had folded, the number of pages that I had folded were nearly THE ENTIRE BOOK. That is just an example of how compelling, thought-provoking and moving this book is.

I would like to share some of those excerpts with you, beginning with the dedication:

"For my wife---her kindness and compassion toward the plight of a homeless cat named Chester will always overwhelm me."

That quote, in and of itself gives you some insight into the kind of man/person that Russell Plante is. I got to know him more in the months following the passing of Cody and Dakota. When he reached out to me about his latest book, while he hoped that I would review it at some point, the main reason he wanted to send it to me was to try and bring me some comfort. At that time I was nowhere near ready to read or review ANY book, but Russell's gentle assurance that this book would touch me on so many levels, was spot on. I am thankful and grateful that Russell ignored my protests about not wanting to review any books. Russell, like Chester, DEFINITELY IS "a good and decent cat!!"

ANOTHER EXCERPT:

"Time passed quickly, and with it, I learned that sometimes you don't appreciate the special moments in life. It's just that you don't always recognize they ARE special moments until they're gone."

  A Sense Of Purpose, along with many other life/character lessons,  inspires us to think about how all that has happened in our lives, the people and animals that we have met along the way, all of them  have shaped us into who we are today. It is a heartfelt, moving and inspiring read. I found myself trying to read faster and faster as the events that unfolded piqued my interest and curiosity, and made me want to hurry and read what was going to happen next. While a few tears were shed, it was a thoroughly enjoyable and deeply sensitive and loving read, one that I had trouble putting down. As Russell had hoped would happen when he had emailed me to tell me about "A Sense Of Purpose", rather than bring me more pain,  it brought me more comfort than I could have ever have imagined.

A final thought from A Sense of Purpose:

"You never say a final goodbye to those who touch your life and make a positive difference in some way. Sometimes they remain as fond memories from the past. Other times you might be fortunate if they're able to return and once again share your life in the present....Never forget, in one single moment, without warning, events can happen to any one of us and change our lives........"

I urge you to purchase BOTH of the books, Journey Home: A Cat's Tale AND the sequel, A Sense of Purpose by Russell H. Plante. They are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and   please stop by  Russell's website   where you can purchase the books as well. You may also connect with him on Facebook.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Russell Plante is an Engineering Physicist with a diverse engineering and academic background in Engineering Physics, Electrical Engineering, and Business Administration.  He has held positions as a systems engineer with Automation Industries, Inc., a project engineer in Kalwall Corp's Solar Division, and Department of Defense Branch Head in Control Engineering, Welding Engineering, and Quality Control Engineering Analysis.  While at the DOD, he was appointed by the University of Maine to advise and assist the Physics Department in providing an industrial perspective for quality education.  A skilled technical writer, he is a previously published author and has received awards for Solar Building Engineering Design from the State of Maine Office of Energy Resources and from the U.S. Department of Energy for Energy Innovation Technologies.

Cat Book: Abys Among Us & Stories for the Feline Inclined by T.J. Banks

 Author T.J. Banks, in my opinion, is a cat masquerading as a human. She has an innate understanding of the feline mind. Her communication/interaction with cats that is full of patience, knowledge and unconditional love is a gift.

Back in 2014 I had the honor of reading/reviewing her book Houdini, and in 2015 I read and reviewed what remains my FAVORITE book by T.J. Banks,Cat Song

When I had the blog redesigned and somewhat changed its focus, my intention was to no longer do book reviews. When T.J. reached out to me, asking if I would consider reviewing Abys Among Us & Stories for the Feline Inclined, how could I say no to an author who is so obviously gifted? I'm glad I didn't decline. 

FROM THE AUTHOR: "Cats walk between worlds, bringing the magical and the common place together. They are the heart-and-soul-menders, our kindred spirits, poetry on four paws, and we humans would be lost without them. At least that's what I believe. Abys Among Us & Stories for the Feline-Inclined is a celebration of the cats I have known and what they have taught me."

Abys Among Us & Stories for the Feline Inclined will have anyone who has lived with and loved cats, nodding their head in recognition.

Many who have lost beloved pets write because they find it to be cathartic. T.J. Banks writes about them and the other animals in her life because she doesn't want to forget them and the great gifts they have given her. "We have spiritual relationships with the animals who come into our lives, and we need to honor those relationships."

My take-away is that each of the cats I have been blessed to share my life with, my Bobo the curmudgeon, (with everyone but me), my cuddly and loving Cody, who healed my broken heart when Bobo passed. While Cody left much too soon, I learned though the way he passed was horrific and tragic, I was not privy to the actual event that took place that caused him to pass, because he DIDN'T WANT ME TO BE. Our bond was such that he knew that if I watched him pass in the horrible manner in which he did, I might not be here today writing this now.  When Cody passed, I strongly believed I would never have a cat again, the grief and sadness was overpowering, Our current cat, Roary, has taught me there is ALWAYS room in  my heart to love another. I am sure Roary has many more lessons in store for me.

When reading Abys Among Us, and ALL of the books by T.J. Banks, you will be touched by  the love, sensitivity, understanding, knowledge  and passion for cats that is simply a part of who T.J. Banks IS, (particularly Abyssinians, which are prominently featured in the book, hence the title.) just as I was.  There ARE other types of cats in the book as well.  I learned how in each stage of her life each cat seemed to appear (or even leave), just when they are supposed to. There are no coincidences in life. Each and every cat we are blessed to know  guides us and teaches us lessons, if we are open to learning what those lessons are. 

I will leave you with this, a passage from Abys Among Us that sums it up for me, "I'm alone again in the snowy yard. But only technically speaking. "As for me," my old friend Gladys Taber once wrote, "I believe we never lose those we have loved." And if sometimes we feel as though we have, well, they always manage to find us again. The heart--and the soul--that are loved really do remember."

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: T.J. Banks is the author of Catsong, A Time for Shadows, Sketch People, Souleiado, and Houdini, which the late writer and activist Cleveland Amory enthusiastically declared " winner." Catsong, a collection of some of her best cat stories, was the winner of the 2007 Merial Human-Animal Bond Award. Her writing has been widely anthologized and received awards from the Cat Writers' Association (CWA), ByLine, and The Writing Self.

"I Am Not A Skunk" a Fun Children's book Written by Ellen J. Pilch that is PURRFECT for "National Look-Alike Day"

A number of weeks ago, (make that QUITE a number of weeks ago!), the sweet and most THOUGHTFUL friend-to-many, Ellen J Pilch,  book author as well as the author of the darling blog, 15andmeowing, surprised me with a copy of her latest book "I Am Not A Skunk", which she  sent to me to gift to my cat-loving, almost-2-year-old granddaughter. I am HAPPY to do so!

She will LOVE it!

I was under no obligation at all to feature this darling book, but am more than happy to do so! When I noticed that today is "National Look-Alike Day" I decided it was the PURRFECT day to feature "I Am Not A Skunk" because this day is all about "look-alikes"

You know how they say we all have a twin out there? I am certain that most of you can recall an incident where someone approached you and told you "Oh my you look just like my dear friend such-and-such!!"  (I have had that take place many, many times and all I can say is, Heaven help whomever looks like me...but I digress),

"I Am Not a Skunk" fits this day purrfectly because it is about a homeless black and white (also known as a "Tuxedo kitty), who is excited to find a family, but she has to first convince skeptical Uncle David that she is indeed NOT a skunk. Sarah and her "Auntie" discovered the black and white kitty when they were out planting flowers in their garden. When they told Uncle David about the kitty, he was CERTAIN that it had to be a skunk and NOT a kitty!  When you read "I Am Not a Skunk" you will learn about the ingenious plan that Sarah and "Auntie" devised to prove to Uncle David that the black and white visitor was INDEED A KITTY AND NOT A SKUNK!! 

"I Am Not a Skunk" is loosely based on how Ellen's cat, Emmy came to live with her.

Photo of "Emmy" Graciously provided by Ellen J. Pilch

From the darling illustrations which were done by Nicolas Peruzzo, to the precious story involving mistaken identity, it is certain to have the little ones giggling with delight! It's just precious and I urge you to pick up a copy today! I will be sharing it with my granddaughter soon, (paws crossed), as soon as we are permitted to visit her face-to-face again!

I give it 5 paws up!!

Thanks so much again Ellen, I will be sure to let you know how she likes it! xoxo 

Available on Amazon

Cat Care:The Essential Guide (Rob Duffy Series Editor)

I was recently sent a copy of Cat Care:The Essential Guide by (Rob Duffy Series Editor). Throughout the years I have featured, read and own a number of Cat Care books and each one has value in their own right. Cat Care:The Essential Guide is another to add to your toolbox of cat care reference books.

From Perfect Pets Books:

"Cat Care The Essential Guide is a useful resource packed with all the information one needs to provide the best care possible for your cat from infancy to adulthood. Not only does the book cover the vast amount of general things to consider about owning and caring for a cat more specific issues are covered. These include: The early years and the cat ‘teenager’. What a cat should eat and drink and foods that are dangerous. Basic first aid is also covered in easy to read language that guides the owner on the best course of action to take before the cat gets to the vet in case of an accident."

Some Chapters From the Book Include:

Things to Know About Owning A Cat
Microchip, Vaccinations,  Weight, Exercise, Grooming

The Kitten
Kitten-proofing your home. 
Toys and Chews: Perfect Pets Books is based out of the UK and in this section they reference a couple of things that I am not familiar with. Are any of you familiar with fresh breath mint sticks, plaque removing pretzels, chewy wheels and stick shaped grinding toys for cats? Feel free to shed some light on this!


Dangerous Foods for your Cat
This can't be reiterated enough!

First Aid for your Cat

• What should be in your Cat First Aid Kit? The book has a comprehensive list!
• What to do in an Emergency
• Symptoms Which May Need Quick Action
• Choking

Only 72 pages long, it makes it easily transportable. It is  a quick (but thorough) and  IMPORTANT cat care reference book to add to your collection. The book covers many more topics and is written in "everyday" language that makes it easy for people like me with no medical background, easy to use and understand. Cat Care:The Essential Guide is a MUST for every cat owner!! Click to preview the ebook. If you purchase on the Perfect Pets Books website the currency is UK...it is also available on Amazon. They ship worldwide GET 25% off with code perfect25OFF 

• ISBN-10: 1913296016
• ISBN-13: 978-1913296018

Valentine's Day Cat Book Feature: "You Know Your Cat Loves You Because..." by Jeff Parks and Nina Brissey, Illustrations by Mark Sean Wilson

Valentine's Day is the day of LOVE!!! What better day for you to show love for your cat(s), and your cat to show love to YOU than Valentine's Day, right? Well, truth be told, our cats show us they love us EVERY SINGLE DAY of their furry little lives....or DO they?

After reading You Know Your Cat Loves You Because...The Sweet, Silly, and Scientific Ways Our Cats Show Us How Much They Love Us  I am having some SERIOUS doubts as to whether or not Cody TRULY LOVES ME! (But more about that later!!)

When author Jeff Parks connected with me via email, (thank you to Layla Morgan Wilde of Cat Wisdom 101 for sending Jeff my way!) it was easy to see why cats love him! He is affable, funny, warm hearted and any guy that decides to adopt his ex-girlfriend's cat when their relationship ends, is pretty ok in my book! That's exactly what happened with Jeff and his cat "Windows" who was the first cat he bonded with. Jeff got custody of "Windows" when the couple split. Sadly, Windows passed (and Jeff is still morning him).  Windows is one of 3 cats (the other two are Macready and Sinbad, Sinbad lived with co-author Nina Brissey) that this witty and fun book are dedicated to. I am hoping Jeff doesn't mind that I am quoting an excerpt from his email communication with me:

Author Jeff Parks

"My bond with Windows was like no other bond I had had before with an animal. It got pretty intense three years before I had to let him go, due to me taking care of him for a bunch of treatable conditions. That meant a lot of vet visits and pharmacy runs. He was worth all of it. Like you, if I think about him too hard, I cry pretty easily. I still have Mac, who is a wonderful cat, too. Thankfully he is in great condition."

(ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Jeff Parks is a freelance writer and editor.  He shares a home in Temecula, California with his spirited and wonderful cat, Mac.) 

Windows is the cat who turned Jeff Parks into the epitome of a loving "Cat Daddy"

As you can see above, the illustrations by award winning illustrator, Mark Sean Wilson are just too cute and capture the purrsonalities of the amazing felines that we all know and so deeply love. The above illustration is one of 50 black and white illustrations (that have captions beneath them), featured in the book. Let me tell you my kitty loving furiends, this is a book you MUST GET YOUR HUMAN PAWS ON!! You will be laughing and nodding your head in agreement, or....like me.....you will start to question whether or not YOUR cat TRULY LOVES YOU!

Now, remember when I said that Cody must NOT love me? Well, when reading this hilarious book I was given documented proof!

"When you're sick, they stay close until you feel better"  In Cody's case that is FALSE!! Cody would step over me if I were laying dead on the floor. My Angel Bobo was the one who stayed close by me when I was sick.

"They create beautiful art for you" (By shredding toilet paper)...something Cody has NEVER done.
  
"Sometimes they walk across your back and give you a massage." Cody never has done that!

"They play in every cardboard box you open..."  Cody is not a fan of boxes!

See what I mean? Cody doesn't LOVE ME!!!!

Well, that is a LIE! Why?

Because in You Know Your Cat Loves You Because...  it features A TON of ways that show me that CODY DOES LOVE ME!! HE LOVES ME! HE TRULY LOVES ME!!! I am not listing all of the ways that Cody DOES love me because I urge you to pick up a copy of  You Know Your Cat Loves You Because...

 YOU need a copy of this book to find out if YOUR cat(s) LOVE YOU!!

From You Know Your Cat Loves You Because...

"You know what every meow means, what every lift of the tail signals, what your cat likes, and of course, what they dislike."

"Cats show their love in a multitude of ways. Ways you may never have known or imagined. From the scientific, to the sweet, to the silly, this book illustrates all the ways our cats indisputably love us!!!"

Right Cody?

"You Know Your Cat Loves You Because...The Sweet, Silly, and Scientific Ways Our Cats Show Us How Much They Love Us" is a love letter to cat owners everywhere. It's funny, heartwarming, and a bit nutty. Just like our cats."

Available on Amazon

Cody and I give it a zillion head bumps

 and 4 paws and 2 hands up!!!!

Catnapstories: The Adventures of Vince the Cat, A Beautifully Illustrated and Educational Trilogy by Heidi Bryant

Having traveled extensively throughout her life, author Heidi Bryant decided to combine her love of cats, her passion for languages and travel into storytelling. The result? A beautiful, fun and educational trilogy, Catnapstories, that star a darling gray kitty named Vince and are named The Adventures of Vince the Cat.

Go along with Vince (and some other kitties and humans) as they explore the world! You will also learn in the first book how Vince came to live with Heidi (yes, the author is a character in the series!)

The first stop is Paris, and as you would guess, the first book in the series is Vince Goes to Paris. Among many interesting things in this book  is there are actual sentences spoken in the language of the country being featured in the book. The book isn't entirely written in French, but there ARE full sentences printed in French with translations. You will also find words/definitions of French words used in the back of the book. 

See the gray kitty in the picture? That is Vince, in my opinion he shares a striking resemblance to my Cody! I bet Cody would have LOVED to join Vince on his travels. Imagine all that he would have learned! Please take a moment and watch this short videos that follow each book title  and see for yourself how charming the entire series is!




The second stop is India, Vince Discovers the Golden Triangle. 

"This story takes you on a journey to one of the most incredible places in the world; India. 

A vast, beautiful, culturally diverse and ancient land. 

In this adventure Vince visits some of the most famous and beautiful sites. Sampling the local cuisine and meeting endangered animals. He experiences an amazing and colourful Hindu festival, plays elephant polo, and eventually discovers the Golden Triangle."

The third (and we bet not the final stop) is Seville!

Vince Discovers the Wonder of Seville

"This story immerses you into Spanish culture and Castellano - the official language of Spain. 

Set in springtime in the beautiful and historic city of Seville in Andalusia, Spain. Heidi, Vince and Adele rescue a beautiful little kitten from a precarious situation, visit the Plaza de Toros, meet some wonderful new friends and learn to dance flamenco as well as experience many other delights in this wonderful city."

Author Heidi Bryant lives in London and to say she is well-traveled is an understatement! She speaks French, German and Spanish. In 2018 she started learning Italian! What deeply touched me was that Heidi had the idea to write The Adventures of Vince the Cat when she lost her beloved cat Mikki to old age the summer of 2018. As you would expect, Heidi was devastated and in order to keep the memories of Mikki and her other beautiful cats  that she had past and present in the forefront, she decided to write the stories with the cats as the main characters. There is an enormous amount of love that comes through the pages of each book. The love encompasses the countries/cultures being featured, as well as for the cats in the stories.

Heidi hopes that children will love reading these stories many times! She hopes to educate children about other cultures, languages and customs in different countries. The stories are geared for children ages 4 to 11 but in my opinion I would say they are better suited to children ages 7 to 11.

I  LOVE that these books are just slightly larger than the length and width of my entire hand...and are approx 50 something pages each. The size of the books is endearing to me and I think that children will enjoy holding them because the size makes them easy to transport, plus the size is unique.

These "beautifully illustrated stories to inspire the next generation" are sure to inspire the little ones in your life. These would be a marvelous addition to your holiday gift purchases for the younger set. Have no little ones? Gift a neighbor's child, doctor's office, school library, the elementary teachers in your life and more with this lovely trilogy. After all, it is the "season of giving" and how much fun would it be to "pay it forward" especially if you do NOT have children? I am going to gift my series to a special elementary school teacher that I know for her fifth graders.

Click to  purchase The Adventures of Vince the Cat 

You can also find Vince on Facebook and Instagram

Oh and because this is a TRILOGY, Cody and I give this 12 kitty paws up!!!

Ok, so there are five paws there, but you get the idea!

In full disclosure: we were sent the trilogy in exchange for our always honest review. We were not monetarily compensated for this review. A special THANK YOU for being so kind as to ship the entire trilogy across the pond....and...in RECORD TIME!!! Lots of love from Cody and I!

Cat Book :Journey Home: A Cat's Tale by Russell H. Plante

"All the things that happen to us,

are important in making us who we are."

   When I was approached by author Russell H. Plante asking if I would review his book Journey Home: A Cat's Tale, after hearing the premise I was intrigued. There were things that reminded me of my Angel Bobo whom I had rescued huddling beneath a car in a driving blizzard,  shivering and cold. I had seen him earlier that day, watching as he scaled a 6 ft chain link fence in the bitter cold. My ex and I were leaving to go away and couldn't take him then. When we returned 6 hours later I went to check to see if he was sitting under the car we saw him run to after scaling the fence and sure enough he was there. The rest is history. After a search for his previous owners that provided nothing, Bobo remained with me for 18 years. I always wondered what his story was, and what his life was like in the 6 months he was alive before he found me. I knew I had to read this book. Parts of this thought-provoking and heart-warming story are true.

An Excerpt: "It's freezing cold and the bitter wind precipitates a chill factor well below zero. My whiskers are like frozen icicles, plastered against my face....a deep voice from within my past whispers quietly to me-reminding me....Survive."

"This is a story based upon the actual life of a cat found abandoned in a dumpster, left to die, with his leg caught in a trap. Born in a small town on the coast of Maine, an unpretentious cat named 'Patches' encounters life changing experiences during his first two years. His siblings are given away, his father abandons him and his mother without explanation, and he's discarded by an uncaring owner and left homeless without food or shelter. As he wanders the streets to piece his life back together, he discovers new friends like Chester, a relocated cat from New York City, who helps him to find food and shelter:

Chester taught me just about everything he could think of in order to help me survive and deal with my new environment. He taught me how to observe the things around me, how to fight if I needed to, how to understand myself better by putting myself in the place of others and treating them as I would want to be treated, and how to be a good and decent cat."

The dialogue between Patches and his friends is often funny. I appreciated reading dialogue from a cat that was spoken in the way I imagine that cats would speak, INTELLIGENTLY, not in a baby talk sort of a way that is often attributed to cats. In my opinion if a cat could speak in the way humans speak, a cat would speak intelligently and sure wouldn't be speaking babytalk....but I digress. The dialogue is often deeply philosophic and inspiring. Inspiring us to think about how all that has happened in OUR lives has shaped us into who we are today. 

     "This is a story about Patches’ journey from homelessness to finding a new life. It’s a story about losing his sisters and finding them once again and his experiences as he acquires friends, starting from the sad reality of his abandonment on a late September afternoon and continuing into the bleak months of fall and winter in New England.  His journey defines who he becomes as he learns to survive. The realities of life he experiences translate into many lessons from which we all can learn."

One lesson is that when we lose a friend we shouldn't think of it as a loss per se, Patches learned that " even though friends leave, you don't really lose them, they are always there, within you. Even though you may not see them as often, you always have the memories of your experiences with them. That's something you can always cherish."

 Journey Home "is a novel that encourages hope and connects us with each other in order to help us see the complexities faced by others. It is a story of hope, a sense of helplessness and despair, the loss of innocence, and conviction – never giving up, no matter the circumstance.  It imparts an insight to appreciate the meaning of friendship, to always move forward, and to evaluate situations before passing judgement."

"Each of us encounters obstacles during our lives, some more than others. There is uncertainty in everyone's life. Mine is no exception. I am who I am today because of both the good and bad things that have happened in my life. I guess we all have a better understanding of our lives as we age. I don't profess to know all of the answers, not even as I become more aware of life as I get older. But you must persist and give life a chance to work itself out."

If you are looking for a thought-provoking, touching, deeply sensitive and philosophical read that will draw you in and not release you until the very last page, I urge you to add this deeply touching book to your ever-growing cat library. It is simply beautiful. I had a few tears at the end (happy tears), I also had a few chills. I smiled, I cried, but most of all I was happy that I jumped on the opportunity to read this most beautiful story. It is my wish that you will do the same! 

Purchase  on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.
 Also, on the author's  website at www.russellhplante.com.
Facebook:www.facebook.com/russellhplante


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Russell Plante is an Engineering Physicist with a diverse engineering and academic background in Engineering Physics, Electrical Engineering, and Business Administration.  He has held positions as a systems engineer with Automation Industries, Inc., a project engineer in Kalwall Corp's Solar Division, and Department of Defense Branch Head in Control Engineering, Welding Engineering, and Quality Control Engineering Analysis.  While at the DOD, he was appointed by the University of Maine to advise and assist the Physics Department in providing an industrial perspective for quality education.  A skilled technical writer, he is a previously published author and has received awards for Solar Building Engineering Design from the State of Maine Office of Energy Resources and from the U.S. Department of Energy for Energy Innovation Technologies.