Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Book Review: "Where Is Catkin?" Written by Janet Lord, Illustrated by Julie Paschkis

"This is a beautiful and
delightful book!"


"The word catkin is a calque from the Dutch katteken, meaning "kitten", on account of the resemblance to a kitten's tail.[1]"  (taken from Catkin-Wikipedia, you can see more definitions and photos here)



If you have ever observed a cat outdoors, you were certain to see them forever chasing the "elusive butterfly", the flitting fly, galloping grasshopper, cavorting cricket or whatever has recently struck their fancy.


The outcome in most of these scenarios? The cat gets within a paw's reach of the tempting object, the object of desire manages to escape, leaving the cat with a bewildered look, frustrated and empty-pawed.

For cats it is all about the "hunt". From the Publisher: "When Catkin jumps off Amy's lap for an afternoon of hunting, his adventurous nature eventually turns into trouble!"

"When Catkin hears a rustling by the tree, he finds himself in a tough spot by climbing up to the highest branch to investigate. It's a long, long way back down to the ground. Now who will hear Catkin and rescue him?"





Where Is Catkin? is a "seek-and-find story of a cat whose curiosity lands him in a tough spot."
"Mom, what will happen to Catkin?"



In Where Is Catkin? Author Janet Lord has created a charming game of the above, replete with  bold and vibrantly colored illustrations created by her sister, Julie Paschkis, (virtually every page of this charming book is illustrated in a pallet of orange, blue, yellow, green, teal, black, brown and gray, using "patterns and shapes found in nature") which are sure to delight both children and adults alike.

Where Is Catkin? is the perfect book for teachers and parents alike to  engage  children in a discussion asking the questions:  "Where did all of the creatures that Catkin is trying to hunt escape to?" and "Can you find them in this picture?"


Where Is Catkin? is geared towards children ages 2-6 who are sure to enjoy joining Catkin on his cheerily illustrated adventure!

"I loved this book Mom,
will you please read it to me again?"


ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Janet Lord earned her B.A. in graphic arts and advertising from Concord University and now works as a graphic designer. She also wrote Here Comes Grandma! and Albert the Fix-It Man, both illustrated by her sister Julie Paschkis. She lives in North Wales, Pennsylvania.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR: Julie Paschkis attended Cornell University and the School for American Craftsmen at RIT, where earned a B.F.A. A former elementary school art teacher, Paschkis now works full-time painting, creating, commercial illustrations, and illustrating children's books. Some of her books include Yellow Elephant:A Bright Bestiary; Through Georgia's Eyes; Happy Adoption Day and Albert the Fix-It Man. She lives in Seattle, Washington.



  • Hardcover: $16.95
  • ISBN: 978-1-56145-523-2
  • Total Pages: 32
  • Size: 8 1/2 x 11
  • Language: English


Monday, September 5, 2011

Book Review By Cody: "Careers For Your Cat", Written By Ann Dziemianowicz, Illustrated By Ann Boyajian

This review originally was published September 5, 2010. In honor of Labor Day I thought it was the purrfect time to post it again for those who may have not seen it the first time around! Also, the first time I posted this I hadn't met Ann. I had the privilege of meeting her at BlogPaws 2011 and she is even more delightful than I had imagined her to be!  

I knew I was in trouble the day I saw my Mom open a big envelope and out popped a book with an eye-catching red cover, (you know, supposedly the only color that cats can see is RED. I am just full of fun facts, don'tcha know?). The title of the book was Careers For Your Cat. I looked around. I seem to be the only cat around here. I came to the conclusion that the book was meant for ME. What nerve! I HAVE a job! Geeze...my Mom has been out of work for 3 years due to the economy (or so she likes to say....ha!! Kidding!! That was a joke Mom! Feel free to laugh at any time!!) and Dad just retired in June. My Sheltie brother thinks he has a job, barking at every sound, object or person known to man.

I HAVE A JOB! Who do you think is responsible for Cat Chat? ME! I am the brains behind Cat Chat! Without me there would be no Cat Chat!

Well, with it being Labor Day and all I decided to pretend that I don't have a job and took a look at the book. This book is really, really clever and cool! There is no other book out there like this one! It was written by Ann Dziemianowicz (now THAT is a mouthful of kibble for ya! Sorry Ann! I had to have my Mom type that one for me! Let her get in trouble if it is misspelled, not MOI!).  Ann is a cat-coaching expert and a cat-career expert (a "cat career expert?" I never knew there was such an animal). She has helped all kinds of kitties get viable employment. That is pretty impurrsive!!

I had my Mom help me turn the pages and we saw a special test called the "Meowers-Briggs Personality Quiz". You take this quiz with your kitty parent (so they can check the boxes for you) and it tells you what your purrsonality is.

I think my Mom made a mistake when she was marking down the answers that I told her because it said that I am "Inert Introvert/Extravert". (I tested really close on one part so that is why I came out as Introvert/Extravert). The good part is that gave me more careers to choose from!

The book says I should be a Security Guard (sorry but we have my Sheltie brother for that!), a Solar Technician (yeah I do love to lay in the sun and show my belleh), a Software Engineer (I  love to paw around with my Mom's 'puter and printer) or a Product Tester. (I will test any product that is food related!!)

Since I love the camera and have a purrfect purrsonality, my Mom and I think I could also be a TV News Anchor. I also have a special talent for  kneading so my top choice would be a Pastry Chef (I would love that the most cause I could eat my creations!), or I could put my magic paws to good use by being a Spa Therapist!

I also love to greet everyone at the door, shake paws and let them rub my belleh so I would make a good Politician!

Hmmm...now that I am thinking about it I don't recall there being any careers for us writer kitties! Maybe cause we furlance and don't bring home a regular purrcheck.....I bet that is why!

The drawings in this book are super cute, my Mom and I really loved looking at all of the cats with all of their various jobs. The drawings were done by Ann Boyajian who must be a  very clever lady cause these were some really funny and creative illustrations!

There is even a section for kitties nervous about having a job interview. It tells you how to have a purrfect interview every time and gives you advice to enable you to pounce on that career that you really, really want!

If I ever stop being the inspiration and brawn for Mom's blog then I might just have to try out one of the careers listed in Careers For Your Cat.

For now, for any of you kits who might be just lolling around watching TV, birds and who lie in front of the window sunbathing all day, you may want to get your paws on Careers For Your Cat so you can  bring home some bucks for some extra kibble or shrimp. Tell your human or parent they can buy you the book at  http://www.tenspeed.com/  If they like to tweet on Twitter they can follow Ann @Careers4YourCat  she is also on Facebook, and this busy lady has a blog as well!

Now if you will excuse me I have to go and stretch out in my favorite sunbeam. Think I will take Careers For Your Cat with me so that I can hide it from my Mom. Don't want her getting any ideas about me having a second job! I "labor" enough around here, this is my day to relax, let HER worry about the blog for once!

Happy Labor Day All!!








Friday, September 2, 2011

New Cat Toys from KONG, "Cozies"

Before I go any further let me begin by saying that I have a LAZY cat! He has fun and adorable toys right at his paw-tips,  and there he is moving in slo-mo...  L-A-Z-Y! There! Thank you for indulging me! I feel MUCH better now!

A few days before I left for the BlogPaws conference I received some cat toys to test/review from the new KONG Cat Product line.

We all know that when it comes to dog toys, KONG is a household word, now KONG has developed a large assortment of products to help promote healthy play in cats and they are of the same fine quality that we have come to associate with the KONG brand.

This is the KONG Cozie Kickeroo!
The first thing I noticed was how incredibly soft it is.
It is perfect for bunny kicking or for
a tired kitty to lay it's head on when napping.
It has a fuzzy tail and contains
KONG'S North American catnip



If Cody exerted any more energy, (not! The above videos are evidence of exactly why I call him "Lazy") we would be in big trouble. In fairness these were filmed in the morning when Cody was quite sleepy. I am certain tonight he will be chasing these toys with everything he's got!
This is KONG'S Crinkly Cat Cozie
It is also soft and cuddly,
it has a precious face that resembles a raccoon
and also contains KONG's premium North American catnip

Playtime for cats is an important part of their day, as it affords exercise, it reduces stress, it allows cats to have an outlet for their instinctive hunting/chasing behaviors and it alleviates boredom, (primarily in the case of indoor kitties like my Cody!)


These are KONG's Cozie Rollers
One ball makes a rattle sound
and the other also contains
KONG'S premium North American catnip
and it has natural feathers and makes a crinkly sound!

Here we go, a "Cozie" GROUP HUG!
Be sure to check out more of
KONG'S Cat Toys at:
www.KONGcompany.com



In full disclosure I was not compensated for this blog post. All opinions are mine (and Cody's!) We were given the Cozie toys to test/review.