The Cat with the Coloured Tail by Gillian Mears, Illustrated by Dinalie Dabarera

Title: The Cat with the Coloured Tail

Author: Gillian Mears, Illustrated by Dinalie Dabarera

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Walker Books

Published: 1st September 2015

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 80

Price: $19.99

Synopsis: Mr Hooper and The Cat with the Coloured Tail travel through the countryside in their ice-cream van. They enjoy looking for heart shapes (their favourite game) and making people happy with their delicious moon-creams. But a dark feeling is following the cat. Something is wrong. When the ice-cream van enters the forest, Mr Hooper and the cat realise the heart of the world is in danger. Will they be able to save it? A lyrical fable about love and healing.

“Gillian Mears’ distinctive voice is undimmed, and her yearning fable is a sweet and gentle reminder of the two great forces that lie dormant within us – kindness and hope. Her work hasn’t just described life; it’s enhanced it. And we owe her thanks.” Tim Winton
Gillian Mears is an acclaimed award-winning author of adult fiction. This is her first book for children and is inspired by personal experience.
A tender fable-like tale about love and healing that works on many levels. The story is rich in symbolism and with a subtle yet powerful environmental message but is still able to be enjoyed as a magical story.

~*~

In this charming tale, Mr Hunter travels the countryside with his beloved cat, whose tail changes colour, and who can see hearts in the world. The Cat also knows what kind of moon-cream people need to make them feel better when they are sad. And right now, the whole world is sad. Mr Hunter has stopped seeing hearts, and doesn’t know why – and his beautiful cat, The Cat with the Coloured Tail. is frustrated with him and can feel the sickness seeping into the world. Darkness, and sadness and cruelty – the light seems to be dimming everywhere they go as they approach their holiday. The sick, blackened heart of the world needs to be healed, but can Mr Hooper and his cat do it – and how will they do it?

Told in a fairy-tale, or fable like manner, Gillian Mears’ heart-warming story can be read by any age group, and touches on the goodness of humanity, and the little things people can do to help those having a bad time, or in need of a bit of fun and a smile. Alongside this, is a message about the world and its destruction, and the healing power of selfless sacrifice to help heal the wounds that have been inflicted upon the world by cruelty.

In this story, it is up to Mr Hooper and The Cat with the Coloured Tail to find out why the heart of the world is sick, and how to fix it, by following the trail of sadness that the cat’s tail can sense. What they find is distressing, yet the find and what follows are so beautifully and magically told, that there is a sense of calm even as the worst begins to happen.

The heart-warming end will bring a smile to your face, and is a perfect read for all readers – to be read to them, or individually, and can be enjoyed by all ages. The Cat with the Coloured Tail is a lovely read, with a message about caring and healing for all.

Australian Women Writer’s Check-in three: thirty-one to forty-five

My next fifteen takes me to book 45 of the challenge – The Peacock Summer by Hannah Richell. In this set, I read a wide array of fiction – all by authors I had never read before, from contemporary fiction, to historical fiction, literary fiction, and kids’ books that delved into the world of spies, and one of my favourite periods of antiquity, the Minoans and the explosion of Akrotiri on Thera. I read a non-fiction book by Kitty Flanagan, which was more like an extended comedy routine, to mysteries and family legacies.

From World War Two seen through the lens of Jewish refugees in Shanghai, to book illumination in the middle ages, and the melding of various mythologies and histories to create unique characters and voices that stretch out across the decades and centuries to tell stories of war, family, fear and mystery, and the fun of child spies and wildlife adventures.

These next fifteen were recently completed and, the last fifteen will take me to the start of August. Just over half way done for the year, I have read four times what I pledged, and hope to read many more in the months to come, adding to my ever growing list.

Books thirty-one to forty-five

So far I haven’t mentioned favourites on any lists, because there have been so many on the others, but on this one, The Jade Lily, Kensy and Max, Swallow’s Dance and The Peacock Summer are the ones that stood out for me and that I enjoyed the most for various reasons, all stated in my reviews on these books.

Australian Women Writer’s Challenge check in two – books sixteen to thirty.

Marking off the half way point for my first sixty books as it stands on the 11th of August, is my second post, with the next fifteen books up to thirty. These range from books for kids, to choose your own adventure to historical fiction, and nearly everything in between. This post, there is much more diversity in the authors read – including some short stories, surprise arrivals and a fairy tale retelling. There were a few World War Two based books – this was around the time I read many Holocaust influenced stories from authors from around the world, one of them a true story – The Tattooist of Auschwitz – and after reading this one and going onto other Holocaust stories, it made me wonder -how many people from those stories did Lale tattoo, how many did he see – the faces that were clear as characters and historical figures in the novels would have been just numbers once he had tattooed them.

This next allotment also marks, with book sixteen, the beginning of my quiz writing job, and at times I have reviewed some of the books I have been sent, but not all. Not many are picture books on my list here, but a couple have pictures – be they photos related to the true story a novel is based on, or pictures that accompany and complement the text for younger readers, such as in Grandpa, Me and Poetry.

Sixteen to thirty:

xthe-most-marvellous-spelling-bee-mystery.jpg.pagespeed.ic.zY67unNXcl

My next list will be thirty-one to forty-five. The vast array and mix of books I have read this year is interesting and has definitely been fun to read. Once the posts for the first sixty are up, upon the completion of the next fifteen, another post will go up – whether this is monthly or less frequently, these will act as little capsules of books to show what I have been reading in short bursts.

A Wild Adventure (Ella and Olivia #21) by Yvette Poshoglian, illustrated by Danielle MacDonald

Ella and Olivia 21 Title: A Wild Adventure (Ella and Olivia #21)

Author: Yvette Poshoglian, illustrated by Danielle MacDonald

Genre: Children’s Fiction

Publisher: Scholastic Australia

Published:

Format: Paperback

Pages: 64

Price: $7.99

Synopsis: Ella and Olivia are going to a native animal park! But are they prepared for their own wild adventure?

~*~

Sisters Ella and Olivia – aged seven and five and a half – are excited about their trip to the Wildlife Park with their family – Mum, Dad and baby brother, Max. They’re excited to go and see many native animals in the park and have a great adventure whilst they are there. They can’t wait to be able to cuddle a koala! But when they get there, the line is too long, so they go off on their bikes – and have their very own wild adventure.

I read this in my capacity as a quiz writer, and found it to be a charming story, good for kids who are starting to grow confidence to read on their own. It is a very short read but filled with fun and action for the younger audiences it is aimed at.

The accompanying illustrations are adorable and complement the text wonderfully – this is book 21 in a series, and encourages readers to learn new things, and gain confidence in their reading – which is what good children’s and young adult literature should do for all stages and all reading levels.

Best suited to ages 5-7, but can be read by anyone interested and kids who made need simpler books to help boost their reading abilities.

Book Bingo 13 – a book with non-human characters

Book bingo take 2

Book bingo Saturday again – round two, post thirteen of the year for the challenge. To mark off the non-human characters square, I have gone to a book I wrote a quiz for as part of my quiz writer job with Scholastic that fits the category of a book with non-human characters:

A book with non-human characters: A Home for Molly by Holly Webb, Beast World by George Ivanoff

Book bingo take 2 .jpg

A Home for Molly is about a young puppy called Molly – who has been left behind at a beachside town by her owners and forgotten. She befriends two girls – Anya and Rachel, ad plays with them on the beach. When it comes time to go home, each girl leaves with her family, thinking that Molly belongs to the other. Molly’s search for a home, and Anya and Rachel try and help her – before their holidays end and they have to go home. Neither wants to leave Molly alone, but who does she belong to – or will she find a new home with Anya or Rachel? Beast world

A home for Molly is a sweet story, with a sweet ending and fits this category quite well. Molly’s perspective of her world is charmingly written, and I felt as small as Molly did when trying to navigate her world. Molly is an adorable character, and though the story is also about Anya and her desire for a dog and to help Molly, it fits into the category of non-human character quite nicely.

Of the many books I have read, this was always the category I knew I wasn’t sure how I would fill. Animals – I had a few ideas here, such as Paddington, Animal Farm, and a few that had peripheral animal characters. Other options would have been aliens, cyborgs or robots – I received one by George Ivanoff called Beast World that also fits into this category – which is a steampunk London ruled by animals in a world where humans are extinct, which is accessed through a portal and is part of a series – which I have also been writing quizzes for and hope to write on the last two books in the series which came out recently.

I chose these two books because animals were front and centre, and main characters the reader sees the story through rather than a peripheral character who are often seen through the lens of the human characters. Whilst these two books are not by Australian Women Writers, there are many others that will be. I’m not sure how I will fill some squares the second time around, but by ticking off what I can first, hopefully I will manage to wokr out the trickier ones.

A Home for Molly by Holly Webb

A Home for Molly.jpg Title: A Home for Molly

Author: Holly Webb, illustrated by Sophy Williams

Genre: Children’s Fiction

Publisher: Scholastic

Published: 2015

Format: Paperback

Pages: 126

Price: $12.99

Synopsis: On holiday at the seaside, Anya is excited when she meets a friendly family with children her own age — playing with them and their gorgeous puppy Molly is so much fun!

But when she returns to the beach the next day, she discovers the pup all on its own. Anya sets out to look for her owners. When she eventually tracks down the family, they’re very surprised. Molly isn’t their dog — they thought she belonged to Anya!

With her holiday drawing to a close, can Anya find Molly’s real owners?

~*~

Another adorable animal story from Holly Webb. Living at the beach, where many people come to spend their holidays, Molly is a stray, and will play with anyone who walks by her, hoping for a friend. When Anya and her family go to stay at the beach, Molly joins in with another family, Rachel, Zach and Lily – and Anya thinks Molly is their dog. So, when they leave Molly at the beach, Anya sets off to find out why they left her there and where they are. But, Molly doesn’t belong to them!

It is up to Rachel and Anya to find a home for Molly – but who will that be with?

I’m really enjoying my job as a quiz writer for Scholastic, I get to read a lot of fun books, and the Animal Stories by Holly Webb are always enjoyable. With A Home for Molly, I found it just as charming as the other books I have read, and just as enjoyable. Going between Anya and Molly’s perspectives, Holly has made it easy to follow, as well as fun and uplifting as Molly searches for a home, and Anya helps her.

As well as a very cute dog in search of a home, this book also has wonderful friendship between Anya, and the people she thought were Molly’s owners, Rachel, Zach and Lily, which was lovely to see and i think children of all ages who read this book will enjoy it.

As Anya searches for a home for Molly, I wanted to take Molly home myself – she was a very cute dog, and as all of Holly Animal Stories have a happy ending, this one was no exception, and will be loved by those who read it.

Other Worlds 2: Beast World by George Ivanoff

Title: Other Worlds 2: Beast World

Author: George Ivanoff

Genre: Fantasy/Adventure/Steampunk

Publisher: Penguin Random House

Published: 26th February 2018

Format: Paperback

Pages: 203

Price: $14.99

Synopsis: Xandra finds a key . . .
It opens a doorway . . .
She and her brother are sucked through . . .

Into a crazy world that looks like steampunk London. Except in this world there are no humans – only animals. Xandra and Lex encounter rhino police, armadillo housekeeping staff, rodent inventors and even a lion on the throne. Here humans are the endangered species!

Will Xandra and Lex survive Beast World?

The Other Worlds series: OTHER WORLDS

Find the key!
Open the doorway!
Enter the Other World!

OTHER WORLDS is a new adventure series for kids aged 8 and up, with a sci-fi and fantasy flavour. It’s about mysterious keys that open doorways into other worlds. Each book is a stand-alone story with a new set of characters. But, for those who read the entire series, there’s also a thread running through the first three books that gets tied up in Book 4.

~*~

Continuing the Other Worlds series, Xandra and Lex Volodin are on a school excursion when they get sucked into a painting in the museum. Xandra’s wheelchair is left behind – and once in the new world, they encounter a steampunk London – where animals rule, and live, and where humans are relegated to myths alongside unicorns and Basilisks. Here, Xandra must explain her muscular dystrophy, and get help from Nikole Telsa, a coypu, who is an inventor, and Archie, a friendly llama, to foil a plan by a carnivorous tortoise in a world were even tigers are vegetarians. Lady Mimsy is after Queen Victoria – and Lord Grimsby is after her crown – so tigers can rule instead of lions. Whilst Xandra and Lex are in this world, they must work to stop Grimsby and Mimsy before they can go home, and back to their lives in their world.

Book two of the Other Worlds series, also one I wrote a quiz for, is so far my favourite of the series. I loved the steampunk world, and I adored Telsa and Archie – they were adorable, brave and worked with Xandra and Lex nicely. Like Perfect World, Beast World shows diversity and difference, and puts a spin on the way portal worlds are portrayed. This unique and fun story has animals in clothes as Lords and Ladies in a Victorian London setting, and uses the dynamics of the human world in the animal world to illustrate how different people will do anything to attain their goals. a fun story, and I hope other people enjoy it as much as I did.

I loved Xandra because she didn’t let her disability define her, but she still struggled with the constraints of it, especially once through the portal without her wheel chair. The exoskeleton she uses in Beast World gives her a freedom that the chair doesn’t, yet she shows that whatever she uses to get around, she’s just as capable as anyone else – a powerful message to send, and a fabulous character sending it.

The Book Muse

Books, reading and writing

Category: quiz books

The Cat with the Coloured Tail by Gillian Mears, Illustrated by Dinalie Dabarera

Australian Women Writer’s Check-in three: thirty-one to forty-five

Australian Women Writer’s Challenge check in two – books sixteen to thirty.

A Wild Adventure (Ella and Olivia #21) by Yvette Poshoglian, illustrated by Danielle MacDonald

Book Bingo 13 – a book with non-human characters

A Home for Molly by Holly Webb

Other Worlds 2: Beast World by George Ivanoff

The Other Worlds series: OTHER WORLDS

Books, reading and writing

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The Other Worlds series: OTHER WORLDS

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