‘My daughter loves these books. From the moment they were in her hands she was excited. I have read them to her numerous times now.’ Catherine Yardley.
Author Anna Emilia got her first cat at the age of thirty. The special relationship that ensued was the inspiration behind her series, ‘Little Cat and Friends’, which is both an ode to her cat Molina and also a vital addition to any educator’s playbook. Anna struggled with reading as a child, and she is uniquely aware of how children learn and crucially, what keeps their attention.
Utilizing a variety of fonts and colours, the books contain simple, child-like conversations and questions, designed to help parents address a number of topics, from siblings to adoption and more. They are also just plain fun to read, with words that jiggle up and down, whimsical illustrations and stories that will delight children and parents alike.
Synopses:
‘The Little Cat’
The Little Cat has a new Mummy and a new home. Join her as she gets herself into some tricky situations while exploring her new surroundings. She’s so excited. Will she ever be able to settle down and go to sleep? This simple and appealing story will delight young children, especially those with a new pet.
‘Making Friends’
Little Cat has a new Mummy and a new home. Now she needs to go outside and make some friends. Will she find any? Follow Little Cat’s adventures as she looks to explore her new world and finds out what her new name will be. Will she like it? A simple yet delightful tale about exploring, meeting new people, gaining confidence and making friends.
‘Tiny Kitten’
Molina is surprised when a new brother arrives. She decides she won’t like him and is very sad until she helps Mummy choose his name. When her friends come to visit, they love her brother. Will she learn to love him too? A charming story about dealing with change and how first impression aren’t always right.
“When I struggled to read, there weren’t a lot of tools out there to help,” says Anna. “These books would have been an absolute treat for me. For any parents who have children with dyslexia or other learning difficulties, I suggest using your child’s own pet or perhaps a favourite toy as a reading buddy. This helps build confidence. I also think that as you read to your children, you should consciously make mistakes. Explain to your children that making mistakes is absolutely okay – and it’s a natural part of reading and of life. This will help your child realize that their own mistakes aren’t the end of the world. In fact, they might start to relish the effort of learning to read. Once you take away the fear of failure, they will feel so much more confident and happy – just like Little Cat!”
Readers – both big and small – have been entranced with the series since its inception.
“A beautiful book, The Little Cat is absolutely loved by my 3 year old boy Emile. Utterly charming and beautifully illustrated, it is an everyday bedtime story book in our household,” writes Delphine.
Ben agrees, writing, “All my children love the stories and the pictures, very colourful and easy to read, they can’t put the books down!”
All three books in the ‘Little Cat and Friends’ series are available now from Waterstones, Amazon, and all leading bookshops as well as the author’s own website:
https://www.
Anna Emilia is passionate about helping children become confident with reading. Her series, ‘Little Cat and Friends’ was born from her own struggle with reading as a child, and from the love she has for her own cats.