Tabby McTat, the Musical Cat

by Julia Donaldson (Author)

Tabby McTat, the Musical Cat
Reading Level: K − 1st Grade
Tabby McTat loves his life on the streets with his owner, Fred, singing (and caterwauling) for coins that people throw in Fred's hat. But one day, Fred is in an accident, and the two are separated! Will Tabby and Fred find their way back to each other? Full color.
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Publishers Weekly

Tabby's meow is "loud and strong"--in fact, he's one half of a busking act with his owner, Fred: "MEEE-EW and the old guitar, / How PURRRR-fectly happy we are." Tabby and Fred are separated by various twists of fate, and Tabby finds love and an even more idyllic life with his beloved's owners, Prunella and Pat, a cheery older couple who don't mind that Tabby is fond of "hiding the car keys under the mat.... And giving the pens an occasional bat." How Donaldson and Scheffler (the team behind The Gruffalo and several other books) tie up the narrative threads so that loyalties aren't torn asunder and everyone ends up happily ever after makes for a surprising and fun read. Donaldson makes those who read aloud work a bit to find a metric footing in this outing, but she adeptly builds gentle narrative tension that will keep children eager to find out what happens next. Once again, she's helped enormously by Scheffler, whose bright-eyed, warmhearted characterizations make this a wonderful testimony to the ties that bind. Ages 4-8. (Dec.)

Copyright 2012 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1--Fred is an extraordinary busker. He earns his living by playing guitar and singing to crowds... with his cat, Tabby McTat. When the two friends become separated for a period of time, they try to build new lives. McTat starts a family, and Fred tries out a different act. The feline is torn between his obligations to his family and his desire to find his friend, but, after they are reunited, McTat's son, Samuel Sprat, finds a solution that makes everyone happy. Librarians and teachers can make this rhyming story come to life by strumming a guitar while singing the lyrics in the refrain, "Me, you, and the old guitar, /How perfectly, perfectly happy we are./MEEE-EW and the old guitar, /How PURRRR-fectly happy we are." Scheffler's city scenes in saturated colors evoke a variety of emotions, and the expressions on the faces of the kittens and the people are hilarious. Use this book in discussions about relationships.--Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, AB, Canada

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"Impeccable rhythm and rhyme distinguish this particular tale, filled, as always, with Donaldson's exemplary humor and heart." - "New York Times Book Review"
Julia Donaldson

Julia Donaldson served as the UK Children's Laureate from 2011 to 2013 and has written many bestselling and beloved children's books, including The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom, and Stick Man. She lives in West Sussex in the south of the UK.


Axel Scheffler's award-winning books include Room on the Broom, The Snail and the Whale, and The Gruffalo. His illustrations have been published in more than 30 countries. He lives in London, England.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780545451680
Lexile Measure
620
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Arthur A. Levine Books
Publication date
December 01, 2012
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV002050 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Cats
JUV002190 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Pets
Library of Congress categories
Cats
Lost and found possessions
Lost articles
Stories in rhyme
Street entertainers
Parents Choice Awards (Fall) (2008-Up)
Fun Stuff 2012 - 2012

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