Six Very Different Cat Books Purrfect For Holiday Gifts

Cat book NEWS: Six Very Different Cat Books Purrfect For Holiday Gifts.

• We received far more cat books this year than we had time to review. Selecting our annual top ten list is especially challenging this year, as the top 101 are all finalists for the Cat Wisdom 101 Golden Purr awards. Finalists are announced in early December. There will be one winner for fiction and one winner for non-fiction of traditionally published cat books in 2015. One of the criteria to be considered for the list is a review of the book during the current calendar year.

• In order to add a few great books to the running, we’re offering mini-reviews today of

  Six Very Different Cat Books Purrfect For Holiday Gifts.

• The lucky winner of our giveaway for two fabulous cat book including Grumpy Cat’s latest is Abby G. Congratulations! Look for an email requesting your shipping address.

• We’re excited to announce our Black Cat Book of True Stories, an anthology (title TBA) will feature several celebrity cats which will add cachet and more buzz for our black cat awareness cause. A call for submissions will go out next month to members of the CWA ( Cat Writers’ Association) for short stories 1500-3000 words narrated by a cat. Five spots remain open to our readers. That means you! If you’ve known and loved an exceptional black cat with a positive tale to tell, send a short synopsis in their writing style and a few words about you and your cat before Dec. 31, 2015. to info@catwisdom101
  

  Six Very Different Cat Books Purrfect For Holiday Gifts

FTC disclaimer: We received review copies or advance reader copies of the books mentioned but to not accept payment for reviews. Our opinions (human and feline) are exclusively our own.

Walter Chandoha: The Cat Photographer is a collectible jewel for anyone who loves cat photography books. The hardcover book of 50 glossy cat prints spanning the 60+ year career of the master photographer. Long before the Internet, PhotoShop and digital camera ease, photographers had to rely on analog skills, complicated lighting, clunky equipment with no delete button or instant editing wizardry. In other words, you needed to expertly marry creativity with technical skill and Mr. Chandoha knows how and still does at the age of . He fell into photographing cats accidentally when a stray kitten showed up back in 1962 and proved to be a charming subject. Magazine covers in the hundreds and scores of commercial work i.e. cat food brands like Nine Lives followed to great acclaim. The book includes an interviews by David La Spina and Brittany Hudak.

Published by Aperture, a not-for-profit foundation, connects the photo community and its audiences with the most inspiring work, the sharpest ideas, and with each other—in print, in person, and online. Check out some cat photography tips from the master himself.

For more info including classes in photography visit WalterChandoha.com or to purchase on Amazon

Some cats are photographers’ models but cats are no strangers to other kinds of work. Cats On The Job: 50 Fabulous Felines Who Purr, Mouse and Even Sing For Their Supper by Lisa Rogak will make your cat look like a feline slacker. These are real working cats who ply their trade in a circus, firehouse, library, theater, cafe and distillery. One is even a mayor. The most famous cat is none other than Grumpy Cat and the composer cat Ketzel is the subject of anoter book on our list.

The heavily illustrated softcover from Thomas Dunne Books St. Martin’s

I’m a huge fan of children’s books even though I have no kids of my own. A good story, well written and beautifully illustrated transcends age or demographics. One of the loveliest picture books of late is Ketzel The Composer Cat by Lesléa Newman, illustrated Amy June Bates and published by Candlewick Press. What makes the tale of this tuxie kitty so charming is it’s inspired by a real cat named Ketzel, found on the streets of Philadelphia by a accomplished composer, Moshe Cotel. Ketzel found fame with an impromptu musical composition of her own. Visit the prolific author at LesleaNewman.com

 

Another recent picture book from Candlewick Press is Black Cat, White Cat by Silvia Borando. While most pictures books boast bold colors this is a sophisticated, graphic tour de force with a surprisingly colorful ending. Two polar opposite cats share each other world’s to reveal they aren’t really so different as night and day. The author who lives in Italy has a cool new adventure coming at SilviaBorando.it

A slim memoir from Sweden, The Old Man and The Cat: A Love Story by Nils Uddenberg with illustrations by Anne Gustavsson. If it was a film, I’d call it a sleeper. I received a review copy during the summer and its charms lingered into fall. It has deceptively simple style which unwittingly binds the reader under its spell: just as cats do. A retired Swedish shrink who thinks he doesn’t like cats gradually falls for a stray cat who shows up at his door. The process of him falling in cat love is slow, deep and poignantly sweet with touches of Nordic humor. The author displays a Zen beginner’s mind about insights into cats, proving cats can teach an old man new tricks.

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Also from Thomas Dunne is the latest Bob book, A Gift From Bob by James Bowen. Bob fever shows know sign of abating. The hugely popular series starting with A Street Cat Named Bob launched a rags-to-riches mini-empire for Bowen the once, down and out street musician. A feature film based on the book is currently in production. The holiday feel-good stocking stuffer digs five years into the past, before their fame and fortune, to tell the story of how Bob taught James the true meaning of Christmas. Stay up to date with the latest from Bob and James at their Facebook page