2 Cute Kitty Books To Read Right Meow!!!!

Catwings by Ursula Le Guin

You may know her as the epic fantasy author of the “Earthsea” series and award winning science fiction but she’s also a fiercely devoted cat lover! Her enormous body of writing has hopscotched genres and met much love and acclaim with readers of all ages and personalities.

Her four volume long novellas about magical cats, the “Catwings” is a sleeping beauty amongst Le Guin’s more well-known books.

This charming little series takes readers on a tale where a litter of kittens is born in the chaos of a dirty city to a mama cat named Mrs. Jane Tabby, with wings, because of her dream and wish for them to go far beyond the city limits and make lives for themselves. The brothers and sisters embark on a flight to the countryside where they encounter animals, the woods for the first time, and come face to face with human “beans”. A young brother and sister who coax the kittens out of the barn they hide in, and with their gentle hands and soft voices, convince them that they’re safe, and they won’t be exploited.

Each book is less than 50 pages and wrote in a sweet and airy tone with a voice that’s simple enough for even the youngest of readers to enjoy. This is an ideal storybook to read aloud, especially side by side with a child. There are full colour illustrations, lovingly drawn in in rich, textured pen and ink lines by award winning artist S. D. Schindler.  The fur is visibly bristly on the page, and there is such a living quality to the books that the kittens practically leap out at us. It’s truly an enchanting experience to fall into these books, each a little gem in its own right.

Chi’s Sweet Home by Konami Kanata 

You don’t have to be a fan of mangas to fall in love with the too-cute-for-words kitten Chi, the kitten at the heart of Konami Kanata’s 12 volume series “Chi’s Sweet Home”. Previously published in Japan in weekly magazines in the early 2000’s, it’s now making its way onto American bookshops and libraries. More like a graphic novel than anything else, these small books are full colour illustrations- bright and vivid and playful, with a pallet that while realistic is also whimsical and fun like springtime and circuses.

Children can read these books as easily as teens and adults as the language is very simple, with translations that are concise and understandable but they’re not limited to any age group in specific by any means.

Each novel is broken up into little vignettes or much like a comic strip following Chi’s mischievous adventures as she goes from lost kitten separated from her mama, to taken in off the streets by a kind Japanese family, and discovering everything for the first time. Cat lovers need to get their hands on these books right now!

Kanata’s art is absolutely adorable and so full of energy like each page is an instant shot of happiness! It’s impossible NOT to smile when seeing Chi batting around string and fabric, or  springing into action and try her paws at hunting a bird, or encountering the oh so irresistible paper bag for the first time. This is a stellar joy packed romp that will add infinite happiness to your day! 

All photos taken and arranged by me.