I’m delighted to be part of the launch celebrations for Kitty Stuck by Emma Pullar, illustrated by Beth Pullar as I adore cats so what could be better than a picture book for review. I’d like to thank the author for a copy of Kitty Stuck in return for an honest review.

Kitty Stuck is published by A Spark in the Sand, a publisher dedicated to encouraging young people to pursue their dreams, both by publishing works created by young people and through books which engage their imagination and inspire them to ‘Dream Big and Work Hard’. Kitty Stuck, being illustrated by 12 year old Beth, was a perfect fit for the publishing company’s ethos. They hope to encourage more young people to pursue their passion in this way.

Published on 2nd August 2018, Kitty Stuck is available for purchase here.

Kitty Stuck

Here kitty kitty…
Kitty is a calamitous cat who keeps finding himself in sticky situations.

Luckily, his loving family help him get unstuck.

My Review of Kitty Stuck

Kitty keeps getting stuck – in all kinds of places.

Oh, I loved this picture book for children and in fact I only have one complaint about it – the marketing says it is for children aged 0-7. Huh! I don’t see why they should have it! Kitty Stuck would make a fantastic present for cat lovers of all ages. I thought it was just wonderful. I especially liked the image of Kitty stuck in a bowl!

However, given that this IS a book for children, I’d better make some comments about it with that in mind.

Firstly, I think the pictures are stunning. They are funny and engaging, bright and vibrant. The expressions on Kitty’s face are so evocative of Kitty’s feelings that they really entertain. I found them joyous and uplifting and they often made me laugh. I loved the added extra of trying to find an image where Mouse is missing so that reading Kitty Stuck is an interactive experience too. There’s just enough extra detail in the pictures (such as the question mark by Mouse when Kitty is hiding) to allow discussion between adult and child too. I appreciated the fact that this seems to be a multi-ethnic family too as encouraging diversity is so important in a child’s formative years.

The balance of text to image is perfect and the cursive style is naive enough to appeal to children whilst still being totally legible so that independent readers can access it. I liked the variety of vocabulary and the rhyme scheme that works so well. Again, words like ‘box’ and ‘socks’ afford an educational opportunity for older children to find out about homophones, homonyms and rhyme.

Kitty Stuck is a really lovely book for children (and adults) that is accessible, educational and totally, totally enjoyable. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

About Emma and Beth Pullar

Kitty Stuck is Emma Pullar’s second children’s book. Her first, Curly from Shirley, was a national bestseller and named best opening lines by New Zealand Post. Upon her return to the UK Emma shifted her writing focus to writing dark novels for adults until recently, when inspired by her 12 year old daughter Beth’s drawings of the family cat Rupert, she took up her pen and wrote Kitty Stuck.

Beth, a talented and dedicated young illustrator, hopes to use her royalties to develop her work by investing in art supplies, software and education.

You can follow Emma on Twitter @EmmaStoryteller and Instagram or visit her website for more details. You’ll also find Emma on Facebook.

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