Poppy Cat

Book excerpt: Poppy cat is a copy cat. She likes to do everything I do . . . As a little girl prepares for the day -- getting dressed, tying her shoelaces, pouring milk for her cereal -- she sometimes has a bit of trouble. Sometimes she can't get her head through the right hole. Sometimes she gets tangled up. Sometimes she spills. But she likes to try and do things by herself. So does her cat Poppy. Poppy is a good cat, but she can get stuck and tangled up and spill too. She is very good at hiding, creeping, and pouncing. And sometimes she is a little mischievous . . . With spare text and delicate watercolour illustrations, this deceptively simple story celebrates the warmth and friendship a pet can bring into a child's life. As the little girl and her cat go through the day, young readers will see themselves in the child just starting to gain her independence and delight in the antics of her playful kitty.