Perfect Picture Book Friday Shares Glamourpuss

Perfect Picture Book Friday looks at, Glamourpuss, by Sarah Weeks.

Having grown up with cats, (cats we assumed were all girls until their fated trip to the vet when we were told we had boys in need of quick name changes…) I couldn’t resist sharing this wonderful book. Although none of my cats worshiped themselves to the degree Glamourpuss does in this charming fairytale-esque story, they all came dangerously close.

Title – Glamourpuss

Written by- Sarah Weeks

Illustrated by- David Small

Published by- Scholastic Press – 2015

Topics – friendship, jealousy, and compassion

Opening – Once upon a pillow sat a glamorous cat named Glamourpuss.

Jacket copy  –Glamourpuss loves being the center of attention. So when an unwelcome guest (a dog, no less!) steals the spotlight with some tasteless bow-wowing and undignified tail-wagging, Glamourpuss worries that she’s going to fall out of fashion.  Is there room for only one superstar in this mansion? When Glamourpuss makes her most majestic move to find out, the result is pure purrfection.

Kirkus Review – A lighthearted twist on the traditional antagonism between cats and dogs takes place in an over-the-top upper-crust world.

Weeks includes several nods to fairy-tale conventions in her slyly amusing text. The saga begins “Once upon a pillow,” and the eponymous heroine turns to her mirror for confirmation that she is the “most glamorous of all.” Meanwhile, classic films are clearly the inspiration for Small. Created with ink, watercolor, pastel, and collage, illustrations include a flat-screen TV showing Theda Bara as Cleopatra, a scrawny Chihuahua with Shirley Temple, Carmen Miranda and Scarlett O’Hara costumes, and a setting that evokes the glamour of old Hollywood. Bluebelle, the dog, is a visitor in the home of Glamourpuss’ owners and, in the cat’s eyes at least, a rival for their affections. Well-pleased with her luxurious lifestyle, cheerfully cataloged in scratchy, energetic artwork, Glamourpuss tries her best to sabotage Bluebelle. While her efforts don’t pan out, and the dog definitely has her day, young listeners will likely be pleased with the (not entirely) unexpected rapprochement between the two pets.

Sophisticated vocabulary and pop-culture references may well fly over the heads of children, making this fizzy, exuberant entertainment a treat that is best shared by an adult with a penchant for screwball comedy. (Picture book. 4-7)

Why do I like this book? The marriage of text and illustration is purrr-fect. The story opens with the introduction of an excessively pampered cat who thinks highly of herself. Children will learn new vocabulary words with ease as they are clearly and humorously defined both through text and illustration.  The illustrations offer a wealth of details to keep young listeners entertained as they endure the frustration Glamourpuss feels when a talented dog in tacky clothes comes to visit. Enter…Bluebell. Upon discovering that Bluebell despises entertaining and parading about in ridiculous outfits, Glamourpuss steps in to offer a few lessons of her own, helping Bluebell become the kind of dog she deserves and wants to be, thus creating a lasting friendship.

Author – Visit Sarah Weeks here.

Illustrator – Visit David Small here. 

Interview with Sarah Weeks about Glamourpuss here.

Learn to draw a cat for children here.

Perfect Picture Book Friday Looks at Glamourpuss.

Years ago, when my collection of pets consisted of a tank of fish, I might have said jealousy is purely a human trait. However, my viewpoint on this matter changed when we brought Max home to live with us. Max is a rescue dog that believes, deep in his heart, that he is a little boy trapped in a dog suit. When I first met Max at the rescue shelter, he strode up to me with his chocolatey brown, desperate, and watery eyes. I knelt to pet him, and he returned my kindness with a warm slurpy kiss over the back of my hand.

“He likes you!” The owner of the shelter beamed.

“You think so?” I twiddled Max’s ears and ran my hand down his soft fur.

Having only grown up with large dogs, I had zero experience picking up and holding a smaller dog. Do I flop him over my shoulder like a baby and rub his back? Do I sit him on my lap? Clueless, I decided to let the dog show me what he preferred. I picked him up like a child under his arms and took a seat. A moment later, Max flipped on his back, pressed his head against me, and went to sleep, cradled like a baby.

“We accept all major credit cards.” the shelter owner said. “How would you like to pay?”

I handed over my Visa.

Max remained “an only child” with us (if you don’t count the fish) for about a year. Then…

…we added the birds. Max sat on the sofa with his back to us. He became weepy when the birds received goodnight cuddles before him. Max was, in fact, jealous. Which leads me to today’s Perfect Picture Book Friday of Glamourpuss.

Title – Glamourpuss

Written by  – Sarah Weeks

Illustrated by – David Small

Published by – Scholastic Press – 2015

Suitable for ages – 3-7

Topics – Vanity, jealousy, drama, and friendship.

Opening – Once upon a pillow sat a glamorous cat named Glamourpuss.

Glamourpuss lived with Mr. and Mrs. Highhorsen in a giant mansion on the top of a hill where they were waited on hand and foot by a pair of devoted servants named Gustav and Rosalie.

Amazon Review –  View it HERE. Glamourpuss has it all. She has style. She has charm.  And she knows how to strike a pose.

Glamourpuss loves being the center of attention. So when an unwelcome guest (a dog, no less!) steals the spotlight with some tasteless bow-wowing and undignified tail-wagging, Glamourpuss worries that she’s going to fall out of fashion.

Is there room for only one superstar in this mansion? When Glamourpuss makes her most majestic move to find out, the result is pure purrfection.

Why do I like this book? The main character, Glamourpuss, is quite the spoiled feline! She has a fancy bedroom, diamond collar, and servants. And if this isn’t enough, her owners don’t expect her to catch mice or take part in any other cat-like activities. Glamourpuss’s singular task is to be glamourous. However, this prissy kitty gets a rude awakening when an unwanted visitor arrives. Soon, a pooch, trained to do tricks while wearing tacky clothes steals her show. I won’t spoil the ending. You’ll simply have to check out this super fun and super funny book to find out how these two unlikely pets set aside their differences to be friends.

The illustrator, David Small, does a fantastic job bringing all the shenanigans, emotions, and inner feelings of cat and dog to light with simple ink lines combined with a pallet of pretty watercolors. The one surprise element of his illustrations, used in the beginning pages, is the creative addition of photo collage.

Learn more about Sarah Weeks HERE.

Learn more about David Small HERE.

FUN FOR KIDS – Learn how to make an origami cat. Click Here.

Here’s a fun tutorial on how to draw a cat with the word “cat”. Click Here.

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Glamourpuss!

Perfect Picture Book Friday looks at, Glamourpuss, by Sarah Weeks. Having grown up with cats, (cats we assumed were all girls and thus named appropriately until…the fated trip to the vet when we were told we had boys in need of quick name changes…) I couldn’t resist this wonderful book. Although none of my cats worshiped themselves to the degree Glamourpuss does in this charming fairytale-esque story, they all came quite dangerously close.

Title – Glamourpuss

Written by- Sarah Weeks

*Illustrated by- David Small

*Published by- Scholastic Press – 2015

*Suitable for ages – 4  – 7 (but I think this is a book for all ages.)

*Topics/theme – friendship, jealousy, and compassion

*Opening – Once upon a pillow sat a glamorous cat named Glamourpuss.

Jacket copy  –Glamourpuss loves being the center of attention. So when an unwelcome guest (a dog, no less!) steals the spotlight with some tasteless bow-wowing and undignified tail-wagging, Glamourpuss worries that she’s going to fall out of fashion.  Is there room for only one superstar in this mansion? When Glamourpuss makes her most majestic move to find out, the result is pure purrfection.

Kirkus Review – A lighthearted twist on the traditional antagonism between cats and dogs takes place in an over-the-top upper-crust world.

Weeks includes several nods to fairy-tale conventions in her slyly amusing text. The saga begins “Once upon a pillow,” and the eponymous heroine turns to her mirror for confirmation that she is the “most glamorous of all.” Meanwhile, classic films are clearly the inspiration for Small. Created with ink, watercolor, pastel and collage, illustrations include a flat-screen TV showing Theda Bara as Cleopatra, a scrawny Chihuahua with Shirley Temple, Carmen Miranda and Scarlett O’Hara costumes, and a setting that evokes the glamour of old Hollywood. Bluebelle, the dog, is a visitor in the home of Glamourpuss’ owners and, in the cat’s eyes at least, a rival for their affections. Well-pleased with her luxurious lifestyle, cheerfully cataloged in scratchy, energetic artwork, Glamourpuss tries her best to sabotage Bluebelle. While her efforts don’t pan out, and the dog definitely has her day, young listeners will likely be pleased with the (not entirely) unexpected rapprochement between the two pets.

Sophisticated vocabulary and pop-culture references may well fly over the heads of children, making this fizzy, exuberant entertainment a treat that is best shared by an adult with a penchant for screwball comedy. (Picture book. 4-7)

Why do I like this book? The marriage of text and illustration is purrr-fection. The story opens with the introduction of an excessively pampered cat who thinks quite highly of herself. Children will learn new vocabulary words with ease as they are clearly and humorously defined both through text and illustration.  The illustrations offer a wealth of details to keep young listeners entertained as they endure  the frustration Glamourpuss feels when a talented dog in tacky clothes comes to visit. Enter…Bluebell. Upon discovering that Bluebell despises entertaining and parading about in ridiculous outfits, Glamourpuss steps in to offer a few lessons of her own, helping Bluebell become the kind of dog she deserves and wants to be, thus creating a lasting friendship.

Author – Visit Sarah Weeks here.

Illustrator – Visit David Small here. 

Interview with Sarah Weeks about Glamourpuss here.

Lear to draw a cat for children here.