Meowsterpieces: A Cat’s Guide to Art and Life

Featuring 13 catty recreations of famous works of art, from Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus to Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks, the main appeal of Meowsterpieces is illustrator Nyansongi’s adorable round-faced cats that populate its pages (which is more than enough of a reason to read it in the first place, and squeal at its cuteness). However, it’s also great to be able to introduce kids to some famous artworks and compare them to the originals, which are detailed at the back of the book.

Jenn Bailey has also constructed a fun rhyming text that takes the reader through each artwork, telling a story of a mother cat schooling her kittens in the Feline Arts, from mouse hunting to pouncing, grooming to purring. Each famous picture provides an opportunity for Mama Cat to teach her kittens something, whether it’s learning how to be brave in Under the Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai or enjoying a picnic in a re-enactment of the famous photo of New York Construction Workers Lunching on a Crossbeam by Charles Clyde Ebbets.

It's a fun concept, a gorgeous book to look at over and over again, and a fun read-aloud too. Purrfect.