Bathe the Cat

by Alice B. McGinty, illustrated by David Roberts

Interest age: 4 to 5

Published by Chronicle Books, 2021

  • Funny
  • Picture books
  • Poetry and rhyme

About this book

Grandma is coming to visit, so it’s all hands on deck to tidy up before she arrives. Everyone has a job to do and a useful list, spelt out using fridge magnets, helps to keep them all on track.

However, the cat is unhappy with the final chore of ‘bathe the cat’ so with a swipe of the paw, rearranges some of the tasks, with hilarious results. Instead of mopping the floor and feeding the fishes, they find themselves scrubbing the lawn and sweeping the dishes. Realising it is about to be vacuumed, the cat scrambles the letters once again, causing further havoc.

A contemporary, multi-ethnic family is at the heart of this riotous tale, with two dads, three children and a cheeky ginger cat. Rhyming text adds pace and rhythm, making it ideal to read aloud. The colourful illustrations are an absolute joy, and contain so many wonderful details, from stylish clothing to the fabulous facial expressions of the characters.

This enormously entertaining tale will be a big hit with cat lovers and is sure to strike a chord with any family who has gone into frantic overdrive when tidying up for a visitor.

About the illustrator

David Roberts was born in Liverpool and studied a degree in fashion design at Manchester Metropolitan University. After university he worked as a milliner and began to get work as a fashion illustrator but always felt his true calling was in children's book illustration. After working as a shelf stacker, egg fryer, hair washer, film extra and coffee-maker David finally realised his dream of becoming a children's book illustrator when his first book Frankie Stein's Robot, written by Roy Apps, was published in 1998 and shortlisted for the Mother Goose Award for emerging illustrators.

Since then he has illustrated works by authors such as Philip Ardagh, Daren King, Julia Donaldson, Jacqueline Wilson, Tom Baker and Chris Priestley. He is also the creator of Dirty Bertie - a litle boy with bad habits.

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