Jellicle Cats

The Jellicle Cats dance the night away at a 1920s ball complete with straw boaters, feather boas and banjos.

There is something wonderfully fun about a picture book full of cats having a riotous time at a party. Arthur Robins is a fabulous choice of illustrator, as his drawings fizz with energy and cheery silliness.

The verse is daft, in the style of Carroll or Lear, and some of the vocabulary choices can be interesting, too. (You may need to do some research before you explain ‘terpsichorean’ and ‘gavotte’.)

But, quite simply, this poem is loved because it is just so fun – which makes it much more likely to inspire a love of rhyme in your little one. All together now: ‘Jellicle Cats come out to-night…’