Nice Work for the Cat and the King

The King and his cat are a little down on their luck, and, after an unfortunate fire at the castle, are living a rather ordinary life in a terraced house. The problem is, the King is rather less wealthy than he was, and the cat decides that it’s time he found a job. He tries all manner of things – stately train announcer, working in a habadashery department – but none work out quite as well as expected.

Fortunately, the unexpected assistance of a dragon is just what’s needed when everything seems a little hopeless...

In this second book about the long-suffering, loyal cat and the well-meaning but somewhat ineffectual King, there are plenty of laughs and brilliant illustrative detail (the department store is particularly lovely) from Nick Sharratt, whose recognisable illustration is such a favourite with children.

A heavily illustrated short novel for early readers, it’s a perfect book for younger ones that want something a bit longer than a picture book but still love silly humour and a great, well-written concept.