Backstage Cat by Harriet Ziefert (illustrated by Jenni Desmond)

It's been years (maybe decades?) since I read picture books, but there's so gorgeous and sweet and maybe it's a bit of nostalgia but I've been picking up a few lately. I also love sharing them with my friends who have or are having babies! One such book is Backstage Cat by Harriet Ziefert (illustrated by Jenni Desmond).

Admittedly, the cat aspect of Backstage Cat is what caught my attention because I thought it might be cute to pick up for a friend who has several cats and a baby on the way! I was right. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous and the text is sweet, straightforward and entertaining: what a perfect combination!

Backstage Cat is the story of a cat in a theatre who gets into all kinds of trouble. It's really cute and gives a nice idea of some of the things that go into making a play and some of the jobs that people have. I love the watercolour illustrations as well, it really brings a movement to the pages and I think the text is well-placed.

The one part of Backstage Cat that threw me off was the part where the main performer (and owner of the cat) sings a long song. Personally, I thought it was too long and sorta lost my attention and lost some of the charm of the rest of the book. I would have preferred something snappier and maybe more obvious as a song. 

However, overall, I really enjoyed Backstage Cat and I think Ziefert did a cute job with the story as I always love ones that involve animals, especially animals that get into trouble. The illustrations by Desmond that go with it are also exceptionally lovely.

Release Date: March 12th, 2013  Pages: 40 Format: Hardcover

Source: Publisher  Publisher: Blue Apple Books  Buy It: Book Depository