The Adventures of Miss Petitfour by Anne Michaels

Bloomsbury, 2015. ISBN 9781408868041
(Age: 7-10) Miss Petitfour loves baking and her 16 cats. Yes, that's right 16 cats. They travel together by flying, using a tea-party tablecloth that catches the breeze. All the cats hang on to each other's tails and take off on a new adventure or shopping trip, depending on how the wind blows.
There are five chapters each describing Miss Petitfour's exploits and the local village with its unique and quirky residents.
The cats are introduced early and are repeatedly named in order throughout the book. There is Minky, Misty, Taffy, Purrsia, Pirate, Mustard, Moutarde, Hemdela, Earring, Grigorovitch, Clasby, Captain Captain, Captain Catkin, Captain Clothespin, Your Shyness, and Sizzles.
Miss Petitfour and her cats enjoy their whimsical life and each other's company. Children will love reading these warm and gentle stories and many will be able to recite the cat's names.
The accompanying illustrations by Emma Block suit the story beautifully. The colours and design remind me of 1960's children's picture books.
This novel will certainly delight cat lovers and will appeal to children aged 7 to 10 years. The Adventures of Miss Petitfour would be an excellent book to read aloud to a class.
Readers are invited to upload their own cat photos to #Miss Petitfour.
Jane Moore