Charlotte Voake

Cat-lovers will adore this winsome picture-book about Ginger, a happily settled older cat who loves his comfortable life. A little girl who feeds him delicious meals, a lovely basket in which to curl up and nap - what more could he want? But then one day the little girl brings home a rambunctious gray kitten who insists on pouncing on him, eating his food, and (worst of all!) trying to join him in his basket. Ginger decides that enough is enough, and runs away. Then the little girl coaxes show more him home, providing separate food bowls, and separate beds. But will it work..?

Ginger is the first of Charlotte Voake's three picture-books to feature this feline hero - the subsequent two titles being Ginger Finds a Home and Ginger and the Mystery Visitor - and really delivers the goods! As already mentioned by some of the friends who recommended it to me (thanks Jackie, Kathryn, and Lisa!), anyone who has lived with cats will recognize the feline mannerisms and expressions here, from lazy contentment to outraged dignity. The conclusion of the tale is simply perfect! With such an engaging story, and such adorable illustrations (done in pen and watercolor), this is a picture-book that cat lovers young and old will enjoy! show less

It's true, I like any picture book where there's a strong possibility of a character getting eaten, but this one also shines in excellent vocabulary and a weirdly deadpan tone. Delightful!

The comfortable older cat whose territory is invaded by a rambunctious kitten in Charlotte Voake's Ginger is a kitten himself in this story, living a cold and hungry life: scrounging for food in garbage cans, sleeping in a patch of weeds, at the bottom of a garden. And then one day, he finds a heaping plate of food waiting for him in the garden, and is slowly won over by the little girl who put it there. Yes, Ginger himself finds a home, in this one...

I enjoyed this second book - a prequel show more of sorts - devoted to Ginger's story, not least because I'm a sucker for any tale in which a homeless and neglected feline finds a home and a family! I liked the gentleness of the narrative, and the non-preachy way that the author demonstrated the need for patience, when interacting with stray animals: that sometimes it will take a long time to win their trust and affection. The illustrations, done in watercolor and ink, were just as adorable as in the first! All in all, Ginger Finds a Home was a worthy follow-up to the first story, and enough to convince me to track down the third, Ginger and the Mystery Visitor. show less

Ginger and the rambunctious gray kitten, first seen in Charlotte Voake's Ginger (there was also a prequel, Ginger Finds a Home) return in this delightful picture-book, confronting a third feline, who appears one day at their kitchen window, and proceeds to make himself quite at home. Helping himself to their food, even sleeping in their bed, the mysterious guest manages to insert himself into the household, until Ginger and the kitten's little girl, kind but wise, attaches a note to his show more collar, and receives a surprising (and very amusing) reply...

Like its two predecessors, I thought that Charlotte Voake did an excellent job capturing feline expressions and emotions - not to mention bold-faced trickery! - in Ginger and the Mystery Visitor, and got quite a chuckle out of Tibbles' antics! Oh, those kitties do know how to extract the maximum amount of food and attention, don't they? Cat lovers young and old will appreciate this charming picture-book, particularly those who have had the pleasure of meeting Ginger before! show less