There Are No Cats in this Book written and illustrated by Viviane Schwarz

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Timothy and the Strong Pajamas by Viviane Schwarz: Book Cover
Viviane Schwarz is the author and illustrator of one of my all-time favorite picture books, Timothy and the Strong Pajamas, a tale about a pair of beloved ripped pajamas and some special repairs that mom makes on them.  With her cats books, we get a bit more play and a little less text, but a big dose of creativity and paper engineering in between the covers.  While their illustrative style is different, Schwarz's books remind me of the wonderful Emily Gravett's works, espeically Meerkat Mail and Spells.




With her cats books, Schwarz's cats talk to the reader.  Really, I could go on, but it would be much better if you watch this video of There are Cats in This Book being read out loud.


In There are No Cats in This Book, our friends the cats are preparing for a trip to see the world, but they aren't quite sure just HOW to get out of the book.  They try jumping out, which results in a great pop-up page.  They try wishing themselves out and it works!  They spread shows two blank pages with a small postcard from the cats glued to one page.  When they return, they have brought friends with them....

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