Crafty Cat and the Crafty Camp Crisis AND Crafty Cat and the Great Butterfly Battle by Charise Mericle Harper, 122 pp, RL 3

Last year, I reviewed and loved The Amazing Crafty Cat by the multitalented, amazing Charise Mericle Harper . Since then, two more books about Birdie, a creative girl who is passionate about crafts, have come out! Both have the marvelous craft centered plots that find Birdie in complicated situations with friends, like Evan, and mean girls, like Anya. And, as you might expect, Birdie - with the help of her alter-ego, Crafty Cat - comes up with a craft that saves the day, or at least makes her day better. Best of all, each book ends with "Crafty Time" pages. Starting with a list of crafts Birdie made in each story and the supplies needed, Harper gives clear, easy to follow instructions allowing readers to make the same crafts! As a librarian and parent, I especially appreciate the way that Harper makes social interactions and the challenges that they bring a central part of each story. In Crafty Cat and the Crafty Camp Crisis , Birdie's expectations are high as s