The Clever Cat

Peter Collington, recognized master of wordless picture books, proves in this funny feline fantasy that he is just as entertaining with words and pictures. Tibs, the orange tabby hero of "Clever Cat, knows that being the cat of a busy working family means patiently waiting around a lot--to be let out, to be let in, to be fed. So one day Tibs takes matters into his own paws. To the amazement of his family, he opens up a can of cat food and serves himself. Soon he's a cat about town, with a set of house keys to come and go as he pleases and the use of Mrs. Ford's bank card to buy his own food--and a few other things that tickle his fancy. He regards the other kitties in the neighborhood, snoozing in the sun all day, and thinks, "What a bore! But when Mrs. Ford's monthly bank statement arrives, suddenly this clever cat must earn his keep, and Tibs begins to wonder if he's too smart for his own good.

Children can have fun learning about colours in this book. They have to work out which coloured crayon Clever Cat is looking for by reading a simple rhyme. They then turn the wheel to see if they are right. The colour appears, as well as the word for it.

Clever cat is proud of his green eyes and lovely tail, and the other barnyard animals learn to appreciate his gifts as well.

A junior Animal Ark series by best-selling author Lucy Daniels.

In an Indian version of "Puss in Boots," Jamil the weaver's cat, Sardul, makes his master appear to be the richest man in the world so that he can fulfill his dream of marrying a princess. Reprint.