Today's read... Diego, The Lonely Cat by Jeanne Conway

Today's read is all about a cat and promises to hold a message and situation, which will ring familiar to readers as well. I just loved the lazy comfy-ness on the cover and decided to take a peek.

DIEGO, THE LONELY CAT

by Jeanne Conway

Spork

Picture Book

34 pages

ages 4 to 8

Diego is a friendly and curious cat. He loves to roam and visit people. On the day that his family moves to a new house, Diego cannot be found. Maria and Juan look everywhere for him but no success.

Later, when Diego returns to his now-empty home, his family is gone. What will Diego do? Who will take care of him? "Diego, The Lonely Cat" is the story of how Diego uses his courage and intelligence to find his home and family.

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MY TIDBITS

Pulling at the heart-strings and adding a pinch of tension, readers will wish they could have and hug this cat themselves.

Diego has a great life. His neighborhood is a friendly place with wonderful people to visit, and his family is the best in the world. When he comes home one day, boxes are standing everywhere. So outside he heads again. When he returns home this time, though, the house is empty and his family is gone. Diego isn't sure what he should do.

Any reader, who has been or felt lost will have no problem connecting with Diego, and they will feel for him, when he is suddenly left behind. The author does a great job at keeping this from growing too heavy, though. Diego knows others in the neighborhood, and while this might not solve his ultimate problem, it offers the relief young readers will need to keep from feeling too weighed down. The ending is also well-laid and paced...and of course, readers won't be disappointed.

The illustrations are done with heart and let the emotions come across well enough. They follow the story along, making this a nice read-aloud in even group settings. The text is age appropriate and also works great for group settings.

And here she is...

I am an artist, illustrator, author/illustrator and art educator from St. Louis, Missouri, USA. I have illustrated children's picture books, children's early readers and middle grade children's books in addition to writing and illustrating my own books. I have illustrated for the following publishers:  Pearson Educational Library, Clear Fork Publishing, Elk Lake Publishing, 4RV Publishing, Mascot Publishing, MacLaren-Cochrane Publishing, Upwork clients and private clients. I’m a member of the Society of Children’s Writers and Illustrators.

Here is a link to my website:  https://www.jeanniespaintings.com