Asha, Queen of Cats
Published on 1. January 2023
Book
Hardback
132 pages
978-0-9972831-7-4 (ISBN)
Description
How does a feral kitten, born in a deserted cave on a moonless night and abandoned by her mother, become the queen of cats? It's challenging. Humans don't all take kindly to her, and some wouldn't mind seeing her disappear for good. But this small black feline has the heart of a tiger. Good thing, too-for while curiosity lures her to sea, it will take all the grit she can muster to bring her back alive. In Asha, Queen of Cats, the daredevil cat takes center stage, repeatedly outwitting the humans around her, and pulling feline friends Rufus and Razi into situations they'd rather avoid. One involving a nasty killer dog who's vowed to do her in. Will he succeed? What Thor doesn't know is that Asha has made the same pledge about him. In this final book of the Singular Cat Trilogy, we reunite with all the beloved characters from No Ordinary Cat (Book 1) and Finding Waihona (Book 2)-most notably, Rufus, the magically intuitive and lovable red-haired cat who started it all, and who showers good fortune like stardust over every human lucky enough to cross his path. This finale also introduces us to Edna, a teacher so gifted she can make cats love literature; Elvira, who fancies herself a witch but may have a beating heart in there somewhere; and Bear, the "born actor," lured into becoming a star catcher overnight, though he's never played ball in his life. It's Asha, deadly assassin and friend to Rufus, who steals the show, though. They say cats have nine lives-and Asha's already used up a few. She'll need every remaining one to survive the harrowing circumstances she concocts in this rollicking tale of adventure and daring.
More details
Language
English
Target group
Children/juvenile
Interest Age: From 5 to 12 years
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 222 mm
Width: 221 mm
Thickness: 12 mm
Weight
597 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-9972831-7-4 (9780997283174)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Vicki Spandel is an experienced writer and educator with a passion for storytelling and teaching. She has traveled extensively to Hawaii, where she conducted writing workshops for hundreds of local teachers and spent months exploring the ocean, whale-watching, and snorkeling, often listening to the enchanting songs of whales-experiences that inspired her to write this book.
Spandel has received many accolades for her writing, including a Telly Award for her script "Seeing with New Eyes" and a Best Chapter Book of the Year award from Kirkus for No Ordinary Cat (2021). She is also the author of many books on the craft of writing, including Creating Writers and The 9 Rights of Every Writer, as well as the Singular Cat Series: No Ordinary Cat, Finding Waihona, and Asha, Queen of Cats.
She now lives with her husband, Jerry, in Sisters, Oregon, where they share their home with local wildlife. She continues to enjoy hiking, biking, gardening, and cross-country skiing.
Karen Duplisea is an accomplished artist, professional dancer, and former associate professor of dance at a university theater school. She now brings that same graceful movement and expression onto the surface of a canvas, moving freely between genres, mediums, and subjects in charcoal, acrylics, and oil. "Still dancing!" as she puts it.
Duplisea calls her work on World of Water, World of Light, the first book she has illustrated, a remarkable journey. When she read the manuscript for World of Water; World of Light with an artist's eye, the images "just poured out." While charcoal might be an unconventional choice for middle grade chapter books, Duplisea feels it captures the drama and spirit of the story.
She currently lives with her husband, Jeff, in Toronto.