As a reminder, I am reviewing one book each day until Christmas, in no particular order.
Each choice is special in its own way. All would make great gifts for your cat addicted book lovers. Or your book addicted cat lovers.
Why cat books? Several reasons, really. I adore cats. Cats appear in most of my fiction. And I enjoy promoting cat books for the holidays, because I frequently give or get them as gifts myself. And finally, so many people have a cat, that cat themed gifts are an industry. You can’t go wrong.
Today I am reviewing “The Adventures of a Curious Cat,” by Curious Zelda. Fortuitously, and in time for Christmas if you order now, it actually releases in the United States today. It has been available in Great Britain since 2019, and I was fan enough to grab my copy then. I am glad I did. I love Zelda, and you will too.
Zelda is another internet cat, but she reigns on Twitter, with 206,000 followers. As you can see from the cover, tuxedo cat Zelda sports a startled expression with her enormous round eyes. Her owner says she has “resting startled face.” Her tweets include a photo and a humorous two line, or more commonly, four line rhyming poem, with an ABAB rhyme scheme.
Her tweets frequently end with her “becoming” an egg, a loaf of bread, a yoga teacher, and assorted other things, depending on the shape she assumes in the photo. Other photos depict her joyous pursuit of bugs, among many other things in life.
One example:
See a housefly / So discreet / Tiny warcry / Then I eat
And another with a vegetarian target this time:
I said I could / They said I can’t / I knew I would / I ate a plant
The book expands on the Curious Zelda experience that you get on Twitter. It weighs in at 192 pages, so there’s lots to love. At the beginning, we get Zelda’s rescue story. For any rescue cat, I think that’s so important. It reminds us that amazing cats come from animal shelters and remind us of the importance of rescue.
The book moves into a number of different charming sections that show how Zelda lives her curious life and through her advice and life story, how other cats can too.
Zelda tells cats how to live with humans. How to Beg in Three Easy Steps, for example. She expounds on foods she likes. She discusses exercise – and given that she’s an active cat, that fits. Circuit training, yoga, and curtain climbing are obvious subjects. She also covers her top hunting targets.
There are also “Agony Aunt” and “Dear Diary” entries that give us more insight to Zelda’s personality. She “records her findings during 12 hours of darkness.” Moth eating is, of course, involved. She expounds on cat careers and reports the news.
All throughout the book, there are cute illustrations and adorable startled photos of Zelda. The book has an animated and entertaining layout that complements the scattered cat that’s the main subject.
If you follow Zelda, you’re going to enjoy reading the longer pieces in this book purportedly written by your favorite zany cat. If you’re new to Zelda, now is the time to get acquainted with her. Pick this book up in time for Christmas and dive into her twitter feed. You won’t surface until the book arrives.
