Tabika by Leslie Hyla Winton Noble (Just done productions)
He's no ordinary cat.
Resembling a small, but fluffed out tiger, Tabika, with his striped markings and unusual colouring, is larger than most cats. And yet, it is not his size that makes him the extraordinary feline that he is.
No – this talking, precocious and insatiably curious bundle of fur is a cat that has a more than healthy appetite for adventure.
Bored and fed-up with city life, he is beckoned by adventure in the form of a fairy who magically whisks him away to the countryside. Soon he arrives at Green Farm where his life takes a rather interesting turn of events.
Along the way he meets and befriends the various creatures in and around Green farm, including Scampetty and Puff (the rabbits), Rufus (the owl), Rip and Tear (the dogs that everyone is afraid of) and Purr (the oh-so-lovely white Persian cat), amongst others.
Of course, his journey certainly wouldn't be complete without an enemy or two in the mix, and his attempts to persuade certain cat-hating folk on the farm to allow him to stay leads to much hilarity.
A delightfully clever, witty and utterly readable read, Tabika will creep in to the hearts of cat lovers of all ages. Young ones will especially delight in the beautiful illustrations accompanying the book – it is one of the reason's I love the book so much.
I can't wait to start reading Book 2.
South African author, Leslie Hyla Winton Noble says that telling a story of a natural winner who thrives on his successes enables enjoyment of the novel to carry the younger reader through a more extended vocabulary.
For more information about the book and the author in general, you can visit his blog here.