Miss Hazeltine's Home for Shy and Fearful CatsMiss Hazeltine looks after shy and fearful cats. She tries to teach them how to be real cats, to purr, pounce and not fear the broom! When Miss Hazeltine gets stuck in the woods, will the cats be brave enough to rescue her?

Story

I thought the story was cute and simple with a lovely, heart-warming ending.

Characters

Miss Hazeltine is like your favourite teacher from school, a lovely character who does her best by the cats. The main cat character, Crumb, is the shyest of all the cats, but his appreciation and love for Miss Hazeltine comes out when he is brave enough to lead the other cats into rescuing her.

Art

There are many double page spreads in this book, as well as white pages boasting multiple images mixed with the text, making great use of the ‘blank’ space. The style is sketchy and rough. The colours are dull and dark, which I’m not sure will appeal to young readers although the characters are very lively.

Moral

The book is about overcoming your fears to help someone in need; it’s also about being kind and bringing the best out in people. It’s a lovely story that I think many kids will relate to.

Value for money

The RRP for hardback is £11.99

I would consider buying this as a present for a child, but only the right child. I think it would be better suited for a child with a decent attention span (one who doesn’t need flashing lights and colours to be entertained,) but also to a shy, quiet child who I believe would benefit from the message in the story.

Age appropriateness

I think this book would be enjoyed by children aged 3-6

My vote

I really enjoyed this book and would be happy to read it multiple times. I think the characters are loveable and the message is very positive.

Four stars.

Anything else?

Although I like the art style I think it’s one of those books that could be overlooked because of the darker colours, which is a shame in my opinion as it’s a wonderful book and the art suits it’s theme and story.

How I rate books:

Mostly I look for:

  • Great images
  • Exciting story
  • Message or meaning

Five stars: Only my very favourite books get a 5 star rating
Four stars: Books that I enjoy
Three stars: Books that are okay
Two stars: Books that are pretty rubbish
One star: Books that make me mad