Spring 2019 – Page 7 – Tundra Book Group

February 19, 2019May 7, 2025

Olivia Chin Mueller’s #TundraCats

Minnow01 We’ve asked our #TundraCats authors and illustrators to tell us a little bit more about their favorite felines. Today, we’re meeting Olivia Chin Mueller’s puffy cat.

What is your cat’s name?
Her real name is Minoku, but now she just goes by Minnow!

How old is your cat?
Minnow is 6 years old! I got her when she was only 3 days old!

Which #TundraCats book is your cat’s favorite?
Her favorite is of course Princess Puffybottom … and Darryl because her picture is in it! She’s famous!

Minnow03

What is your cats greatest strength?
Minnow is very good at eating bugs, keeping me warm, and covering my clothes with fur!

What is your cats favorite thing to eat?
Minnow likes to eat any treats that are round and can roll around on the floor! This way she can chase them around before she eats them. But she also enjoys eating house centipedes!

What is your cats weakness?
She is not smart at all! But I love her that way, she is perfect!

Minnow02

Be sure to check out Olivia Chin Mueller’s newest book:

Princess Puffybottom . . . and Darryl
By Susin Nielsen
Illustrated by Olivia Chin Mueller
ISBN 9781101919255 | Hardcover
Ages 3-7 | Tundra Books
Olivia Chin Mueller is the human best friend of Minnow “The Big Chin” Mueller. They live together in Providence, Rhode Island, where Olivia illustrates children’s books, including A Bedtime Yarn by Nicola Winstanley and the Little Golden Books I am a Kitten and I am a Puppy by Ole Risom. Minnow is the C.O.S.L.W. (Chief Olivia Supervisor and Lap Warmer). She also keeps Olivia from working too hard by asking for brushings and treats every hour. Minnow is doing a great job and is due for a promotion very soon.

February 5, 2019May 7, 2025

Susin Nielsen’s #TundraCats

susin nielsen_cats

We’ve asked our #TundraCats authors and illustrators to tell us a little bit more about their favorite felines. Today, we’re meeting Susin Nielsen’s two mischievous cats.

What are your cats’ names?
I have two cats: Erwin Schrodinger and Emily Brontë. One of my protagonists in We Are All Made of Molecules had a cat named Schrodinger; and Emily Brontë was absolutely the inspiration for my new fictional cat, Princess Puffybottom, because she is a total princess (and yes, she has a puffy bottom).

How old are your cats?
They are brother and sister, rescues from the Vancouver Orphaned Kitten Rescue Association, or VOKRA. They are turning 7 in 2019.

erwin schrodinger (1)

Which #TundraCats book are your cats’ favorite?
Miss Mink by Janet Hill. I adore this book. I’m not big on self-help books, but this one is like my own little self-help book, wrapped in the prettiest, warmest of packages. So many words to live by!

Can you describe your cats using only three words?
Purring Furballs of Love. (Technically that is four words.)

emily bronte (1)

Have your cats destroyed any books before?
Yes. Emily is a terrible scratcher, and she destroyed an entire shelf of my own books (ie, author copies of ones I’d written), by scratching the spines to shreds.

What do you consider to be your cat’s weaknesses?
No offence to Erwin, but I believe his brain is about the size of half a Tic Tac.

erwin schrodinger (2)

Complete this sentence: If my cats are staring out the window, it’s because . . .
They are longing for me to come home. (Hey. A girl can dream.)

What’s the most expensive thing your cats have broken?
A beautiful art deco lamp that my mom gave my husband and I on our wedding day, almost thirty years ago. It was very heavy-weight, but they were chasing each other, and brought it down. We also had to get rid of a lovely Persian rug because one or both of them decided it was the perfect litter box. (I scooped a lot of poop off that rug.)

emily bronte (2)

If yours cat could suddenly talk, what would their first sentence be?
“I love you, Susin, you are the best human in the world.” (Again – a girl can dream.)

Be sure to check out Susin Nielsen’s newest book:

Princess Puffybottom . . . and Darryl
By Susin Nielsen
Illustrated by Olivia Chin Mueller
ISBN 9781101919255 | Hardcover
Ages 3-7 | Tundra Books
“This is the first day I’ve written in a diary. The reason I am, is ‘cos I love writing stories, and if I do grow up to be a famous writer, and later die, and they want to get a story of my life, I guess I should keep a diary.” Susin Nielsen wrote this poorly constructed sentence when she was eleven. And while she isn’t exactly famous, she did predict her future occupation. She got her start writing for the hit TV series Degrassi Junior High and went on to write for more than twenty Canadian shows. Nielsen is the author of five critically acclaimed and award-winning novels, including Optimists Die First, We Are All Made of Molecules, and The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen. Nielsen has been called the John Green of Canada. She once had a dream that John Green had been called the Susin Nielsen of the United States. She lives in Vancouver with her family and two naughty cats.

January 22, 2019May 7, 2025

Nicola Winstanley’s #TundraCats

stanley and lulu We’ve asked our #TundraCats authors and illustrators to tell us a little bit more about their favorite felines. Today, we’re meeting Nicola Winstanley’s adorable cat.

What is your cat’s name?
Stanley Winstanley.

How old is your cat?
Eight.

Which #TundraCats book is your cat’s favorite?
Am I allowed to choose my own? If not, Princess Puffybottom … and Darryl.

What is your cat’s greatest strengths?
Poking me in the face with his paw to get more pats. Tricking us into feeding him dinner three times in a row. Being fat.

What does friendship mean to your cat?
Letting the small thing lick his ears. (The small thing is our dog, Lulu.)

Complete this sentence: If my cat is staring out the window, it’s because . . .
He’s mad because it’s raining.

Be sure to check out Nicola Winstanley’s newest book:

How to Give Your Cat a Bath
in Five Easy Steps
By Nicola Winstanley
Illustrated by John Martz
ISBN 9780735263543 | Hardcover
Ages 3-7 | Tundra Books
Nicola Winstanley has always believed in the power of stories to bring comfort. She is the author of The Pirate’s Bed, A Bedtime Yarn and Cinnamon Baby, which won an honor prize for the Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award and was shortlisted for the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award. Nicola lives in Hamilton, Ontario, with her family, one dog and one cat.

January 15, 2019May 7, 2025

Pawsitively Great Books

At Tundra Books we know that cats are a book lover’s best friend! This spring we are celebrating all things feline with our #TundraCats campaign, the purrfect list for cat-lovers of all ages!

How to Give Your Cat a Bath
in Five Easy Steps
By Nicola Winstanley
Illustrated by John Martz
ISBN 9780735263543 | Hardcover
Ages 3-7 | Tundra Books
“Five easy steps? Not a chance! For example, step one is attempted . . . six times. The engaging pictures leave much open space in the background and become a seek-and-find exercise when the cat ‘disappears’ time and again. This laugh-out-loud picture book can serve as a beginning reader since the text has repeated phrases and few words per page. The illustrations often have an interactive component; dialogue appears in speech bubbles, and characters leave a trail of dots behind them during a search-and-find. The inevitable ending will delight both children and adults and this title will be requested over and over.” – Starred Review, Booklist

Miss Mink
Life Lessons for a Cat Countess
By Janet Hill
ISBN 9781770499225 | Hardcover
Ages 4-8 | Tundra Books
“Miss Mink, human ‘cat countess,’ relates 20 lessons she has gleaned from her 67 cats. According to the introduction, Marcella Mink became a cat countess by welcoming those 67 cats into her mansion by the sea. . . . Hill’s whimsical self-help tome, a companion to her canine-focused Miss Moon (2016), would make a splendid gift for any feline fan. Her illustrations, oils on canvas, have a 1920s flair . . . and they tweak the life lessons and adages they accompany with a touch of feline humor. Pretty and positive (and posh).” – Kirkus Reviews

Princess Puffybottom . . . and Darryl
By Susin Nielsen
Illustrated by Olivia Chin Mueller
ISBN 9781101919255 | Hardcover
Ages 3-7 | Tundra Books
“Princess Puffybottom’s purrrrfect life is spoiled by a puppy named Darryl. Fluffy, black kitty Princess Puffybottom’s two female ‘subjects’ pamper her appropriately. . . . Princess Puffybottom indulges their whims, the petting and the play, until they surprise her with Darryl, a dog! . . . Yes, Darryl’s annoying, but Princess Puffybottom finds he has uses (such as liberating tasty morsels from the trash), and he does worship her, so life’s ‘good again.’ . . . Nielsen’s tale and Mueller’s digitally created pooch and puss pair perfectly, the princess acting as a nice stand-in for a pampered first child. The light touch of humor and twist at the end make this a must for storytime collections. Princess and Darryl need a sequel.” – Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews

Megabat and Fancy Cat
By Anna Humphrey
Illustrated by Kass Reich
9780735262591 | Hardcover
Ages 7-10 | Tundra Books
Megabat returns, this time with a new nemesis: a very fancy cat. Can our tiny bat hero stop his Daniel’s heart from being stolen by this nefarious, fluffy villain? Megabat was looking forward to Christmas morning: presents, playing toys, smooshfruit and watching Star Wars. But then Daniel opened his last, most special present. Daniel thinks this might be the best Christmas present yet: a beautiful cat named Priscilla! He’s always wanted a pet. Megabat is not sure he likes this cat. She tastes most hairy. Daniel loves his new cat! She’s fun to play with, and she’s so soft and fluffy. Megabat is not soft OR fluffy. What if Daniel loves Priscilla more than Megabat?

The Adventures of Miss Petitfour
By Anne Michaels
Illustrated by Emma Block
9780735263222 | Trade Paperback
Ages 6-9 | Tundra Books
“Meet Miss Petitfour-baker, adventurer, cat-lover, reader, stamp-collector, and storyteller-and her multitudinous cats in this episodic, begging-to-be-read-aloud illustrated chapter book. Its comedic irreverence and spirited play with words, names, and pirate lore will remind readers of Mary Poppins and Pippi Longstocking. Children will savor the whimsical language and conversational tone. . . . Highly recommended for story lovers of all shapes and sizes.” – Starred Review, School Library Journal

January 11, 2019May 7, 2025

Putting the YA in FRIYAY: 5 Bittersweet YA Romances

This week we celebrated National Bittersweet Chocolate day. Here are 5 YA romances that are equal parts bitter and sweet, best enjoyed with your favourite chocolate.

We Are Okay
Alone in an empty dorm during a snowstorm, Marin waits for her best friend Mabel to visit. When Mabel arrives, Marin will be forced to face everything that’s been left unsaid between them. Nina LaCour’s Printz Award-winning novel is a contemplative, intimate look at grief and love. Marin and Mabel’s relationship is complicated and nuanced, growing from a deep friendship to something more.
Add to Goodreads here.

The Sun Is Also a Star
With a nod to the popular New York Times article, “The 36 Questions That Lead to Love,” this epic love story between Daniel, son of Korean immigrants and wannabe poet, and Natasha, whose family is on the brink of being deported to Jamaica, has lots of highs and lows to keep you turning those pages. Look out for the film coming later this year!
Add to Goodreads here.

No One Here Is Lonely
This upcoming genre-bending novel made our Top 5 Sci-fi YA Novels we’re looking forward to in 2019, but it also qualifies as a romance. Eden is falling more and more in love with her crush, Will, only it’s not really Will, but a digital version of him created by an AI after-death service. Quill and Quire called this book “Ghost meets Judy Blume’s Summer Sisters,” and we are on board with that!
Available on February 5th, 2019
Add to Goodreads here.

Odd One Out
In Odd One Out author Nic Stone presents a fresh, stereotype-busting take on that classic romance trope, the love triangle. Coop develops feelings for his best friend Jupiter, who has a crush on the new girl, Rae. Rae is into Jupiter, but maybe also Coop . . . a surprising and rewarding read.
Add to Goodreads here.

Salt to the Sea
This gut-wrenching novel follows four refugees fleeing the horror of WWII for the ill-fated ship The Wilhelm Gustloff in pursuit of new lives. But even amid great tragedy, there are glimmers of love.
Add to Goodreads here.