Marshmallow Pie the cat superstar by Clara Vulliamy

Marshmallow Pie. HarperCollins, 2020. ISBN: 9780008355852. 128pp.
This is a lovely short story about Marshmallow Vanilla-Bean Sugar-Pie Fluffington-Fitz-Noodle (or Pie for short) becoming an acting star. The story follows Pie and her human Amelia as they navigate the ups and downs of the audition process. The book is reasonably easy to read and would be good for students who are independent readers.
The story is written from Pie's point of view and I really like this aspect! Pie comes from a very posh background and you can tell by the way she narrates the story. The author Clara Vulliamy puts just the right amount of 'fancy' into the text which is great fun when you're reading this book out loud. I read this book to my 6-year-old and we had lots of fun putting on posh voices for both Pie and then changing it up for her owner Amelia.
The illustrations are also a great addition to this book, as they help engage the reader and add an extra element to the text. My favourite illustrations are those of Marshmallow Pie as Clara gives her such wonderful facial illustrations, you can really imagine what type of a cat she would be like! I like how she has formatted the pictures too, some are placed within frames, at the top of the page or within the text - each one adding interest.
Overall, this is a funny book, with excellent illustrations that add to the story. Clara Vulliamy is a great author/illustrator who has really hit the target market of beginning independent readers. The text is clear, concise and uses an excellent amount of words that readers at this level would know/be able to decode. I think this is a great start to a series, bring on book 2!
Lauren Fountain