The story of Tantrum O'Furrily by Cressida Cowell
Ill. by Mark Nicholas. Hodder Children's Books, 2018. ISBN
9781444933802
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Cats. Survival. Stories.
Cautionary tales. When Tantrum pads across the roofs in search of
food with her three hungry kittens in tow, they ask for a story. So
she tells them a story about Smallpaw, a pampered kitten living
comfortably in a house where no stories are told. She has a lovely
bed but each night after her tea, she presses her nose at the window
and wonders what it is like outside. Mrs Worrykin, her owner, has
told her that outside is full of dangerous stray cats, bad cats that
fight with each other and with dogs. Smallpaw tries hard to be a
good cat, but she is bored, so one night when the cat flap is left
unlatched, she creeps outside. There a fox talks to her, encouraging
her to take another step and hear his story. She comes closer until
he leaps upon her telling her he will eat her. Suddenly another cat
comes out of the gloom and fights off the fox. The stray cat tells
her that she can write her own story, all it takes is courage.
After that Smallpaw is allowed outside and a saucer of milk is left
for her, but she only drinks half, leaving some for the brave cat
that saved her.
With that, Tantrum climbs down and shows her kittens the saucer of
milk, half full, left for them.
This delightful fable of good and bad, a cautionary tale encouraging
children to see beyond the words, would be a great read a loud,
children joining in with the conversations between the fox and the
cat, or between the cats when the kitten is rescued, and calling out
when the fox attacks.
With the wonderfully ingenious illustrations washing across each
page, the brush making sweeps of colour evoking movement, children
will be entranced as they see the animals that make up the story and
recognsie danger when they see it. This modern fable tells us all
that being aware of the dangers is good, but these fears cannot rule
our lives, it takes courage to take that first step.
Fran Knight