Fun for to read aloud with pre-schoolers. ( )

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Summary:
Oliver is a cat that explores the garden at night in search of adventure but soon realizes he would much rather be curled up in his bed inside the house with Mrs.Bundy.

Personal Experience:
When I was 6 I ran away from home for 1 hour and quickly realized I did not like being away from home. My parents where right behind me when I turned around to go home. This book made me laugh and think about how similar mine and Oliver's experiences where.

Classroom Extension Ideas:
1. In the classroom the kids could play a game to see who could identify the animals from the book fastest.
2. In the classroom we could discuss nocturnal animals and why they live in the dark.
3. Nighttime safety tips could be given to the students. ( )

Beames, M., & Hitchcock, S. (2003). Night cat. New York: Orchard Books.
Age: 3 to 6 years old
Oliver is feeling adventurous. When Mrs. Bundy calls for him to come inside, Oliver decides to spend the night out. Like a little kid refusing bed time, Oliver says “I don’t want to go to bed. I want to stay out all night.” At first, his nocturnal escapade is successful; he gobbles a mouthful of moths and feels reassured of his feline instincts. As the night goes by, Oliver realizes that he may be in for more than a crunchy snack. Oliver’s encounters with a snail, a porcupine, an owl, and mouse, an opossum, and raindrops make him see that being home with Mrs. Bundy is a lot better than the great outdoors. But readers should not think Oliver was scared; he only comes in because she would be lonely without him.
Night cat is a beautiful study of shadows and light. Most of the book is illustrated in black and purple. Oliver’s fur dissolves into the night; his big, yellow eyes stared into the reader. When light breaks the darkness of the night, it creates amazing contrast such as with the illustrations of Oliver devouring the moths. The cat is the big star here; his behavior resembles that of little kids who think themselves old enough to face their fears just to find out they want to go back to the safety of what they know. The white lettering changes color when the author wants to emphasize Oliver’s emotions. Word choice highlights the actions, and the use of very descriptive language enhances the read-aloud experience. ( )

My kids loved this. I am not sure why. Maybe a mix of scary (all occurs at night), animals, and adventure. Imagine Wild Things where the main character is a cat named Oliver. This book rose above many others; my kids will still respond to the name Oliver as if it were a synonym for the word cat. ( )