Ann Mortimer is the illustrator, and what talent! What a delight it was to read this again and admire the artwork. The story is cute, and I'm glad this book was made. ( )

Humans, as every cat knows, can be very difficult to live with, especially when absorbed in their own concerns and projects, rather than paying attention (as they should be) to their feline companions. Having first discovered this unfortunate state of affairs in Tosca's Christmas, in which she found herself being chased from room to room by her impatient family, busily engaged in their holiday preparations, our eponymous feline heroine once again discovers that she is de trop in her own home. Determined to find a warm, peaceful spot, where she can nap, and do something VERY important, Tosca is instead routed by her human family's annual Spring Cleaning. When even the spot underneath the hedge proves unsuitable - too many noisy birds - Tosca gets desperate. Then her tom-cat friend, Roger, shows her the perfect place, where a cat can do what she needs to do...

Given the (adorable!) outcome of Tosca's search for a private place - one which I saw coming, from the beginning - one wonders whether Roger weren't just a little bit more than a 'friend!' An engaging second record of one cat's trials and tribulations, Tosca's Surprise uses the same basic formula as the first, in its exploration of being a cat in a human world. Author Matthew Sturgis clearly knows his felines, as does illustrator Anne Mortimer, whose many other cat adventures include such titles as Santa's Snow Cat and The Lighthouse Cat (both written by Sue Stainton). Recommended to young cat lovers, anyone who enjoyed the first Tosca book, and fan of Anne Mortimer's artwork. ( )