Maura Finn (text) and Lucinda Gifford (illustrator), Grandma Murphy’s Pussycat, Affirm Press, September 2024, 32 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781761111686
Grandma Murphy’s Pussycat engages the reader at ‘Hello!” with its striking front cover. The glossy black embossing invites touch, the full moon glows, and the haunting mood is firmly established before the first page is turned.
Grandma’s pussycat is out for a night prowl and meets many nocturnal animals along the way. The cat seems very sure of its route, but the reader is left wondering and guessing until it reaches its surprise final destination.
Maura Finn has created a suspenseful narrative with a rhythmic, rhyming text that maintains a lovely tempo and demands to be shared and read aloud. Whilst the text is fairly minimal, there is rich language to be explored with a great array of verbs such as slinking, lunging, piercing, wailing, and lurking to name but a few.
Lucinda Gifford’s illustrations perfectly mirror the text. They are dark and moody, yet age appropriate for the perceived audience, although there is a moment to hold one’s breath when the cat is surrounded by a mischief of rats. Predominantly purple and black, the pages are punctuated by the glaring yellow eyes of nocturnal animals such as cats, bats, rats, frogs and owls and of course, Grandma’s jet-black pussycat.
There is a lovely reveal in the last two pages when the reader discovers that Grandma is a witch, although observant readers may spot the clue on the front cover.
Perfect for feline lovers, Halloween reads, exploration of rich language, and simply for the joy if it!
Highly recommended.
Great read aloud.
For ages 4 +
Reviewed by Bronwyn Joseph
