There's a Cat in Our Class!: A Tale about Getting Along - Hardcover

Ransom, Jeanie Franz

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1433822628 ISBN 13: 9781433822629

Publisher: Magination Press ― American Psychological Association, 2016

Synopsis

Honorable Mention, 2016 Foreword INDIES Book Awards

A kid-friendly exploration of diversity that teaches children the value of not only accepting but embracing the differences of others.

Max, Rusty, Ginger, and Tanner assume without question that their new classmate is just like them . . . a DOG. Guess what? Samantha is NOT a dog, which leads to whole heap of questions. But in little time, all the tails in Miss Biscuit’s classroom start wagging, and Samantha is celebrated for the CAT she is, just in time for another new student!

There’s a Cat in Our Class! is a kid-friendly exploration of diversity, teaching kids the value of not only accepting but embracing the differences of those around us.

About this title

About the Author

Jeanie Franz Ransom is a licensed professional counselor whose books include Big Red and the Little Bitty Wolf, Don't Squeal Unless It's a Big Deal, I Don't Want to Talk About It, and What Really Happened to Humpty? She's also worked as an elementary school counselor, where she was never without her popular puppet, Mr. Know-It-Owl. Jeanie and her husband are parents to three grown boys and two dogs, and divide their time between St. Louis, MO, and Northport, MI. Visit her at www.jeanieransom.com and follow her on Facebook: @JeanieRansomAuthor

Bryan Langdo is the author and/or illustrator of more than 30 books for children. His picture book Tornado Slim & the Magic Cowboy Hat (Two Lions, 2012) won a 2013 Spur Award for Storytelling from Western Writers of America. Bryan lives in Hopewell, New Jersey, with his wife and two children. Visit www.bryanlangdo.com and follow on Instagram: @bryanlangdo
 

Reviews

PreS-Gr 2—How would a classroom full of dogs react to a cat? When the canines in Miss Biscuit's class find out a new student will be joining them, they are excited: the boys hope for another boy, while the girls want to increase their own numbers. No one expects Samantha the cat. When picking teams at recess, the dogs pass over Samantha, but her agility makes her a worthy player. The dogs realize they should choose more wisely for tomorrow's game—a lesson learned just in time as Miss Biscuit announces that another new student will join the class tomorrow (a bird!). This offering joins titles such as Helen Lester's Tacky the Penguin and Hooway for Wodney Wat in explaining diversity to children using animal characters. Differences are highlighted to demonstrate that everyone has unique characteristics that make them special—a familiar yet reliable method. Langdo adds illustrations of friendly characters that complement the text well. The book concludes with a "Note to Readers" that expounds on the importance of diversity. VERDICT This volume does not reinvent the wheel when it comes to books about being inclusive but does offer a solid story to which readers will relate. Recommended as an additional purchase.—Lindsay Jensen, Nashville Public Library

Edition details

• Publisher: Magination Press ― American Psychological Association
• Publication date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1433822628
• ISBN 13: 9781433822629
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Langdo Bryan
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32