“Night Cat” is the story of Oliver, a cat who’s had a nice day playing out in the garden and decides he wants to spend all night outside instead of going to bed. When his owner, Mrs. Bundy, calls him to come in, he hides in the grass, and she closes the door. He’s free to explore all night long!
Moths bumped up against the window and Oliver chased them down, having a bite. When Mrs. Bundy turned out the light, the garden went dark except for the glow of the moon. He followed a slimy trail and discovered a golden snail, but the snail didn’t want to play tag. Oliver was disappointed, so decided to play with a porcupine instead. Ouch! That turned out to be a mistake.
Soon a mouse came sauntering along. Now that was more like it! Oliver took off after the mouse and a good chase ensued. But just as he was ready to pounce, a huge owl came down from the trees. Both Oliver and the mouse got away, but they were both frightened. Well, they were, but Oliver didn’t admit it to himself.
He ran into a possum, and then it started to rain. Maybe staying outside all night long wasn’t as much fun as he’d thought it would be. He was a housecat, after all.
Tired and hungry, wet and scared, he finally made his way up to the porch. Maybe Mrs. Bundy would take pity on him and let him back in. He leaned back on his haunches and let out a pitiful “meeeooooow.” And although it was late, Mrs. Bundy got up and let him back in.
In the safety of his house and with a bowlful of warm milk in front of him, Oliver thought about his adventure outside. He still didn’t want to admit he’d been frightened, but it was good to be back inside with Mrs. Bundy. She probably missed him, after all.
This children’s picture book is illustrated on black pages in white, purple and yellow, emphasizing the darkness outside and the experiences Oliver has. This is a fun read-aloud story that will be a good discussion starter for parents with children who might be afraid of the dark.
(This book was published in 2000 by Orchard Books and was illustrated by Sue Hitchcock.)
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