Happy Cat and Merry Cat answer,“Who’s steering your ship?”
Happy Cat and Merry Cat are two playful girls who see joy, humour and adventure in everything. Their abundant energy and courage propel them to to test limits. This doesn’t always sit well within the structure of routine and rules of a classroom. See what happens when Happy Cat’s and Merry Cat’s exuberant choices in the classroom bring consequences that cause them to reflect and change their behaviour. It was been written with rhyming couplets.
School Visit: What Can You Expect?
In costume, I will read the story to a group of students, ( The suggested maximum is no more than three classes. The reading would be more effective with one or two classes)
A copy of the book for the school
The option to use the book as a fundraiser. I will ask for $7.00 to cover my cost and the school or the classroom can set their own price for instance, the book could be sold for $12 which is almost 5 dollars less than regular retail price
Depending on time availability, I will conduct a writing workshop with the students in your class
The Backstory
This story was inspired by Mrs. Brown Robson’s grade 4 classroom that had read the first Happy Cat and Merry Cat story and prepared a review for the back cover. They requested that they would like to see more Happy Cat and Merry Cat stories. Unbeknownst to them I had already written another story about the girls turning into cats, however, given their request and that their teacher was retiring at the end of the year, I was inspired to write this third story about the girls set in the classroom. In this story I wanted to feature Mrs. Brown Robson’s magical , Mary Poppins style of teaching, which encourages students to be independent, make effective choices and take responsibility for their actions. This story greatly reflects Dr W Glasser’s Choice Theory in action.
About the Illustrator
This story was initially illustrated by the students in Mrs. Brown Robson’s class, after which I inset the drawings and had booklets printed for each student as a souvenir of their year with this fabulous teacher. It was my retirement gift/tribute to my friend. I then decided this story would be a great drawing-story for students in the classroom or for parents for their children at home. All you have to do is print off the pages, make your own booklet then your child can read and illustrate the story.
Guide for Reading: PRC – Predictions, Reflections and Connections
Predictions
Predicting is an essential tool when developing as a strong reader. This story has been written to hook the young audience in engaging in predicable events.
Reflections
Reflecting throughout a book helps make a read personal and come alive. It reflects a readers level of comprehension. A more thoughtful and complex reflection and connection reveals and higher understanding as oppose to simple literal comparisons and or relating. They also allow for a reader to reflect and retell part of the story as they are reflecting and relating. A simplistic retelling usually reflects a more simplistic understanding.
Connections
Making connections allows a reader to develop their understanding of a story through inferences and noting details.