The Tobermory Cat-Debi Gliori



The Tobermory Cat is a picture book written and illustrated by the prolific and popular Debi Gliori.  I have read and used Gliori's books at nursery before, and always love the artwork.  Gliori has a style that is sharp and detailed.  When rereading one of her books, you will notice different details in the artwork than on your initial reading.  The illustrations in The Tobermory Cat are no exception, and the people within the illustrations convey obvious emotions to the reader.

Essentially, The Tobermory Cat is a book about embracing difference and recognising the skills and beauty within yourself.  Tourists flock to the Scottish island of Mull to see the resident cats and delight in their unique talents. The Hebridean island is abuzz, with the exception of Tobermory.  The Tobermory Cat is a very ordinary cat.  No one visits Tobermory, and unless things change the bookshop, fish and chip shop and beautiful launderette will close.  The Tobermory Cat is keen, keen to help bring in tourists, but how?  Advice from his friends stands him in good stead.

My five-year-old said that he liked the story 'a little bit', and that the pictures were 'good, especially the one with the traffic jam'.  The book is riddled with intertextual references, some which children will recognise such as the dish and spoon from the nursery rhyme Hey Diddle Diddle and others that seem to be aimed at adult readers, for example the parody of the HOLLYWOOD sign.  This isn't my favourite of Gliori's books- whilst the story was nice enough I didn't feel it was as fun as some of her previous offerings- but the illustrations are attractive and bright which will ensure it appeals to younger readers, particularly cat lovers. 

7.5/10

Thanks to Birlinn for providing me with a review copy of The Tobermory Cat.  The Tobermory Cat is available in hardback now, and in paperback from July 18th 2013.

You can find out more about Debi Gliori here .