Cat Nights [Hardcover]

Jane Manning (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 22, 2008 | Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Meet Felicity Witch.

For her entire life Felicity has wanted to turn herself into a cat. But witches may only perform this particular spell when they are 263 years old. Finally (finally) the magical day arrives—Felicity Witch's 263rd birthday!

Happy Birthday!

Poof!

Now Felicity has a sleek coat and a long, graceful tail. She has a soft nose and speedy paws! Felicity loves being a cat. Will she ever be happy as her ordinary witchy self again?

Meow

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2—Friendly looking watercolors illustrate a charming story, loosely based on an Irish legend, about why cats have nine lives. Felicity, a young witch, is excited about her upcoming birthday. She's finally turning 263 and is excited about the changes that this magical age brings: her first wart; curling shoe toes; the ability to cast a love spell; and, most thrilling of all, the capacity to turn herself into a cat. "Give me whiskers and moonlight sight,/as I become a cat tonight./My witchy self will now be gone,/but I'll return by break of dawn!" Gentle tension arises as her cousins Wanda, Willa, and Woo worry that she might make the transition permanent by one too many nocturnal changes—the eighth change cannot be reversed—and attempt to intervene with a spell of their own. In the end, all is well: Felicity has made her decision about who she really wants to be. Easy-to-read text features simple dialogue and fresh word choices ("she didn't care a whisker about the rules") that work well with large illustrations of the orange-striped feline and the Halloween season. A great read-aloud choice for storytimes.—Lee Bock, Glenbrook Elementary School, Pulaski, WI
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About the Author

Jane Manning is the illustrator of many books, including Cindy Ellen by Susan Lowell as well as the New York Times bestselling I Can Read Chapter Book The Witch Who Was Afraid of Witches by Alice Low and the I Can Read Books Baa-Choo!, Pip Squeak, and Drip, Drop by Sarah Weeks. She lives in Deep River, Connecticut.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books (July 22, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061138886
• ISBN-13: 978-0061138881
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,725,142 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A charming picturebook about being true to one's heart, September 7, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cat Nights (Hardcover)

Cat Nights is a children's picturebook about Felicity Witch, whose 263rd birthday has given her the magical power to turn into a cat. Felicity has eagerly anticipated this day, yet there are limits to a witch's power - if she turns into a cat nine times, she can never turn back into a witch! Felicity's cousins watch her use the spell on eight nights, and in order to keep their beloved Felicity around they try to hex her into not wanting to be a cat. But in order to take away her desire to be a cat, the spell has to take away all her ability to find joy in life! At last Felicity's cousins acknowledge their mistake and lift the spell. Felicity knows that to become a cat again is to become a cat forever, but it's what she wants to be more than anything else, even though she will miss being with her cousins as a witch. A charming picturebook about being true to one's heart, perfect for the Halloween season.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting Review: Cat Nights, October 30, 2008

By 

Enchanting Reviews "Lisa" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cat Nights (Hardcover)

CAT NIGHTS
JANE MANNING
Children's (Ages 3-6)
Greenwillow
ISBN# 978-0-06-113888-1
Pages
$16.99
Hardcover--Available Now

Rating: 4 Enchantments

It's Felicity the witch's 263rd birthday. Not only will she grow her first wart, and her shoes begin to curl at her toes, but now she's finally old enough that she can turn herself into a cat.

Even for a witch there are certain rules, including a witch can only change into a cat eight times and still be able to return to her witch form. The ninth time, she remains a cat. As you can guess, Felicity loves turning into a cat and does it eight times. Worried about her, her three witchy cousins cast a spell over her to detract her from turning into a cat, but it seems to backfire when Felicity becomes sad. Feeling bad, the cousins remove the spell. But will Felicity risk turning a cat on the ninth night and remain one forever?

CAT NIGHTS is a cute witchy story perfect for October and Halloween. The illustrations are fun and colorful and I really liked the story. Felicity is a fun little witch whose decision on whether or not to risk becoming a cat permanently has earned this book a place on my keeper shelf.

[...]

Jane Manning's spellbinding picture book takes its inspiration from the tale of the "Cat Nights" of late summer. From this legend comes the saying, "A cat has nine lives."
The artist has illustrated numerous books for children, including the national bestseller The Witch Who Was Afraid of Witches, by Alice Low. Cat Nights is the first book she has both written and illustrated. Jane Manning lives in Deep River, Connecticut.

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
September 2008

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love It!, September 9, 2008

By 

A. Wright (Burbank, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cat Nights (Hardcover)

We just received this book as a gift and love it! The story is clever and heart-warming and the illustrations are fun.