The Life of Riley the Cat [Illustrated] [Paperback]

Julie Akerson Chicos (Author), Jennifer Taylor (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 10, 2005

“The Life of Riley the Cat” is an uplifting, heartwarming tale about a curious cat who is awakened from a leisurely nap by an unfamiliar noise. The mysterious clamor leads to an encounter with an arrogant crow who impels Riley on a journey of personal exploration in search of her own purpose. Along the way, Riley meets a menagerie of strange and exotic creatures including Cornelius the spider, Felix the bee and even a black cat named Jabber who all share their unique tales with Riley. Riley believes that her journey will end in failure as she returns home only to meet an insightful bat, named Bart, in her own back yard. It weaves a tale that is not only endearing and engrossing, but teaches kids valuable life lessons. The rich and inviting illustrations pull children into this amiable story of worthiness, courage and acceptance. Ominous creatures were purposely used to educate children about our environment and encourage acceptance of diversity. The message is limitless and is as meaningful to children as it is to parents.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Discovery is all in a day's adventure for Riley--will interest older kids and fun to read to little ones. -- Maryland Independent, March 10, 2006

I highly recommend this book to every child, everywhere! The messages are appropriate and important for all children to learn. -- BookReview.com

Lovely watercolor illustrations add depth to the wonderful story. -- Eldorado Courier, February 23, 2006

Thoroughly charming, beautifully illustrated children's tale--gives children some facts and some adults a quick refresher--easy to read. -- Progress News, March 15, 2006

Wonderfully Entertaining! -- The Register Citizen, July 2, 2006

wide-eyed kitten seeks her purpose in life as she wanders through this well designed...sweet piece. -- Kirkus Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 28 pages
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing; 1st edition (November 10, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1412058589
• ISBN-13: 978-1412058582
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.7 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,041,766 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A worthy adventure, May 11, 2006

By 

C. B. Fossett (Gray, ME USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Life of Riley the Cat (Paperback)

As a stay at home mom, I read a lot of children's books. As a school librarian I read a lot more. This book is a real treasure.

Riley finds herself on a journey after hearing an unsettling noise. Once she finds the creature that makes the noise and learns how it helps farmers, Riely wonders about her purpose. She needs to know if cats are beneficial in any way. The children listening to this story will learn along with Riely about a host of creatures, some of which they might even have been wary of, only to find out that these creatures are very important to the environment that we all share. The illustration's are sweet and lulling, they flow perfectly with the story.

This book is a BIG HIT with the students from pre-k to second grade. The children were actually fighting over who would get to take it out next. The only solution we had was to make out a waiting list to keep peace! This list is full till the end of school year. "The Life of Riely the Cat" is a wonderful story, and you will love it as much as your children!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review for "The Life of Riley the Cat", January 16, 2006

By 

Kevin Coyle "Paula Coyle" (Connecticut) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Life of Riley the Cat (Paperback)

This book is great for kids to learn about some of our creatures and what they can do for us. This was well written and very beneficial for all the little minds out there. I can see a series of adventures for Riley in the future. I recommended this book to all my little friends.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well written, friendly and captivating, June 23, 2006

By 

Greg Montgomery "Professor" (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Life of Riley the Cat (Paperback)

Love this book! It is friendly and the characters are extremely lovable, especially Riley. "I would like to give a copy of this book to every child I know, and one to every child I don't know! Parents will be reading this book to their little ones time and time again, as it should be."