Fall really must be here because my summer brain has switched to autumn brain. A warmer quilt for the bed, soup recipes at the ready, miniature pumpkins in the window — yep, I have officially bid “adieu” to sandals, beach reads and long evenings sitting on the patio. I’ve said this before, and I’ll happily say it again: Fall is my favorite season here in the Pacific Northwest. Mother Nature really knows how to make a grand exit in this part of the world, donning her brightest colors and most brilliant hues before slipping into the muted tones of winter.
I know I should be raking leaves and tidying up my bark beds before the yard succumbs to a long winter’s slumber, but instead, I am thinking only of books and naps. Well, maybe a few pumpkin spice lattes and several weekends spent re-watching all of the Harry Potter movies take up some thinking space as well, but for the most part, reading and sleeping rank pretty high on my “let’s celebrate autumn” list. (I’m sure my husband would ask, “How is this different from the rest of the year?” — but that’s a separate story.)
Because reading and napping are my go-to “fall” activities, imagine my glee when I came across two recently published picture books about — yes, you guessed it — reading and napping! And as if this wasn’t heel-clicking enough, both “Cat Nap,” by Toni Yuly, and “Make Way for Readers,” by Judy Sierra, feature adorable animals as the main characters. How squee-licious!
Would it surprise you to learn that “Cat Nap” is about a cat who really, really wants to take a nap? I love uncomplicated titles. If you and your little ones like cats, you probably know just how important sleeping is to our feline friends. Well, in Toni Yuly’s story, a cat, who is sleepy, lives with a kitten who is curious. How hard is it for Cat to take a much needed nap? Nearly impossible with Kitten around. No matter where Cat goes — high or low, in a box or under the bed — Kitten is sure to follow. And just when it looks like Cat will finally get the respite he craves, Kitten wins again! Let’s hope these two pussycats can work out a more satisfactory sleep-and-play routine.
