It was no coincidence that my 13th popular children's book was going to feature a cute little black cat named Cathy. My daughter is getting older and she is falling for mobile technology like every kid in her school. So while I knew that this rhyming picture book had to be about a black cat and Friday the 13th, I was having trouble coming up with a story line that would not frighten toddlers and preschool children. Once again I got my inspiration from my little angel when she pretended she heard me talking and simply said yes, yes, yes. I decided to ask her if it was cool with her that she stay grounded for a month, and she said sure, thanks, no problem. The idea for chatty Cathy was born and this one really was going to hit home.
I understand that things have changed since I was in grade school, but children today are literally plugged into mobile technology morning, noon, and night. They use their mobile devices to wake themselves up, they chat before school, they use the phones to do assignments in class, and they use them right up until bed posting selfies on a number of social media platforms. So for this rhyming children's book. I decided to show little kids how much trouble you can get into if you allow your focus to wander and not pay close attention, especially when their parents are speaking to them. With all popular nursery rhymes, the story has to engage, be silly, and yet have this underlying theme that really lets the children have to think and associate the story of the main character with things they do, no matter how small they might be. With Cathy, she just loved to talk, talk, talk, even when someone else was talking, she would talk, talk, talk. It was when her mother warned her about Friday the 13th and her not paying attention that my latest kids book begins.
Me and my little one have this special connection with the number 13, with Halloween, black cats, anything to do with that silly and fun holiday. When I am writing children's books, I am always looking to make the story fun, adventurous, and yet show little kids the results of some cute little baby animal making an innocent mistake. In this preschool rhyming book, the story is not meant to frighten or even lecture children, it just shows them how a silly little black cat who lost her focus, set in motion events that could have really been trouble. Cathy the cat is all about a little kitten who simply lost focus, something children of all ages do today. With the way kids today are so connected to their mobile devices and distracted by any new app or social media platform that pops up, I just want them to see at a young age that Mom and Dad are always there looking out for the best, not to lecture, not to deprive, but to nudge them along the way so that when they do wander out on their own, they steer clear of the troubles that found Cathy the cat in the children's book the Cat Who Loves to Chat!