Jessica Strange Book

Malorie Blackman's Jessica Strange is a bold and beautiful picture book about a ginger cat with an identity crisis. When poor Jessica realises that she doesn't look anything like the rest of her family (hardly surprising since the rest of her family are white mice) she sets off round the farmyard in an attempt to find out what kind of an animal she really is. But everyone seems to be at a loss as to her heritage--she's got four legs, so she might be a cow; she's soft and fluffy so she might be a duckling; she's got a long tail, so she might be a dog; she's very small so she might be an ant--and it is only when a passing duck asks her what kind of animal she would like to be if she could choose, she realises she is actually perfectly fine just as she is. Simple, yet strong, illustrations and large, well-spaced, easy-to-follow text make this a great book for sharing, with its farmyard setting and simple moral ensuring it has a permanent place on the nursery bookshelf. (Age 2 and over.) --Susan HarrisonRead More