My Cat Coon Cat written by Sandy Fuller and illustrated by Jeannie Brett

ABOUT THE BOOK
When a young girl moves into a new home, she slowly wins the affection of a shy Maine coon cat, as he meets the girl's kitten, chases dragonflies, and explores the neighborhood.

Beautiful illustrations by Jeannie Brett enhance the gentle rhyming verses by Sandy Ferguson Fuller to make this a delightful book for children, cat lovers, and anyone who has felt the warmth of making a new friend.

REVIEWS
Brett's large-scale art ... showcases the Maine spring in full bloom and offers close-up images of cats that feline lovers will savor.
– Publishers Weekly

Sandy Fuller's fifth book is a charming story told in rhyming verse about a little girl and a Maine coon cat becoming friends. With her gentle verses and illustrated by Jeannie Brett (who has done several other Maine books), this is a quiet, peaceful story, perfect for bedtime reading.
– Bill Bushnell, The Kennebec Journal

The art work is expressive yet simple. Highly detailed from the little girl's eyelashes to the patterns on the cat fur... gorgeous to look at. The story is simple, sweet, with a gentle rhyme.
– Amy Henry, The Black Sheep Dances

"The book is full of delightfully detailed watercolors that are painted with a bright, eye-catching color palette. the beautifully captured nature scenes (birch trees, bright purple flowers, tree blossoms) and the lovely depictions of inside a home (rugs, toys, wallpaper) are engaging and invite the readers to linger over each page... the simple, lyrical verse that flows from page to page will make you smile. It is an easy-to-follow, heartwarming storyline that will win the hearts of parents and children alike."
– The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

"The new book is a wonderful children's book written in rhyming verse by Sandy Ferguson Fuller. It tells the story of a flip flop-wearing young girl slowly befriending an elusive Maine coon cat. This book features Brett's beautiful lifelike illustrations of nature."
– Amy Johnson, York Weekly

"If you have children or grandchildren, you'll want to check out My Cat, Coon Cat ... It's a sweet tale (tail?) about a young girl, her little kitten, and a big Maine Coon cat who welcomes them to a new home. Set in Maine, the illustrations immediately brought the sights, sounds, and smells of a Maine summer to my mind. I could almost smell the pine trees and hear the crickets. This is a book for an early reader, and also a book to sit down and read together. ... Even the youngest child will enjoy the story, the illustrations, and the rhyme."
– Maine Coon Cat Nation

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sandy Ferguson Fuller has indulged her entire professional life in the fun world of children's books, originally inspired as a student of Maurice Sendak at Yale. Her work requires wearing many hats, including picture book author, illustrator, literary agent, bookseller and publishing consultant. Her agency, Alp Arts Co., represents such well-known authors as John Denver, Carmela LaVigna Coyle, Dylan Pritchett, Robert Baldwin, Pattie Schnetzler, and Anthony D. Fredericks. When she's not creating or selling books, she can often be found looking for loons on her favorite Maine lake, or hiking up and skiing down her native Colorado mountains. Her own books include Moon Loon, Out In The Night, Hannah And The Perfect Picture Pony, and The BLUES Go Birding series. She's also the proud mom of adult kids Scott and Kimberly, golden retriever Riva Girl, and once upon a time, a coon cat named Tiger! Read our Q and A with Sandy.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
Jeannie Brett has previously illustrated four children's books for Michigan-based Sleeping Bear Press: L is for Lobster, A Maine Alphabet; Fishing for Numbers, A Maine Numbers Book; M is for Mayflower, A Massachusetts Alphabet; and One if by Land, A Massachusetts Numbers Book. She has also written and illustrated Little Maine and illustrated Little New York and Little Pennsylvania, state-themed board books of rhyming riddles from Sleeping Bear. Brett has lived in Maine for more than three decades. She attended the School of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Brett enjoys spending her free time with her family and pets. She also enjoys visiting schoolchildren to share her love of nature, animals, art, and books! Find out more at www.jeanniebrett.com. Read our Q and A with Jeannie.

ILLUSTRATOR Q and A
We asked Maine artist Jeannie Brett to answer some questions about her work, her inspirations, and her creative process.

Q: Where you did get the inspiration for this book?
A: The inspiration for My Cat, Coon Cat comes from a lifetime of loving cats of all colors, shapes and sizes and specifically from my Maine coon cat, Trout. Trout was the model for the book. He was a birthday gift from my daughter and husband just as I was illustrating My Cat, Coon Cat. A timely gift and not a coincidence!

Q: What were your favorite books as a child? What do you remember reading?
A: Mr. Brown Goes to Boston, by Marion Flood French, illustrated by Lisl Weil and lots of Marguerite Henry Books illustrated by Wesley Dennis. Deneki an Alaskan Moose, written and illustrated by William D. Berry and The Nine Lives of Homer C. Cat by Mary Calhoun, illustrated by Roger Duvoisin. I had a guinea pig named after that book: Homer C. Pig. Oh, and The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White. My parents would give me a new book every Christmas and birthday, so my list goes on and on. I have most of them to this day. I have continued this tradition with my own kids.

Q: What is the most useful thing you have done in your past to prepare you to illustrate this book?
A:Watching, observing, nature, animals and children.

Q: How did you get started as an illustrator? How did you know that's what you wanted to do?
A:I had creative parents so I was always making art as a child. I continued in my teenage years, and went then off to art school. Next I worked in commercial illustration and educational illustration. Three kids came next and about 10 years ago when my children were getting a bit older, I started illustrating picture books. It seemed like a natural progression.

Q: What is the most important tool you use in illustrating? The one thing you can't work without?
A:Solitude and focus is key for me to work. I have learned to be disciplined.

Q: What books are on your bedside table right now?
A: I have stacks of books on my "to be read" pile! Here are a few: The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, The Good Pig, by Sy Montgomery, A Border Passage by Leila Ahmed and When you Reach Me by Rebecca Stead.

Q: What is your favorite color and why?
A: This isn't a good question for me! I don't have one favorite anything. Colors? Primarily blues and greens, but then there is yellow, red, variation of warm grays. I could go on and on. I LOVE color!

Q: What are your hobbies? What do you like to do when you are not writing/illustrating books?
A: I like to read, garden, take long walks, take care of our horse Bailey and generally be outside. Oh, and of course spend time with my grown up kids, husband, my two sisters and two CATS!

Q: Do any people or pets from your real life appear in, or serve as inspiration for, your books?
A:Yes, my family, pets and friends have appeared in my books. It's fun to share the "inside" story of an illustration.

Q: What is your next project?
A: Right now I am working on a non-fiction picture book about bears around the world. I am writing and illustrating it. It's been a lot of work and a lot of fun! It will be published by Charlesbridge Publishing. I am also working on a series of state board books for Sleeping Bear Press.

Q: If you could be an animal, which animal would it be?
A: Easy. Can you guess? A Maine Coon Cat!

AUTHOR Q and A
Sandy Ferguson Fuller talks about how she got started, her inspirations, and her hobbies.

Q: Where you did get the inspiration for this book?
A: My family adopted a young Maine coon cat (Tiger) and we enjoyed his company for almost twenty years. I didn't know that he was a coon, at first, but his exceptional personality and behavior captured my curiosity and admiration. He was the perfect cat for a canine lover, because he acted so much like a dog! When I discovered his true identity, I was smitten with my kitten and his special breed! I decided to share his antics with kids and coon cat lovers of all ages.

Q: What were your favorite books as a child? What do you remember reading?
A: Two standouts for me, and I still love them both: Winnie the Pooh and The Secret Garden. An unknown entitled Timothy Tattercoat ranks a close third, but it's long out-of-print now.

Q: How did you get started as a writer and illustrator? How did you know that's what you wanted to do?

A: Thanks and kudos for that will always go to Maurice Sendak, whose personal mentoring at Yale inspired me to do both. I had retired my childhood picture books to the bedroom shelf long ago, but Maurice rekindled a love for the magic of this unique genre. I still think Robert Lawson's words best reflect my passion and reasons for pursuing a career in children's book publishing... "It is difficult, if not impossible, to know which of the myriad of children's books will penetrate a given child's own magic circle of existence and strike the clarion note of pure truth. No one can possibly tell what tiny detail of a drawing or what seemingly trivial phrase in a story will be the spark that sets off a great flash in the mind of some child, a flash that will leave a glow there until the day he or she dies."

Q: What are your hobbies? What do you like to do when you are not writing and illustrating books?

A: I love music, especially playing guitar and piano. Favorite outdoor sports include skiing, hiking, snowshoeing, kayaking and loon watching in Maine. Another favorite? Romping with my golden retriever, Riva. The older I get (in years, at least), the more I crave peaceful, easy, quiet times, and sharing with my grown children, other family, and special friends.

Q: What are you working on right now?
A: Several picture book ideas are competing for the front burner and my creative energy! I'm also a literary agent, polishing several manuscript concepts with a few of our published authors. Of course, as co-author, I'm excited about the continuing travels of the BLUES, our intrepid little birdwatchers who travel the world and share their adventures with kids in their picture book series.

Q: If you could be an animal, which animal would it be?
A: Either a wolf, or a wild horse, as long as humans would let me be free to live my life as it should be.

Q: What books are on your bedside table right now?
A: Keeper (by Kathi Appelt), The Elegance of the Hedgehog and The Daily Coyote remain there, because I love and want to revisit before shelving. Currently I'm finishing up Moon over Manifest (wonderful Newbery Winner) and waiting for me next is The Year of the Hare.