Animals with Tiny Cat

‘To illustrate’ – to shine a light on; traditionally this has been taken to mean that there has to be a text that requires enlightening. But this is not necessarily so and increasingly illustrators are moving away to illustrate ideas, emotions, to play. Viviane Schwarz is such an artist. Here her ability to conjure up ideas and character through line and minimal colour is perfectly displayed. The moment the book is opened, the reader meets Tiny Cat as he gambols, rolls, races, chases across not just the opening inside covers but as will be discovered, the final spreads. The mood is set. Tiny Cat is ready to play – and all conveyed through the energy of the artist’s line. In a previous book Tiny Cat introduced us to numbers; here he is enjoying himself by dressing up as different animals. The concept is simple and reflects the world of the child reader; no real animals required just everyday objects. But even these can be scary. Tiny Cat has the answer – he can be a big cat and roar.

There is no clutter, no unnecessary detail, Schwarz places her little cat against a plain white background which ensures that the reader cannot but help engage with the action and enjoy Tiny Cat’s expressions while almost certainly joining in with the sounds each animal makes. This is a picture book to enjoy from the front cover to the end – and to return to again and again to join in the fun. Brilliant.