Ellie and the Cat

Ellie, the daughter of an absentee father, is dumped on the doorstep of her unwilling Granma. After due consideration, Granma decides that Ellie is ‘the rudest, most spoilt, most disagreeable child I have ever met… and I’m going to teach you a lesson you’ll never forget.’ Thus Ellie is made to switch bodies with Granma’s cat Jolly.

The unfolding tale takes Ellie Cat into the four corners of Granma’s sprawling, spooky house, befriending mice and spiders along the way as they all go in search of Granma’s lost wedding ring. Blackman writes assuredly for this age range: short chapters, lively animal-human dialogue, fresh action in every paragraph, and enough twists and turns to make young readers want to keep turning the pages. Mason’s illustrations neatly capture the pace and humour.