The Cat Who Couldn't Be Bothered

Several picture books address sadness, few do it with as much humour or as effectively as Jack Kurland in his debut. This cat really can’t be bothered to do anything. His friends, in contrast are full of energy, chasing string, going to parties, even planning a trip to Mars. They invite Greg to join them but the response is the same every time: ‘I can’t be bothered.’ Undaunted, they ask, ‘What’s up? What DO you want to do?’, and Greg explains. He’s feeling sad, ‘All I want to do is nothing.’ At this point, his friends support him in the best way possible, acknowledging that we all feel like that sometimes, and then they join him doing nothing. Readers will see the difference this makes to Greg. The recognition of the universality of sadness and low mood is well handled and the cats’ method of supporting Greg through it is perfect, delivering a lesson we should all learn. The humour comes from the juxtaposition of Greg, slumped and unmoving in black and white, with the other cats, all brightly coloured, tearing around enjoying their increasingly unusual activities. There’s one final joke to enjoy too.