The Story of Tantrum O’Furrily

Here is a simple, poetic fable, which plays a new variation on the old picture book theme of the comforts of safe domesticity and the allure of the dangerous outside world of adventure. Tantrum O’Furrily (what a lovely name) sings a tale to her three kittens as they dance their hungry stray cat way across the roof tops under the moon. It is a tale of kitten Smallpaw, who had a comfy bed and a kind owner, but was bored and longed for the world beyond the cat flap and to hear a good story. Just outside the back door is a fox ready to please her. If only Smallpaw would come close enough to hear his seductive tale. This could end badly but, at the crucial moment, in flies a scrappy ginger stray and sees off the fox. And, from then on, Smallpaw goes out every evening to dance with the stray cats under the moon, and is careful about foxes. This tale of a story within a story is perfectly told, with an especially satisfying ending, and two good morals to take away: ‘A cat with courage makes her own story’; and ‘you CAN be a stray cat and a good cat as well.’ Cressida Cowell’s well-chosen words are matched by some outstanding illustrations from Mark Nicholas, who uses minimal pictorial resources, mainly in black and white with ginger and red touches. His windblown silhouette houses and elongated cats suggest Tim Burton for toddlers.