Some jokes are just universally funny at any age. One kind of joke that I love is when one character is doing something behind another character’s back without them noticing. The audience knows what’s going on, but the other character does not. It makes the audience feel like they’re in on the joke and better engages them in the story, just like laughing at the Looney Tunes on a Saturday morning.
Author E.M. Gales recognizes what makes an entertaining story by utilizing this trope in her picture book, Orange Kitty and the Mouse Parade. And on top of that, she teaches young readers how to count, making it both fun and educational. Below is my review of the book followed by an interview with Gales.
Orange Kitty and the Mouse Parade book summary
One day, Orange Kitty meanders to her favorite spot in the house down the narrow, yellow wall with a little blue door situated just above the floor. Seeing no activity at the door, Orange Kitty decides to take a nap. When the coast is clear, a group of mice decide to throw a parade in the hall. Each group that emerges are dressed the same, the number of each group increasing by one until 10 groups totaling 55 mice emerge and parade around the sleeping cat, leaving her a small surprise to enjoy when she wakes up.
The story
Orange Kitty and the Mouse Parade is not a story as much as a fun scene. The lines rhyme in clever, rhythmic ways and ultimately serve to teach readers to count to 10 as one mouse emerges, then two, then three, and so on. Whether Orange Kitty is meant to guard the house and keep the mice away is unclear since she doesn’t seem to know what’s behind the tiny blue door. What is clear is that she is a heavy sleeper who is oblivious to the mice’s intentions. And while the mice do pull one over on her, they leave her a peace offering while the readers at home are left entertained with the mice’s colorful costumes and circus-like energy.
The illustrations
The illustrations, also by E.M. Gales, have a simple, cartoonish look about them while still providing plenty of detail and expression. I love Orange Kitty’s square shape which mirrors her lazy lifestyle and her big yet oblivious eyes that appear that something is up. But once she lets her guard down, her eyes remain blissfully closed.
The drawings get busier as the book goes on and more mousey characters are introduced. Each mouse has their own distinct version of their group’s costume theme, whether it’s three mice dressed as clowns or 10 mice in chef’s coats and hats bringing different types of treats.
I love how their numbers are worked into their costumes with the eight spinning plate mice wearing the number eight on each of their shirts and the nine bicycling mice waving flags with the number nine.
My nephew, who loves to count, loves to point out when he recognizes a number and count the characters to match. So, these details are a great added touch that make the book more interactive for curious picture book readers. And the backgrounds are simple and mostly colorless, zooming in on these tiny characters, allowing the colorful animals to pop on the page as they bring life to this fictional world.
The format
Orange Kitty and the Mouse Parade is 34 pages long. Some pages contain only two lines while others may contain five or more, the perfect length for most preschool readers and up. The vocabulary is pretty simple, though an early reader may stumble over a few words. However, the rhyme scheme would help provide context clues to match the more difficult words, and the sing song rhythm of the lines will keep a younger reader engaged.
There is very little dialogue aside from the occasional line spoken by a mouse to help illustrate their role in the parade. And the movements and growing number of characters helps to set a loud and busy tone that teaches us to celebrate life, even for no reason whatsoever, and maybe learn to count while having fun.
My recommendation
I recommend Orange Kitty and the Mouse Parade to readers looking for an entertaining, celebratory read that engages readers much like a joke. Its bright and energetic illustrations mixed with its rhythmic lines and detailed world building make it a fun read that leaves you feeling good afterward as even Orange Kitty is rewarded for getting to the end. And while it’s fun to be in on the joke, it’s even more fun when everybody wins.
My rating
An interview with E.M. Gales
How did you come up with the idea to write a story about a cat and mice?
Orange Kitty developed from a doodle on a scrap piece of envelope. I loved its face and off and on worked on it more. I was working full time at a very stressful job, but story ideas and illustrations kept percolating in my head. When I retired, I finally gave myself the time to develop all these ideas.
Why did you want to write a counting book?
Orange Kitty didn’t start out as a counting book. My goal was to write a story that might make people smile and as I started to write about the parade with each group of mice entering the hall it just kind of lent itself to counting.
Is Orange Kitty based on a cat that you know?
I’ve always had cats, still do, so Orange Kitty is a compilation of several kitties, one in particular Max, an orange cat, had no interest in usual cat things, loved napping and playing with my children when they were young. He’d patiently let them dress him up then fall asleep like that.
Were you influenced by any similar picture books?
I was an avid reader as a child but one of my favourite books was a worn green fabric covered book on poetry, part anthology, part Seuss; it had Shakespeare sonnets, haikus, limericks, free verse. Wordsworth, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Edgar Allen Poe and many more poets. That book began my love of poetry. My children loved fairy tales, Dr. Seuss, Roald Dahl, Shel Silverstein and others, all of these authors and poets inspired me.
How long did it take you to write the story?
It took about a year from the first draft, which I took about three weeks to write. Then I like to put a story away for a couple weeks, so I can look at it with fresh eyes. I’ll change things, add or remove whole sections and any illustrations I worked on may cause me to change the story as well. I’ll do this over and over until it feels done.
Was it hard to come up with the rhymes?
The rhymes are the best part. I have so much fun with words that my biggest issue is putting too much into a story. I always have to cut verses and sentences. Reworking my stories to keep what works best and remove all the rest is the hardest part.
Is there a time when something happened right in front of your nose and you didn’t notice?
All the time! I’m a day dreamer. I’ve always been a day dreamer. My report cards always said, “Elizabeth daydreams too much.” A day dreamer and doodler!
Do you have a favorite page?
That’s a tough question, I do love Orange Kitty yawning, the mouse band, and the nine zany mice on bikes.
What’s next for you?
I’m currently working on the next Orange Kitty story, Orange Kitty and the Mouse Garden Party, as well as illustrating two other stories: Zig Zag Zeffy, by Barbara Ann Miller, thru OC Publishing and The Little Church beside the Sea by Lana Shupe.
Author links
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Buy it!
Buy a copy of Orange Kitty and the Mouse Parade here, and help support local bookstores! This is an affiliate link, and I will earn a commission on any sales.
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