6th April Siamese Cat Day

        Do we really need a day to celebrate just one kind of cat? Siamese Cat Day celebrates these elegant royal cats which originated in Siam which is now known as Thailand.

Siamese cats are intelligent, extremely talkative and affectionate, form strong bonds with their owners and enjoying human company. They’re also known for following their owners around wherever they go so many people think they are quite demanding.

There are multitudes of picture books about cats, but often the cat is a moggy of unknown origin. In our library, though we have a series of picture books about a quirky Siamese kitten called Skippyjon Jones.

Inspired by her own beloved Siamese cat, named Skippy, author Judy Schachner created Skippyjon Jones, the Siamese kitten with big ears who believes he is a Chihuahua. The roguish rhymes she uses in her stories are utterly addictive. This is from the first book in a series. 

My name is Skippito Friskito.

I fear not a single bandito.

My manners are mellow,
I'm sweet like the Jell-O,

I get the job done, yes indeed-o.

Look for: 

• Skippyjon Jones in the Doghouse

• Skippyjon Jones in Mummy Trouble

• Skippyjon Jones and the Big Bones

• Skippyjon Jones Lost in Spice

• Skippyjon Jones Cirque de Ole

• Skippyjon Jones Snow What

• Skippyjon Jones Class Action

Many of the library's copies have a CD included which helps with the pronunciation of all of the Spanish words. Unfortunately most families no longer have a CD player so they will miss these wonderful readings.

Another book in the library that features a Siamese cat is The Sunshine Cat by Miriam Moss and Lisa Flather. If you can find this book be prepared to feel sad. Sunny the cat is loved by all his human family, but one day there is a knock at the door - Sunny has been killed in an accident. A sensitive story which aims to help children come to terms with death, it is told with great feeling and beautiful illustrations. 

A third book in our library with a Siamese Cat as the main character is Minou  by Mindy Bingham. It too, is out of print as it is old. With her every need attended to by her human companion, Minou's life was one of ease and contentment. Her only job was to be "cute, cuddly and attentive." But then one terrible day, Madame Violette died, and the little Siamese cat found herself on the streets of Paris, fending for herself for the first time. With no survival skills to speak of - no notion of how to find food or shelter - things soon went from bad to worse for Minou, until a chance encounter with sophisticated street-cat Celeste.

Then here's some books with cats on the front cover that look like Siamese, but which might not be.