Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Alycat and the Monday Blues



Book Details:

Book Title: Alycat and the Monday Blues by Alysson Foti Bourque
Illustrations by: Chiara Civati
Category: Children's Fiction, 32 pages
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Publisher: Mascot Books
Release date: Sept 12, 2017
Tour dates: Sept 18 to Oct 6, 2017
Content Rating: G (appropriate for all audiences)

Book Description:

Alycat wakes up with the dreaded Monday Blues and is certain that nothing will go right. But when a mishap sends her astray, she discovers that helping a friend will help her discover her own hidden talent—curing her Monday Blues.


My Review

This illustrated children’s story opens with a foreword by Jennifer Niven (author Alysson Foti Bourque being the main writer of the text), that indicates she knows what it’s like to lose someone and want desperately to fit in with others, not to mention that we’re all unique. The chief writer herself dedicates her book to her siblings, those that purchased the book’s predecessor, Alycat and the Thursday Dessert Day (which readers luckily needn’t experience to enjoy its sequel, which mostly stands on its own and has very little, if any, references to outside literature), and those who set their life to music, with the narrative having a musical theme.

Monday Blues stars a cast consistent entirely of anthropomorphic felines, brought to life by illustrator Chiara Civati, with the titular protagonist, Alycat, despising Mondays, and, while personally not feeling up to it, goes to school anyway. Misfortune plagues her on her way home, mainly losing artwork created at school to a rainy day, although she takes solace in hearing her friend Spotty playing jazz music. She decides to sing along to his music, having a knack for it, and ultimately decides to participate in a talent show with both terming their team the Harmonicats, and seeking costumes for their performance, which occurs towards the end.

Song lyrics abound in the book as well, a “da-da-da-dum” prominent in moody jazz music following each line, with which most readers will be familiar, and can consequentially imagine the performances within their minds. Overall, this is an enjoyable children’s book with charming feline characters livened by the illustrations that very well follow along with the text, with this reviewer in particular having an affinity for literature starring anthropomorphic characters, and would recommend it to people young and old who have the same interest in animal characters.

To read other reviews, please visit Alysson Foti Bourque's page on iRead Book Tours.

Buy the Book:
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Meet the Author:



Alysson Foti Bourque is the author of the Rhyme or ReasonTravel series, and the multi-award winning Alycat series. Alysson received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and a law degree from Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge. She believes that there is an Alycat in all of us, encouraging our imaginations to guide us through new opportunities and adventures.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook


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