Abby the Crabby Tabby Discovers Gratitude by Andrea Lane, Illustrated by Heather Bousquet

An absolutely adorable children’s book about a cranky gray kitty and her kindhearted sister, Andrea Lane’s Abby the Crabby Tabby Discovers Gratitude illuminates the importance of maintaining a positive attitude and being thankful for what you have.

Abby thinks her life is pretty tough: her toys are outdated, her bed is too tiny and bumpy, and her owner doesn’t always serve her food when she wants to eat – so why is her sister, Olivia Kathy, so carefree and cheerful? When Abby decides to leave her home for the great outdoors, she discovers that the wider world is much harsher than her comfortable time inside. Abby finally realizes that her sister is right: contentment can come from your outlook and perspective.

The book perfectly depicts different cat personalities, and the rhyming passages are always cute and charming. Heather Bousquet’s delightful feline illustrations practically leap off the page and demand to be pet, with a helpful use of color and capitalization to show exactly what words to emphasize when reading the book out loud. Abby’s optimistic character development is so sweet that kids will be inspired to view the world as half-full, and ask to be read the book again.

A perfect mixture of text, illustrations, and message, this first entry in a series establishes Abby as a classic in the making.

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