Lulu Gets a Cat

 

Anna McQuinn, Rosalind Beardshaw (illus)
Alanna Max 
Age 3-5 years

Lulu would love to have a pet cat of her own, but her Mummy isn’t so sure. Cats can be hard work. Mummy and Lulu go to the library to find out how to look after cats and Lulu practices at home with her toys. Eventually Mummy agrees Lulu can have a pet and they go to a cat shelter and find the perfect pet. Lulu is told about all the things she needs to do to prepare and she busily gets ready for her new pet’s arrival. She names her Makeda after an African Queen. Lulu and Makeda have lots of fun together.

This is a warm-hearted story about adopting a new pet, the pleasure it can bring and the responsibilities involved.  Endorsed by the National Cats Adoption Centre, this is the perfect introduction to pet owning for young cat lovers and would be cat owners.

Share the story

Read aloud
Before you start to read the story, look at the cover together, and talk about what you can you tell from the picture and title about Lulu, the cat and what might happen in the story.

Read the story aloud to your child, pausing if they want to talk about what is happening or what they can see in the illustrations.

Tell the story
Once familiar with the story children, could tell the story to you using the pictures to help them. It doesn’t matter if they use their own words to do so.

Talk about the story
Talk about the things children found interesting, or puzzling about the story.
Talk about all the different things Lulu and her family did to prepare for the new pet.
Count the number of toy cats in Lulu’s room and the number on the end papers.

Things to make and do

Acting out
Children could act out looking after a cat with toys like Lulu does.

Visit the library
Look for information books about pet keeping to find out more.

Make your own book
Make book of instructions together about how to look after a pet or how to get ready for a new pet cat

Make a pair of cat’s ears
You can make this for or with your child – see here

Children can wear the cat ears like Lulu does. They might like to pretend to be a cat, thinking about how they move.

Find out more

Find out more about the national cat adoption centre here

Read another story about Lulu. The series includes:

• Lulu loves stories
• Lulu loves the library
• Lulu reads to Zek
• Lulu loves Flowers
• Lulu’s first day
• Lulu’s Sleepover (from Sep 2021)

Find out more about author Anna McQuinn on her website including the other books she has written. Also included are articles and resources related to Lulu gets a Cat such as how to tell how a cat is feeling by looking at their tail, see here 

Watch a cartoon fairy tale
Lulu reads her cat Makeda the story of Puss in Boots. Watch a cartoon version here.