Betsy Franco, author of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction, has a new book of poetry for all cat lovers, young and old: A Curious Collection of Cats. In more than thirty concrete poems, cats are their own endearingly fabulous selves—they stretch, sneak, nap, chase, hide, walk on keyboards, wrap around your neck like a scarf, and engage in quirky mischief of all kinds.

Illustrated by Michael Wertz, the poems are a true collaboration between poet and artist. On the book’s cover, the tails of three cats form the letter “C” in the title and the tails of two more cats form the “s”. Whether the cat is chasing a butterfly or a ball of yarn, the agile creatures cavort through the pages of this book in bright colors, playful shapes, and a highly imaginative use of letters. For example, one poem is written in the shape of a cat’s tongue and on the opposite page, there is a poem written in the shape of a tree with the cat’s silhouette against a full moon. Many of the poems feature the name of a particular cat that inspired the verses, such as: Gonzo, Lenny, Patch, Princess, Q-tip, Veronica, Tabitha, Miss Boo, and Max. The particular personality of each cat shines through the poem and is underscored by the illustration.

Betsy Franco’s own cats, Jada and Frida, are her muses. Her poems capture the essence of cat-ness and Michael Wertz’s imaginative illustrations are “purrfect” for the book. For more information about this and other work, read the interview with Betsy Franco at Young Adult (& Kids!) Books Central.

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