WILLOW THE WILDCAT tells the story of two young wildcats, Willow and Corrie, and their mother, who have to search for a new home after a dog destroys theirs. As they travel out into the world, they try out different spaces- learning of new predators, as well as finding food in different animals around Scotland. The book is informative in terms of animal species but also has focus on sibling relationships- sometimes fraught with disagreements but ultimately of love.

What I loved: The rhyming nature of the book was great for reading aloud, and gave the text a nice rhythm. There is also educational value with the number of animals of Scotland and learning about habitats. I also appreciated the sibling relationship with Corrie and Willow, where even if they squabble sometimes, when push comes to shove, they will help each other out.

What left me wanting more: The text is very lengthy and may be too long for the youngest of readers, with lots of words on each page spread. There are also some scary moments for sensitive readers- although they all end up okay in the end, the wildcats become homeless, have trouble finding food, and come up against animals who want to eat them. This is realistic but is worth knowing for sensitive youngsters.

Final verdict: Overall, WILLOW THE WILDCAT is an informative adventure of a wildcat family to find a new home, with plenty of wildlife to learn about.