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Ginger #3
Ginger and the Mystery Visitor
Ginger and the resident kitten are annoyed by a pushy feline who sneaks in and eats their food. Can the girl find a way to solve the mystery?
It’s a wonderful Ginger, the kitten, and the girl who looks after them. Until a spy appears at the window, and even shows up one day in the kitchen licking their bowls! The girl is curious as to where the large and seemingly hungry feline comes from. But when she ties a note to his collar asking, "Do I belong to anyone?", she gets a surprising response that will tickle anyone who knows cats. With spare, expressive
illustrations capturing the animals’ body language to a T, here is a charming read-aloud treat for animal lovers and children who like a
gentle taste of intrigue.
It’s a wonderful Ginger, the kitten, and the girl who looks after them. Until a spy appears at the window, and even shows up one day in the kitchen licking their bowls! The girl is curious as to where the large and seemingly hungry feline comes from. But when she ties a note to his collar asking, "Do I belong to anyone?", she gets a surprising response that will tickle anyone who knows cats. With spare, expressive
illustrations capturing the animals’ body language to a T, here is a charming read-aloud treat for animal lovers and children who like a
gentle taste of intrigue.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published August 10, 2010
About the author
Charlotte Voake
110 books23 followers"I don’t know that I’m a funny person," says author-illustrator Charlotte Voake. "But it seems when I begin to draw that the characters change, and they take on this amusing and amused look." Indeed, her illustrations are widely loved for this very quality of gentle wit, not to mention their quiet observation, airy exuberance, and utter charm.
Born and raised in Wales, Charlotte Voake says that book illustration is "the only thing I ever wanted to do," and she certainly has made a brilliant career of it. Skipping formal training in art, she studied art history at London University and worked at an art gallery before embarking on a freelance career in illustration. Among her most acclaimed picture books is GINGER, an American Library Association Notable Children’s Book that KIRKUS REVIEWS called a "flawless tale of two cats . . . to be read and reread." GINGER FINDS A HOME, a prequel to that award-winning picture book, shows how the loving ministrations of a little girl transformed the title character from stray to pampered pet. "We had a cat who lived at the bottom of our garden," Charlotte Voake says of her inspiration for this story. "It was a great moment when he decided to come and live with us."
Charlotte Voake was personally selected by the nephew of the esteemed children's book writer Eleanor Farjeon to illustrate the delightful classic, ELSIE PIDDOCK SKIPS IN HER SLEEP. More recently, Charlotte Voake wrote and illustrated PIZZA KITTENS, a dinnertime comedy of errors that she says stems from personal experience. "Good manners are not acquired overnight," she sighs. "The secret is to keep trying!"
Charlotte Voake lives in Surrey, England, with her husband and two children.
Born and raised in Wales, Charlotte Voake says that book illustration is "the only thing I ever wanted to do," and she certainly has made a brilliant career of it. Skipping formal training in art, she studied art history at London University and worked at an art gallery before embarking on a freelance career in illustration. Among her most acclaimed picture books is GINGER, an American Library Association Notable Children’s Book that KIRKUS REVIEWS called a "flawless tale of two cats . . . to be read and reread." GINGER FINDS A HOME, a prequel to that award-winning picture book, shows how the loving ministrations of a little girl transformed the title character from stray to pampered pet. "We had a cat who lived at the bottom of our garden," Charlotte Voake says of her inspiration for this story. "It was a great moment when he decided to come and live with us."
Charlotte Voake was personally selected by the nephew of the esteemed children's book writer Eleanor Farjeon to illustrate the delightful classic, ELSIE PIDDOCK SKIPS IN HER SLEEP. More recently, Charlotte Voake wrote and illustrated PIZZA KITTENS, a dinnertime comedy of errors that she says stems from personal experience. "Good manners are not acquired overnight," she sighs. "The secret is to keep trying!"
Charlotte Voake lives in Surrey, England, with her husband and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
July 11, 2012
I didn't enjoy this as well as I did the previous Ginger books. A neighborhood cat comes along and eats all Ginger and the kitten's food; but later they find he has a good home and shouldn't be fed. I just wasn't quite sure what the "moral of the story" is, whether it was just supposed to be amusing or to teach something about gluttony. I guess I just wanted more, or didn't get it :-( I mean, I could appreciate the humor it from a human standpoint (those sly cats, haha!) but I wanted to know better how Ginger felt about the visitor and what ultimately happened to him.
October 21, 2016
I have no shame. I love every book about cats.
March 26, 2020
Ginger and the rambunctious gray kitten, first seen in Charlotte Voake's
Ginger
(there was also a prequel,
Ginger Finds a Home
) return in this delightful picture-book, confronting a third feline, who appears one day at their kitchen window, and proceeds to make himself quite at home. Helping himself to their food, even sleeping in their bed, the mysterious guest manages to insert himself into the household, until Ginger and the kitten's little girl, kind but wise, attaches a note to his collar, and receives a surprising (and very amusing) reply...
Like its two predecessors, I thought that Charlotte Voake did an excellent job capturing feline expressions and emotions - not to mention bold-faced trickery! - in Ginger and the Mystery Visitor, and got quite a chuckle out of Tibbles' antics! Oh, those kitties do know how to extract the maximum amount of food and attention, don't they? Cat lovers young and old will appreciate this charming picture-book, particularly those who have had the pleasure of meeting Ginger before!
Like its two predecessors, I thought that Charlotte Voake did an excellent job capturing feline expressions and emotions - not to mention bold-faced trickery! - in Ginger and the Mystery Visitor, and got quite a chuckle out of Tibbles' antics! Oh, those kitties do know how to extract the maximum amount of food and attention, don't they? Cat lovers young and old will appreciate this charming picture-book, particularly those who have had the pleasure of meeting Ginger before!
January 5, 2011
Completely charming!
This book is probably the most amusing of the Ginger stories. (The first two books were Ginger and Ginger Finds a Home.)
A strange cat keeps visiting the home of Ginger, the kitten, and the little girl. He comes for the food. The little girl has a brilliant idea about how to find out the circumstances of this new cat, and then things change, sort of.
The illustrations are perfection. They bring all the humor to the story, and they’re just wonderfully amusing.
I definitely recommend this book to fans of either of the other two books or, because it does work fine as a standalone book, to any reader who loves and knows cats.
This book is probably the most amusing of the Ginger stories. (The first two books were Ginger and Ginger Finds a Home.)
A strange cat keeps visiting the home of Ginger, the kitten, and the little girl. He comes for the food. The little girl has a brilliant idea about how to find out the circumstances of this new cat, and then things change, sort of.
The illustrations are perfection. They bring all the humor to the story, and they’re just wonderfully amusing.
I definitely recommend this book to fans of either of the other two books or, because it does work fine as a standalone book, to any reader who loves and knows cats.
March 8, 2016
The mystery cat was very hungry all the time. The little girl was smart enough to put a tag on him in order to find out if he belonged to someone.
June 19, 2018
Bookaday 5/72
March 25, 2021
I dunno, maybe not all that special... esp. because it really isn't about Ginger or the nameless kitten... but it still charmed me. And reminded me of Six-Dinner Sid.
March 27, 2024
Oh, how I love this story! As the title would suggest, Ginger encounters a very mysterious visitor who also happens to be very hungry. A sweet read turns silly when the truth is uncovered about the visitor! I read this to a group of 4-5 year olds who didn't quite get the punch line, however the adults in the room had quite a giggle!
May 18, 2024
I loved the illustrations and the font, it was easy to identify the letters and that made it easier to read.
I was able to read small words which surprised mamma.. made me happy to be able to discover new words.
I was able to read small words which surprised mamma.. made me happy to be able to discover new words.
August 13, 2019
236/365
December 31, 2021
Sweet simple illustrations, my son enjoyed listening to this book and pointing out the empty food dishes that the mystery visitor left. Very cute book!
March 18, 2024
I thought the book was hilarious, and the preschoolers I read it to liked how the book flowed.
September 27, 2024
Read to my 4 year old
September 5, 2010
Who could resist Ginger, the title character or the book? Ginger is a contented cat. She has a nice home, a thoughtful little girl who takes care of her and the small kitten who lives with them.
Both felines especially look forward to breakfast, but one morning they were surprised to see someone watching them through the window. “I wonder who that is, said the little girl, but nobody knew.”
Now this wasn't just an ordinary cat looking through the window, but a very audacious one. It wasn't long before the unknown visitor was found in the kitchen licking out Ginger and the kitten's bowls. As if that weren't intrusion enough he even found a comfortable spot for himself on the bed.
The little girl decided the solution was to tie a note around his neck reading “Do I belong to anyone?” That turned out to be a very good idea as the note was answered.
Young readers will be surprised to discover the identity of the visitor and just how clever he can be.
Charlotte Voake has written and illustrated two other books about Ginger and the kitten – all are recommended.
- Gail Cooke
January 20, 2011
The story is cute, and pretty good, in the same genre as Six Dinner Sid. The story is so relaxed, though, that there is no real excitement to it. The "mystery" is resolved so quickly and so smoothly that there is no strength to the resolution.
Ginger, feline star of a couple of previous picture books, finds an intruder cat in her home, gobbling down food and napping on the family bed. Oddly, neither she nor her human companion seems to have any objection to this, and are merely puzzled as to whether he has a home somewhere. That is pretty much the whole plot.
Not bad, but Six Dinner Sid was far more engaging and believable, in terms of feline behavior and story quality.
Ginger, feline star of a couple of previous picture books, finds an intruder cat in her home, gobbling down food and napping on the family bed. Oddly, neither she nor her human companion seems to have any objection to this, and are merely puzzled as to whether he has a home somewhere. That is pretty much the whole plot.
Not bad, but Six Dinner Sid was far more engaging and believable, in terms of feline behavior and story quality.
October 15, 2010
A mystery cat visits the house where Ginger and a black kitten live. He sneaks in and eats the kitties' food. The little girl who takes care of Ginger and the kitten devises a plan to find out if the mystery cat has a home, and she learns that his name is Tiddles, and he makes a habit of eating other cats' food, though he is well fed at home! This is a cute little story about cats that would be great for a pet storytime.
October 31, 2011
Ginger and the kitten lead comfortable lives with the little girl. One day a stranger appears at their window. Day after day the strange cat watches them eat their meals. Then one day they find him in the kitchen licking out their bowls. Whenever the door is open, he comes in. Who is this mystery stranger? Paired with softly colored and spare drawings, this is a good little book for cat lovers.
July 21, 2011
Mystery cat comes in and eats with Ginger and the kitten repeatedly. Their little girl puts a note on the visitor's collar, and they learn he has a good home and is eating too much. Cute and funny. Not sappy. Even though it ends with "because, of course, he had his own dinner waiting for him...at HOME!"
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 3, 2010
Ages 4-8. If your cat is suddenly getting fat... there might be a reason. What a genius idea!! Tie a note to the cat to get the real story. I still think the best way to make sure your cat doesn't get fat is to KEEP IT INSIDE (our neighborhood cat pees on our front door...).
January 3, 2011
This is a wonderful tale, with big fonts and a simple narrative for beginning readers, humorous and adorable illustrations and an engaging story. We really enjoyed reading this book aloud together and will look for more books by this author!
August 9, 2011
I admit, I am not a cat person and portions of this story were slightly interesting, but for the most part, I didn't particluarly care for it. I think that kids will like it, but it won't be a smash hit.
July 26, 2012
Nice story about about 2 cats who are visited by a third cat who appears to be very hungry. Of course they share their food, but is he really in need of a meal?
Featured at story hour at the Huntsville Public Library.
Both grandsons liked it.
Featured at story hour at the Huntsville Public Library.
Both grandsons liked it.
September 18, 2010
Loved the illustrations. I thought the story itself ended a little flat but we still enjoyed the book overall.
November 10, 2010
Not as good as other Ginger books- but okay
November 24, 2010
The visitor is a sly one - begging for his multiple meals. Elegant drawings; humerous story.
December 14, 2010
Good read-a-loud.
January 4, 2011
Love the idea of tying a note to the cat and receiving a reply! Cute story.
Read
May 10, 2011Another story starring Ginger and the kitten. This time there is third cat in the picture!
March 31, 2012
Ginger and the small kitten are happy living with the little girl who looks after them but one day a large and hungry visitor appears in the kitchen and changes their comfortable routine.
April 9, 2012
fun humor...lots of vocab
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews