Tabby McTat

This is a beautiful addition to any child’s bookshelf, especially if you’re already a fan of Julia Donaldson’s charming storytelling. The illustrations are as lovely as ever, and the story is heartwarming and engaging — a big hit in our house. What makes it even better is how well it pairs with the corresponding Tonies audio character. If your child enjoys following along with the book while listening, this is a perfect combo. Our autistic son finds this format especially helpful and calming, making story time both fun and accessible. Highly recommended, especially if you already use a Toniebox — it enhances the experience and makes reading time feel more interactive and magical.

Granddaughter love the book

Our daughter always enjoys Julia Donaldson books, and this one is no exception. She loves listening to the story, singing the song, and making cat noises—it’s become a regular at bedtime. The story is a good length and the pages are easy to read even in low light. A lovely, fun read to end the day.

We love Julia Donaldson books and this one does not disappoint. Great rhyming story and beautiful illustrations. I read it so often i know the words without looking. My boy loves it and was good value for money especially if you buy in Prime sales.

We purchased this book ahead of the Christmas ‘23 BBC release of this story. I wasn’t so sure that my 2 year old daughter would’ve liked this one as much as some of Julia Donaldson’s other titles, but I was wrong. I thought at first that the story was a little too long to hold her attention, or that the story may have been a bit less captivating or vibrant as her other imaginings, but soon after one or two read throughs, it’s become much more popular. I guess cats and making ‘meow’ noises are always going to be entertaining for a toddler. There’s also a recurring song throughout the story that we created a little tune to go with, and that’s something she waits eagerly for each time we turn the page. This setting is different to many of her other books, being based in a modern day London and it’s nice to see a city life in classic Scheffler charm. I would say that some of the illustrations are very busy and full of things that even I hadn’t noticed until after multiple readings, and I think this definitely leads to a little attention blindness for a young toddler. But this is only a minor thing, and they are undeniably beautiful drawings. I’m sure as she grows up with this story, my daughter will enjoy discovering more and more little details hidden on every page (find the hidden gruffalo!) I really like the rhymes and verse structure on this one. It has a really nice rhythm to it but with little quirks that make it fun to read out loud. We bought the paperback version for a change, and it’s a good size, nice and big to help display some of the double page spread illustrations. The pages aren’t too thin either, making it a little harder for those clumsy toddler hands to accidentally tear.

Lovely story

Great book

Love this book - Julia's books are always so great!! The kids will love it!

My son loved this story about friendship and growing up. Another beautifully written and illustrated story from the duo Donaldson and Scheffler!

Love the rhyme and the story. I saw this children’s book referenced as a favorite in adult fiction so I bought it. Did not disappoint! 3 and 5 years ask for it repeatedly.

Good story heartwarming

Il libro è in inglese ed alcuni termini non sono facilissimi per chi non conosce bene la lingua, comunque è davvero ottimo e la storia è bellissima oltre ad avere una morale. Il libro perfetto per chi ha iniziato ad insegnare l'inglese ai bambini e che ora vuole portare il livello ad un gradino più alto.

Love this book and the author, we can’t get enough!