Miss Cat: The Case of the Curious Canary

29 Feb

By Jean-Luc Fromental, illustrated by Joëlle Jolivet, and translated by Jill Phythian (Thames & Hudson, 2024)

This is going to be a graphic novel series I'll be collecting for sure, and I think there are at least 3 books in total. So pleased that Thames & Hudson here in the UK have published Miss Cat and translated (very well to my mind) them from their original French (as published by Helium from 2021 onwards). Are you familiar with French graphic novels perhaps? Maybe you grew up reading Asterix and Obelix, or even Lucky Luke? If so, you'll be familiar with the slightly different spin on a dry and quick wit, or silliness (verging on bizarre), style of storytelling from our friends across the channel.

The publisher has produced a beautifully tactile book with a pearlescent glow to the outside cover, the book featuring inside flaps with full colour keys to characters (front) and the creators (back). The paper feels great and the palette is really pleasing to read from, featuring a mix of moody blacks, greens, blues, greys, and pastel pinks/yellows/greens. Love! Readers will enjoy the mix of narrative text and bubble speech throughout in a non-fussy and well-spaced out font.

Now, you simply have to meet Miss Cat! She's a slinky kinda girl, be-hoodied with pointy cat ears. Based in an old dairy at 29 Thirty Street, she runs her detective agency. You'll soon notice she's rather good at prowling, climbing, jumping, detecting danger, she's a thinker, and has a ‘kitty-cat’ sense. Miss Cat has a new case - a widow's beloved canary has been kidnapped! After following clues, escaping an attempt on her life in an abandoned building, and a stake-out, she finally works out that there's sssssssssomething (intentional ssss overuse) suspicious and all isn't what it seems. If you love a mystery, some noire-esq crime-solving, quirky characters that may or may not include a large pink octopus barman called Olaf, then you're in for an absolute treat! I reckon these’d be good for French classrooms too in both English and French…Preorder or add to your Wishlist now Miss Cat : The Gnome’s Nightmare (Book 2) Out 29 August 2024!!

Excerpts from the book