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The Story of a Contrary, Contumacious Cat Paperback – November 1, 2019

by Gail Wilson Kenna (Author), A Cort Sinnes (Illustrator)
5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars 5 ratings
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What happens when GRRR, a contrary, contumacious cat keeps pooping on a Persian rug in a military household? The man of the house, Army Major Wiley, loves dogs but does not like cats. He threatens to make GRRR, "dust in the wind."

How does this domestic problem get resolved? Unlikely help comes from an assertive female roofing contractor devoted to the SPCA. Miss Strum reaches a compromise with the female Mayor in the family. This cat-loving Army officer, the parent of two children, is willing to seek outside help. She asks her young daughter, Wren, to assist Diana Hunt, an SPCA animal communicator. Diana helps Wren understand a cat's territorial behavior and its language. Together, adult and child, make a change to Wren's room and give GRRR a catbird seat in the window. Diana and Wren also engage in a game to give the little gray female Persian a new name.

Written with humor and realism, this book for children and adults deals with the stress of moving, which often affects military and civilian families, as well as their pets. The Story of a Contrary, Contumacious Cat has enchanting, original artwork, and a glossary of 30 words, playfully defined for readers of all ages.

Previous page
  1. Reading age
    5 - 12 years
  2. Print length
    48 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    Kindergarten and up
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 0.13 x 9 inches
  6. Publisher
    Crosshill Creek Publications
  7. Publication date
    November 1, 2019
  8. ISBN-10
    1734160209
  9. ISBN-13
    978-1734160208
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Your story is charming, hilarious, and wonderfully sensitive. I laughed out loud while reading passages to my husband, who had a similarly fraught relationship with his daughter's cat...". Carole Harlowe, ESL teacher

"You really got my kids with the humorous incident about the cat, the rug, the dog, and the major. Thanks for sharing this story." Patricia Monge-Meberg, M.D.

"What a joy to read a book that can capture a child's imagination and at the same time introduce new "grown-up" words. The Story of a Contrary, Contumacious Cat is humorous and poignant, especially for families who face deployment. I can hardly wait for our granddaughter to be a little older so we can enjoy this lovely tale together." Sandy Bensky, retired reading teacher

"I thoroughly enjoyed reading, The Story of a Contrary, Contumacious Cat. It's obvious the author, Gail Kenna, is tuned into a cat's disposition; and the way she interwove fact with fiction is awe-inspiring. Even the "Words from Wren" section is laudatory in its creative explanation of what each selected word means. I adore cats, and although understand their nature, I doubt I could have captured Grrr's spirit as well as the author did. Finally, I compliment A. Cort Sinnes' skillful and delightful illustrations. He and Gail Kenna make a first-rate team."

Carolyn Kreiter-Foronda, former Poet Laureate of the Commonwealth of Virginia from 2006-2008, has co-authored three anthologies, published eight books of poetry, and won multiple writing & teaching awards.

About the Author

Gail Wilson Kenna taught for college/university programs in Germany, Malaysia, Venezuela, Colombia, and the USA (Chapman College and American University). She now teaches for a Virginia adult institute (RILL) and serves as the creative nonfiction judge for San Francisco's Soul Keats Literary Competition. The author of three books (Along the Gold Rush Trail, The Face of the Avila, Beyond the Wall), Kenna was a Bread Loaf Writers' Conference 2012 fiction scholarship winner. She is the recipient of multiple writing awards and listed in Who's Who of American Women since 2008. In 2000 the Puffin Foundation honored Kenna for her work with North Americans incarcerated in Venezuelan prisons and funded her book, Beyond the Wall. Life as a military and State Department spouse/mother meant frequent moves and led to her first book for children.

A. Cort Sinnes is an award-winning author and artist. He has written more than 30 books on gardening and outdoor living, six cookbooks, and two novels, many of which he illustrated himself. He lives and works in California's Napa Valley where, as a student at Napa High School, he first met Gail Kenna in 1969.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Crosshill Creek Publications; 2nd ed. edition (November 1, 2019)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 48 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1734160209
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1734160208
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 5 - 12 years
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ Kindergarten and up
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.53 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.13 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars 5 ratings

Customer reviews

5 out of 5 stars
5 out of 5
5 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Ilona D.
5.0 out of 5 stars An alluring tale for readers of all ages
Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2020
Humorous, sensitive, and educational, The Story of a Contrary, Contumacious Cat addresses the emotional stress of moving, particularly for military and civilian families, and their pets. Grrr, a Persian cat, is less contrary when she shares a room with Wren, the young heroine of the story, who comes to understand Grrr’s language.
As a cat lover I appreciated the excellent description of feline communication, aided by brilliant illustrations. Not only will readers young and old learn about animal behavior, this witty book provides lessons in history and geography, and includes a 30-word glossary of words, playfully defined.
One person found this helpful
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Bonnie Kenna
5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommend! Charming Read!
Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2020
The book may be geared for children, but if you need to look up contumacious -- adults benefit too! Humorous read with beautiful illustrations by Cort Siinnes. Lovely glossary in the back gives the reader more information on 30 words introduced throughout the book, with useful insights from the author, such as not forgetting the definition of tantalizing if you think of the story of Tantalus (mythical Greek king).
One person found this helpful
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J.T. Hodgman
5.0 out of 5 stars Kids laugh out loud
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2021
My 12 and 9 year olds enjoyed getting to know Grrr!. There are enough references to Grrr going to the bathroom on the Persian rug to keep them engaged--in the meantime, they're expanding their vocabulary and getting a window into life of a military family. It was a sweet, realistic, and funny book. And yes! I learned what "contumacious" meant myself!
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P. Donahue
5.0 out of 5 stars A humorous and truthful story.
Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2020
Captivating artwork! Book offers subtle advice about the values of listening and compromise. Especially helpful for military and civilian families who move frequently.
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dorie battelle
5.0 out of 5 stars captivating cat tale
Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2020
You need not be a cat lover to appreciate this funny and appealing story. A mischievous cat called Grrr and its child protector Wren, will steal your heart. Two military officers, endure the contemporary stresses of family life with young children, coping with moves on short notice and deployments to foreign lands with humor and spirit, aided by the antics of an unpredictable, intuitive feline. Not to be overlooked is the
dictionary at the end with words from Wren, that even an adult will find entertaining.
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