Kokocat, Inside and Out — Lynda Graham-Barber

One day, KokoCat, a well-loved housecat, sees an open door, a chance to escape her pleasant life, to explore an exciting world outdoors. Once outside, she finds that life is more frightening and less enjoyable than she bargained for. Hungry, lost, and alone, KokoCat takes shelter under a dumpster and dreams of her former life inside. In vibrant images, KokoCat's story shows the reader that keeping a domestic cat indoors is better both for the well being and longevity of the cat as well as for the birds and wild animals on which a cat preys. The book's final page for parents and adults offers important information, provocative questions, and tips to increase young readers' awareness of this important animal health and welfare issue.

Lynda Graham-Barber's abiding passions for writing and animals have intermingled for four-decades, as children's book editor, writing teacher, author of thirteen books, and animal rights advocate. The author, who holds an MFA in writing for children from Vermont College, lives in a small stone cottage, which she helped build, situated on 160 wooded acres in the Northeast Kingdom, Vermont, with her artist husband David and their rescued dog Biscuit.

Nancy Lane has been an award-winning illustrator for the last twenty years. Her picture books include Call the Horse Lucky and A Home for Dakota (both from The Gryphon Press). She lives in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York with her family and her rescued dog and cats.