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That we refuse to have a pet cat is an ongoing source of frustration for my kids (if you’re curious as to why, several of the reasons are covered in this article) and so when M and J discovered Poppy’s Place: The Home-made Cat Café they hungrily swallowed it whole, making notes as they read, plotting quietly with each other when ever they though I wouldn’t notice.
Isla is cat crazy, but her mum refuses to let her have one as a pet. Isla’s mum works as a veterinary nurse and the last thing she wants after a busy day at work is to come home to more animals who need looking after. But then Poppy appears in their lives…
This especially lovely cat, in need of a home, turns up at around the same time as Isla’s granny comes to stay for the first time since becoming a widow. Gentle strands exploring family relationships, the grieving process, and the adjustments that have to be navigated as family shapes change all come together in this sweet story where Isla comes up with an entrepreneurial way to persuade her mum to finally let her dream come true and have a cat at home.
And as the title alludes to… not just one cat, but a full on fantasy for many a feline fan: the creation of their very own cat café, a place where you can not only get great cake, but can enjoy a coffee with a cat purring in your lap. The experience of reading books is often about escaping into dreams you wish could become reality, and for my girls this was definitely the case with Poppy’s Place: The Home-made Cat Café!
This is a feel-good, gentle comfort-read of a story, ideal for fans of Holly Webb’s animal stories, or perhaps those who like Jacqueline Wilson’s younger fiction. Isla’s persistence and her tech savvy big sister’s kindness are great, and the way the community comes together to support a project is another charming side to this story. Both my kids are very pleased there is to be second book later in the year following the characters they’ve met in Poppy’s Place… even if they’re still getting nowhere when it comes to persuading me that we should have a cat. At least now they can live vicariously through Isla!
I wouldn’t want you to think that I have a heart of stone, even though I refuse to have pets. I really do have a soft side, and I even let it show one day after school when the kids came home to this:
The girls ordered from the menu…
Can you spot all the different feline-themed food?
We may not have had any real cats in our café, but we certainly had a few who stepped out from stories. Who can you spot?
If you’d like to make your own cat café at home, please feel free to use our menu template. It has endorsements from all sorts of fictional cats (Garfield says of the café: “Paw-sitively the yummiest place to eat even if there isn’t any lasagna…“), and also some cat-themed book recommendations on the back. You can download the menu cover here (pdf), and the inside (ready for you to fill with your own choice of food) here (pdf).
Except for the book covers and the silhouette cats, all the images used in the menu come from the British Library Flickr Stream, an amazing set of over a million images from British Library held material, free for anyone to use, remix and re-purpose.
Whilst dining in our home made cat café we listened to:
C Is for Cat by The Pop Ups
Walking My Cat Named Dog by They Might Be Giants
Kitty Fight Song by Joe McDermott
Other activities which might work well alongside reading Poppy’s Place include:
Catherine @ Story Snug said, on 3/10/2016 2:52:00 AM
What a fantastic activity to complement the book. We really enjoyed reading Poppy’s Place too and can’t wait for the next one
Zoe said, on 3/10/2016 3:40:00 AM
Very good Jama! I like it – I wish I had thought of that for the menu
Zoe said, on 3/10/2016 3:41:00 AM
Yes, my girls are really looking forward to the 2nd book too. The cat cafe was great fun to make – really a hugely playful way to spend our afternoon at school. I’m always so happy when a book offers up such a glorious opportunity for playing all together as we did with this.
Those who have served in our Armed Forces, during times of peace and times of war, have surely done so with our children in mind.
From the Revolutionary War to the latest war on terrorism, our service members have fought to protect our freedom and way of life. Many hoped that what they were doing would provide a better life for the next generation.
Not only do I want to express my appreciation, but also I want to remind veterans why our children still need you. *****************
We recently attended our first Veterans Day Parade. A chilly breeze blew the little, American flags we brought as we eagerly waited for the parade to begin. Alternating the hand in the coat pocket with the hand holding the flag, we tried to stay warm.
When the parade began I quickly realized I did not come prepared.
The cold air wasn't what jolted me. It was the row upon row of fresh-faced students of the JROTC represented by various branches of the armed services. I’ve never seen so many at one time. The image reminded me this could be the next generation to defend our country and the freedom of our children.
This could be our next generation of freedom fighters.
Then, I noticed the mentors marching beside their students. They are retired veterans of the military.
Thank you, mentors, for investing your time and skills into the next generation. Our teens need veterans who serve and teach with honor and integrity.
After the JROTC, came an even bigger surprise. It wasn’t the awesome cars or the cool motorcycles the veterans were driving.
The faces of the veterans amazed us.
Their eyes gleamed with pride—not a pride in themselves—but in their country. Some of the veterans’ grins reminded me of how a dad grins the first time he watches his child ride a bike. Eyes glistened watching their fellow Americans lining the streets, waving flags.
Their expressions seemed to convey this thought: They get it. They love their country and freedom as much as we do. They get it.
The veterans were shouting, "Thank you for coming!"
Then, the veterans went beyond their call of duty.
With outstretched hands, they shouted to the crowd.
Thank you for coming!
Thank you! Thank you!
My throat tightened. They were thanking us. We, who quite often take our freedoms for granted and who can’t possibly have a full understanding of the sacrifices many have endured on our behalf.
I could not let them pass by without shouting a thank you to them, but all I could manage was a mouthing of the words. I looked at my husband. His words were trapped as well. He was nodding his appreciation towards the veterans.
Eventually, our voices made it over the lumps in our throats and we were shouting our thank yous as we held our flags high.
Some veterans seem uncomfortable with all the hoop-lah.
Some veterans seemed uncomfortable with all the hoop-lah. Nonetheless, they answered the call. Perhaps, only to represent those veterans who gave everything for their country.
One soldier, wearing a huge smile, stood up to salute to anyone who saluted him. His face messaged You’re saluting me. I want to salute you for coming.
I wish I knew the proper way to salute. Next time, I’ll be ready. Until then, all I can say is I get it. I’ll never fully grasp what you sacrificed, what you endured, what you had to do for me and my children. But I get it.
The veteran at the back returned the salute to those saluting him.
The parade had a good turn-out of folks and yet, if we really knew what some of the veterans have endured and still suffer from today, I think the streets would flood with well-wishers.
I heard a veteran say once, “I wasn’t trying to be brave. I was trying to survive.”
I hear what you’re saying but I still think all those who answered the call to military duty were brave.
In wartime or peacetime, you had to be brave to go into the unknown, understanding that everything could change in an instant.
I’m blessed to know several veterans. The ones I know are humble and quiet about their service in the Armed Forces.
Veterans, people needed you at the time you served. We still need you. Our children need you.
Let me tell you why.
To a young student, history may be a bunch of facts and dates memorized for a test and nothing more.
You make history come alive. You evoke thoughts of faces and lives from the past. You show them that the names in their history books (and so many, many more not recognized in a book) are not just names. They were real people—someone’s son, husband, or dad.
Some endured frightening situations so our children wouldn't have to.
When you speak to a class or volunteer at an event, our children see people serving others. They hear about men and women, not desiring to, but willing to die for a just cause. They learn of service members sacrificing the comforts of home so America’s children can enjoy those comforts. They listen to how some endured frightening situations so our children would not have to.
When you share your knowledge, you present an opportunity for youth to understand how the military strives to bring peace in the midst of chaos.
Veterans who volunteer for reenactments also make history come alive. It’s no longer a bunch of dates and information. Youth learn the reasons behind those battles and their expense. Perhaps the wisdom our youth gain from you will promote more peaceful negotiations in the future.
Honorable veterans, you set an example of respect for your country, a love for life and a passion for liberty.
Our children need you.
We all need you.
Thank you for what you did then and what you do today.
0 Comments on Veterans—Why Children Still Need You as of 1/1/1900
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Poppy’s Place: The Home-made Cat Café they hungrily swallowed it whole, making notes as they read, plotting quietly with each other when ever they though I wouldn’t notice.
Love this post! Me-wow!!
What a fantastic activity to complement the book. We really enjoyed reading Poppy’s Place too and can’t wait for the next one
Very good Jama! I like it – I wish I had thought of that for the menu
Yes, my girls are really looking forward to the 2nd book too. The cat cafe was great fun to make – really a hugely playful way to spend our afternoon at school. I’m always so happy when a book offers up such a glorious opportunity for playing all together as we did with this.