Orion the Miracle Kitty
by Marcella Lansdowne, reviewed by Nancy J. Reid
 

‘Orion the Miracle Kitty’ is one of those books that can be enjoyed as a great story, but also used to teach your children some valuable lessons. True stories about animals on a journey that get lost or hurt tug at the heart--and when the outcome is good, children love to cheer. It is a book that they will want to come back to time and time again, whether it is read to them, or they can read it themselves. Orion the Miracle Kitty is a short story about a kitten that finds a new home in the Sonoran Desert, gets bitten by a snake, but recovers.

There is laughter, drama, anticipation, worry and great happiness. Children can readily relate to the situation and the message of caring and not-giving-up easily--despite the odds. It is a message of hope that will stick in their minds. A parent can expand on that lesson in a variety of ways. They can also use the book to explain how to be careful outside, without making the child frightened, just aware--or use the story as an avenue to explain how to handle a change in a child's life, like the need to move to a new neighborhood or house. Children relate well to heroes and heroines, and this story has two.

There are some interesting educational teases, like the explanation of Orion the constellation and the medical treatment of an injured cat, that come along with a moving tale. The photos make the characters real and the read that much more memorable. I highly recommend it.

Published by AuthorHouse, for ages 4-8, you can purchase a copy and download coloring-in pages by Clicking here. 
Marcella Lansdowne joined Southwest Blend Magazine editors Nancy J. Reid and Lisa D. Smith, as a featured guest on their Online Radio Show ‘Champagne Sundays’. This show aired live from 11am-1pm (PST) on Sunday, July 20^th, 2008. To listen to the entire, unedited show, please click here.  To listen to Marcella's interview, please double click on the Play button below.



 

Marcella Lansdowne is an author based out of Tucson, Arizona. She is the author of two books – ‘Orion the Miracle Kitty’ and ‘Marcella: Strength, Courage, Spirit – All in One Lifetime’. For more about Marcella, click here.