The Power of Love Makes True Feline Heroes

In 1996, a mother cat gave birth to a litter of five kittens in an abandoned Brooklyn building.  (That's Brooklyn, New York, not Brooklyn, Indiana, which is just a few miles south of my hometown, Mooresville.)  While out foraging, Mama returned to find the building engulfed in flames.  As firefighters battled the blaze, Mama entered the smoke-filled, burning structure and retrieved her kittens and carried them to safety.  She was severely burned and injured but survived, as did her entire family (although one kitten later succumbed to an illness).

Called Scarlett by workers as the North Shore Animal League, she was adopted by Karen Wellen, and two other families adopted her surviving kittens, as this video below explains.

"Scarlett the Cat" (2013) by Khai Darulnaim

Several books were published about Scarlett and her heroism, including Hero Cat (2006), a children's picture book written by Eileen Spinelli and illustrated by Jo Ellen McAllister Stammen.  Our book trailer gives a brief summary.

MPL Book Trailer #462

Hero Cat, by Eileen Spinelli

(illustrated by Jo Elen McAllister Stammen)

Scarlett passed in 2008 from natural causes.  She represented the finest feline qualities, demonstrating that the power of motherly love can overcome any obstacle.  I never had the privilege of meeting her or her kittens, but her example shines as a reminder that there is a hero kitty inside us all, to be called upon in our times of crisis.

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

Learn How to Make Your Very Own Movie!

Have you ever wanted to make your very own movie but don't know where to start?  Then we've got an upcoming program that you certainly won't want to miss.

Click images to bigify

On Saturday, September 8, 2018, from 12:30-1:30 p.m., in the library's community room, film director and screenwriter Demetrius Witherspoon will be sharing his experiences (and secrets) in making and financing motion pictures.  Mr. Witherspoon is CEO of DV Entertainment Pictures, which has produced the Submerge movie series.  For those playing along at home, that's these:

• Submerge:  The Chronicles of Ni're
• Submerge:  Ni're Reborn
• Submerge:  Echo 51
• Submerge:  Galaxy of Subversion (currently in development)

My library has DVD copies of Submerge:  Echo 51 and Submerge:  Ni're Reborn, as well as the novelization of Submerge:  Echo 51, available to checkout with your Evergreen Indiana library card.

We've got a nice display across from our circulation desk.  On the mannequin is the official "behind-the-scenes" movie crew t-shirt and one of the actual props used by characters in the film.  We even have a movie poster signed by Mr. Witherspoon!  The library's own Miss Catherine, whom I call The Couturier Kid, worked on costuming for Submerge:  Echo 51 (see our previous blog post for details).  The Decorinator and BizMeister created the display topper.  That's a galaxy.  It's pretty cool.  (Thanks, Couturier Kid, for letting us borrow the mannequin, t-shirt, and prop.)

Minions, make with the photos.

We look forward to seeing you at the program!

Psssssst!  Mr. Witherspoon.  If you ever need a composer to score any of your projects, we have one you might like (see him on Facebook, Reverbnation, and free music scores).  He has composed the soundtracks to almost all of the library's over 850 videos on the MPL YouTube channel.

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

P.S.  Here's the official international teaser trailer for Submerge:  Echo 51.

 

 

Submerge: Echo 51 OFFICIAL International Teaser Trailer from DV Entertainment Pictures on Vimeo.

It Clearly Worked For Moi

Back in 1964, waaaaaay before my current life, a wise feline typed a manuscript that fell into the hands of writer Paul Gallico, who quickly recognized that it had been typed by a cat, because of the strange combinations of letters and symbols that Paul realized resulted from the size of the cat's paws operating the keys of a human typewriter.  Once translated into English (from the feline), the book was a "how-to" manual instructing kittens, strays, and homeless cats how to find and take-over suitable homes and train the human residents to serve their feline masters.  Our book trailer elaborates.

MPL Book Trailer #461

The Silent Miaow:

A Manual for Kittens, Strays, and Homeless Cats

Translated from the feline by Paul Gallico

Picture story by Suzanne Szasz

I first read this book when I was just a kitten.  It clearly worked for moi.  I've managed to take-over at least four homes in my current lifetime.

The manual contains practical advice for every feline.  It instructs how to use our vocalizations to compel satisfactory behavioral responses from people.  It advises how to establish our property rights and territorial interests.  It suggests the most effective strategies to regularly obtain the most desired foods.  In short, it provides any cat with the essential information to ruling a home and making minions of any human residents.  Plus, it's really funny.  Humor always gets my vote of approval.

My minions have suggested that cat-loving people, too, would greatly enjoy reading this book.  The author's feline insights and philosophies would certainly educate most humans and make them better servants.  That's a solid, positive outcome for the feline audience.

Gallico wrote loads of books, including several cat-oriented novels, such as The Abandoned (1950), in which a little boy turns into a cat (a definite improvement, I'll venture).  Minions, make with the book trailer.

MPL Book Trailer #460

The Abandoned, by Paul Gallico

Most libraries classify this novel as a children's chapter book, but we think it might be a bit too challenging for human readers under age eleven.  Anyone older, however, should find it exciting and compelling.  But, hey, you younger readers should have a go, too.  You can always read it when you're older if it's too hard now.

My library has many of Paul Gallico's books available to checkout from our Evergreen Indiana catalog.

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

I Can Certainly Relate

I can certainly relate to the feline main characters in Paul Gallico's classic children's chapter novel, The Abandoned (1950).  Minions, make with the book trailer.

MPL Book Trailer #460

The Abandoned, by Paul Gallico

Human readers may find it far-fetched that the little boy Peter turns into a white cat after being accidentally struck by a coal lorry (in American English, that's a truck).  The change is definitely an improvement, as far as I'm concerned.  Peter is only cat on the outside, however; inside, he's still a little boy, and that makes him a lousy street-roaming kitty.  Luckily, he quickly meets Jennie, a street-wise feline who is willing to teach Peter the ropes and watch out that his human qualities don't get him into too much trouble.

It's truly a hard life for strays--I know, for I've lived it--but with good friends to take care of one another, the duo sets sail from London to Glasgow in search of Jennie's family.  Although Jennie is a heart-hardened cat--her experience with humans has been filled with betrayal and sadness--Peter's humanity shines through at times, teaching his protector that not all two-leggeds are irretrievably bad.

Can the little boy trapped inside a furry feline body find his way home?  You'll have to read the novel to find out.  Can he change back to being a kid-person again?  More to the point, why would he want to?  Being a cat is such an improvement over being human.

Although this novel is classified as a children's chapter book, it would be a difficult read for any people under age eleven.  I think it would be better suited for older 'Tweens and young adults (traditional teens) (i.e., ages 11-18), and even adult readers should thoroughly enjoy Peter and Jennie's adventures.  So, in short, ages 11 and older would be my recommendation.

The author, Paul Gallico (1897-1976), was clearly a cat lover who wrote several novels (and nonfiction books) devoted to feline characters.  Goodreads has an excellent bibliography of Gallico's books, of which my library has three available to checkout from our Evergreen Indiana catalog (search all Evergreen libraries to find additional Gallico works).

On a personal note, I was once a street-wandering kitty.  Having a loving family and a forever home is much better.  Thank you, kindly couple, for "rescuing" moi.  That said, I still enjoy venturing out now and again, so let's leave that kitty door open, shall we?  'Nuff said.

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

Today's Word is Moi

Indiana librarians keep up with the latest developments in the Hoosier library world by reading the Indiana State Library's digital newsletter, Wednesday Word.  Guess who's featured in today's edition?

Moi

It's a very nice article celebrating our over half a million blog views.  Click here, then scroll down, to read it.

It's not commonly known, but the Lady With the Red Hair, one of my minions, wrote for Wednesday Word back in the late 1990s and early 2000s when she was head of the Indiana State Library Catalog Division.

There are many fine spokescritters (several felines, but also bunnies, birds, fish, and other friendly faces) in Hoosier libraries across the state.  We are highly effective public relations officers who can really draw in the crowds.  Here are just a few famous friends:

• Chance (and the late Tober), boss cat at Thorntown (Indiana) Public Library;
• Morgan the Library Bunny at Morgan County (Indiana) Public Library;
• Oliver the Library Cat at Clinton (Indiana) Public Library;
• Carnegie the Library Cat at Brazil (Indiana) Public Library;
• Westfield Washington Public Library (Indiana) has fish (I call them swimming dinners) as its spokescritters (following my suggestion blogged in 2011).

To find further library spokescritters around the country, take a peek at this blog post.

If your library doesn't have a spokescritter, we highly recommend adopting one.  Somebody's got to keep all those humans in line.

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

Beyond Books

Lady RaDA has created a cool "beyond books" display featuring lots of fun items you may checkout with your Evergreen Indiana library card.  The display is across from the library circulation desk, next to the Paul Hadley paintings.

Minions, make with the photos (click them to bigify):

The only item missing that would make the perfect display would be some canned tuna-in-oil.  I'd check that out, pronto.  Well, I'd have my minions check it out for moi.  I'm not sure how I'd return it to the library, however.

If you have any questions about checking out these items, just ask our circulation staff or Lady RaDA herself.  I'd explain it all, but my department is cuteness, which actually explains itself.  Just look at my photos, and it's self-explanatory.

Yep.  Pretty Much.

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

A Big Red Slobberdog, For Sure

The library's float in the 2018 Old Settlers Parade featured everybody's favorite big red slobberdog.  Not my first choice, as it should have been a famous feline (such as moi?), but I guess Garfield was busy.

I see Clifford had his Evergreen Indiana library card at the ready.  That's one smart slobberdog!  You can't checkout all our books, movies, audiobooks, playaways, music CDs, and other great stuff without one.  (Well, technically, you can, if you have a statewide PLAC [Public Library Access Card] or a blue Evergreen Indiana card, but that's hair-splitting details I'll let our circulation staff explain.)

As always, click the photos to bigify.

BizMeister said that Clifford's tail was designed to wag in the wind, but there wasn't much breeze on this really hot, humid day, so we didn't get a chance to see it.

Teen Titan came up with a brilliant idea to use library bookcarts to showcase reading (with cute slobberdog puns) while having a central serving location for sweet treats.  It's a long-standing tradition for parade participants to toss candy or other goodies to the crowd, and, in the past, the tossing was primarily done from the float or the vehicle towing it.  The bookcarts made it much easier for Teen Titan and Lady RaDA to get the goodies out to the youngster folks watching along the parade route.

Float design was once again orchestrated by the Decorinator and BizMeister, whose ingenuity matched all previous outstanding library parade floats (the library has a well-earned reputation for excellent float design and execution).

The library float design and construction team once again outdid themselves with a terrific display.  We're including two photos, in case anyone blinked.

I'm still a tad bit peeved that no felines were featured with our float.

Hold On!

Nice save, Teen Titan and Lady RaDA!

Although they weren't part of the library float, there were some really big dudes standing nearby.

Hey, horseys!  Don't forget the poo-bags.  Just saying.

Minions, run down and take some photos of the library float in the parade.  I'll just curl-up beneath a nicely shaded tree in front of Paul Hadley Middle School.

Don't forget to visit the library to get your paws on a book (or other items).  And don't miss the Old Settlers Festival at Pioneer Park in Mooresville (today through Tuesday).  That's August 5-6-7, 2018 for those without calendars.

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat