Bag a Few For Moi

The MPL Friends of the Library (FOL) is having its annual book sale in the Library Community Room on Saturday, April 14, 2012, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Yes, I know the slide above says until 4 p.m., but the Library closes on Saturdays at 4 p.m., so it has to end prior to that time.  Scowl-Face screwed-up the slide for our "Town Crier" PowerPoint slideshow that runs continuously at the Circulation Desk.  Par for the course, I'm afraid.

You will definitely want to attend this book sale.  There are some new prices for bags of books, and you are assured of some sweet deals.

Bag a Few Books For Moi, If You Please,

Cauli Le Chat

MPL Roving Reporter

FOL News Beat

P.S.  Thinking of songs with the word book in the title, "Everyday I Write the Book," by Elvis Costello and the Attractions, comes to mind.  The song was released on the LP Punch the Clock (1983).

Drawing OOEE Chicksoons

Now that baby chicks have left MPL Youth Services for fostering, it sure has been quiet in there.  Well, we still have squealing youngster humans stampeding all around the place, but we felines get used to that, eventually.  The chicks were rather vocal, and the absence of their chirping and cheeping makes for a deafening silence.

Today's Jan Brett Email Newsletter

Fortunately, world-famous children's author and illustrator Jan Brett has our backs.  In today's email newsletter from Ms. Brett, we can learn how to draw (wait for it . . .)  baby chicks!  How timely is that?  We can just hear Sammy the Toucan going bonkers about it.

Drawing chicksoons is fairly easy.  All you have to do is draw an egg.  But it becomes much more challenging once the chicksoons are OOEE (out-of-egg-experiencers).  Then you need to know some true artistic moves.  Enter Jan Brett, who knows exactly what you should do.

We recently posted a blog review (and book trailer) of The Mitten, a children's classic by Jan Brett, so everything is coming together quite nicely here.

Visit Jan Brett's web page for chick drawing to learn more cool drawing techniques.  The author/illustrator also gives some tips to draw bunnies (Morgan the Library Bunny, take note) and dolphins.

Hey, Broadway Gal, here's a thought:  Why not have a chick-drawing contest for Wild Thang's early literacy crowd?  Could be fun.

When all our chick brood return to the Library from fostering, they'll be adolescent chicks.  Look out, Savvy.  They'll take over the YAZ for sure.

Hope Cauli Le Poussin is Fostering Okay,

Cauli Le Chat

MPL Roving Reporter

Chicksoon Art News Beat

P.S.  Sorry, Junior of Junior's Farm.  Once again, I've taken over your news beat.  Have a tin of shrimpers on moi.

P.P.S.  Japanese songs describing how to draw animals or characters are called Ekaki Uta.  Here is a short example for the character Doraemon, a 22nd-century robotic feline (manga series created by Fujiko Fujio [actually, a manga artistic duo] in 1969).  I have no idea what the vocalist is saying, so I'm trusting it's about drawing this figure.

Hey! They Stole MY Blog Title

These gals obviously stole MY blog title!  The evidence is crystal-clear.

The Cat's Eye View, written by Susan Davis and Debra Keller, and illustrated by Lisa Parett (Ariel Books, 2004), is a compact little hardcover pocketbook that has a felt-wire tail attached to the spine, and the cover kitty has googly eyes.  That makes it rather unique for an adult publication. It is a humorous "guide book" for novice cat cohabitants to learn, via several quizzes, with which type of feline the reading humans are sharing their households.  Feline body language is defined, and cats' sensory capacities are closely examined.  Various kitty behaviors are scrutinized to determine subtle undertones and hidden messages.  All of this is couched among clever illustrations.

My only gripe about this book is that The Cat's Eye View OBVIOUSLY is a title that belongs to moi.  Now, some of you smarty-pants, lawyer-wannabes out there will undoubtedly be quick to point out that (1) this book was published in 2004, and my blog began in December, 2010; and (2) there's no state or federal trademark registration in my name for this title.  That is an oversight for which Scowl-Face is squarely to blame.  He, of all people, knows better.

Anyway, legal rights are not that important to us felines.  What matters much more is feline territoriality.  That's MY blog title, and if I have to mark it as my territory (I think we all know where this is going), I am more than prepared to do so.  "Going" is, after all, the operative word in territorial disputes between cats.  Well, actually, "spraying" is more accurate.

I don't like to resort to such tactics, but, hey, it's important for foreign felines to know when to back off my turf.  So, Ariel Books, you've been fairly warned.  I'm drinking extra water, just in case.

Seriously, you should read this book.  It hits the mark pretty accurately for kitty behavior.  People who know anything about cats will laugh out loud. Cats will purr knowingly and approvingly.

The best humorous cat books on the market are written by Sparkle the Designer Cat.  Just saying.  Other writers' works are welcome reads, but if you want the best, then Sparkle's your author-of-choice.  Click here to read my review of one of Sparkle's books.

Those Googly Eyes Are Kinda Creepy,

Cauli Le Chat

MPL Roving Reporter

Readers' Advisory News Beat

P.S.  The Rooftop Singers, a folk group from the early 1960s, recorded "Tom Cat" (1963), which was a follow-up single to the group's chart-topping hit, "Walk Right In" (1963).

File M For Murder, by Miranda James

If you enjoy murder mysteries, and obviously you like cats, then you should thoroughly enjoy File M For Murder, by Miranda James.  This latest in the Cat in the Stacks Mystery series, which was just published at the end of January, 2012, has all the ingredients we have come to expect and enjoy from our favorite librarian/mystery author.  Naturally, we have a book trailer that tells you all about it.

File M For Murder, by Miranda James

(MPL Book Trailer #151)

We know that Diesel and his human, Charlie Harris, will catch the real killer.  Charlie's daughter, Laura, has to be innocent, but that doesn't prevent the long-arm-of-the-law from collaring prime suspects.  Can Diesel and Charlie track down the clues in time?  I'll never tell, but you can find out by checking out this exciting book from our Evergreen Indiana online catalog.  Your E.I. library card is your ticket to ride.

Watch Your Back, Diesel; Those Killers Are Bad Dudes,

Cauli Le Chat

MPL Roving Reporter

Mystery Novel News Beat

P.S.  The Velvet Underground released "The Murder Mystery" on the group's self-titled LP (1969), which was its third album release.  It represented a softer sound than TVU's previous recordings.  The rapid-fire spoken lyrics reminded moi of the Music Man's "Dictionary Music" (2009), which appeared as the soundtrack to two of our book trailers (below).

The New Doublespeak, by William Lutz

(MPL Book Trailer #53)

Conversations Beyond the Light, by Dr. Pat Kubis & Mark Macy

(MPL Book Trailer #81)

The Mysterious Forest

The Music Man has composed another quintet of flute quartet compositions called The Mysterious Forest (2012).  Click the images below to bigify.

The liner notes will set the stage better than I can.

The five movements are relatively short--just under ten minutes--so the music carries the listener quickly through the different stages of his or her imagination.  This haste is deliberate.  The mysteries that the forest musically reveals are intended to be swift and sure.  Like fairies flittering in the forest, if you look away for a second, they disappear.  The sunlight shifts its streamers rapidly and unexpectedly as you journey through the woods, casting surprising shadows that counterpoint the light.  The fog rolls in with surprising rapidity.  The emotional rush builds as the listener discovers that the mysterious forest is a green maze through which s/he must navigate.

But that's just where the music takes moi.  Where it takes you depends upon your imagination.

The Music Man is offering my loyal readers (and library patrons) a special listening treat.  I've created a "music video" that includes the entire CD.  The images are simply place-holders for the music.  This is meant to be an auditory adventure.  The visuals are unimportant, but they were necessary for iMovie to arrange the instrumentals.

I recommend listening with headphones or earbuds.  Just click the embedded player below.

Enjoy,

Cauli Le Chat
MPL Roving Reporter
Library Music News Beat