This is a timeless and humorous take on the secret life of cats, turning
the classic proverb 'When the cat's away...' on its head. Bruce Ingman won the Mother Goose Award for this delightfully arch tale of a cat's secret life.
Martha may think her cat Lionel sleeps the day away while she is at school, but she is quite mistaken. Lionel is a worldly-wise cat with a jam-packed schedule. He busies himself during the day by catching up on his current affairs, weightlifting, cooking and enjoying some letter-writing. Furthermore, Lionel seems to be the 'cat's meow' to the feline ladies in the neighborhood, squeezing in time to paint their portraits, impress with his pianoforte and play doctors and nurses!
'A strikingly beautiful book, its airy, Matisse-inspired design a witty blend of cool sophistication and faux naif charm.' - Joanna Carey, The Guardian
Author
About Bruce Ingman
Bruce Ingman won both the Mother Goose Award and the National Art Library Illustration Award for When Martha's Away. He is also the author-illustrator of Bad News, I'm in Charge!, and the illustrator of The Pencil, written by Allan Ahlberg and winner of the Red House Children's Book Award 2009. Bruce lives in London.
