Santa is a Cat

by David Wimsett, Joanne Fouchard (Illustrator)

Overview

Who really delivers presents on Christmas Eve? The truth may surprise you.

Santa is a Cat is a rhyming picture book that tells how Santa Claus has to be a cat. Who else could crawl up to rooftops or slide down chimneys so easily?

His sled is pulled by five magical mice named Tom, Ann, Sue, James and Paul, who's rather tall.

Mrs. Claus, whose name is Katie May, plans the trips and monitors Santa's journey with satellites and radar to make certain every house is visited to bring joy to children around the world.

A whimsical tale to delight young and old alike.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781990720048
Publisher:	Cape Split Press
Publication date:	09/01/2025
Pages:	38
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.10(d)
Age Range:	6 - 11 Years

About the Author

David A. Wimsett is an international award winning author of eight books including Beyond the Shallow Bank, women's historical fiction with elements of Celtic mythology, and The Carandir Saga, set in a fantasy world with diverse characters. He's a member of the Writers' Union of Canada and the Canadian Freelance Guild.

Joanne Fouchard grew up in an artistic household and started drawing and painting at a young age. She earned a bachelors of applied science but never stopped drawing. After taking an art course as an elective, she realized her real calling was to be an illustrator. She finds inspiration from the natural world around her with a love of forests and animals.

Editorial Reviews

2025-05-06
Fantasy author Wimsett’s debut picture book reimagines the Christmas legend with Santa as a cat.

When children go to bed on Christmas Eve, they dream of presents left under the tree by the jolly, magical person we call Santa. Everyone knows the story, but is it really possible that so rotund and aged a man could skip across rooftops and slip down chimneys with such nimble ease? Wimsett proposes an altogether more plausible possibility: Santa is, in fact, a ginger tabby, and his sleigh is pulled by five enchanted mice (“The mice are fed, / A special milk, / With honey spread on top”). Mrs. Katie Cat, a longhaired grey tabby, is in charge of logistics. Through her network of blinking and winking household cat spies, she keeps track of what presents are wanted by children around the world. She plots Santa Cat’s course on Christmas Eve and tracks him via satellite, checking her list to see that no child is left out. When children leave gifts of milk for Santa Cat, he takes some home in his flask to share with Mrs. Cat. The author narrates this new take on the Christmas legend through well-measured iambic heptameter; the rhymes are mostly unforced, and the meter remains consistent (the reader is occasionally obliged to drawl an extra syllable into words such as “smiles” and “Ireland”). The central conceit is both whimsical and joyous—very much in keeping with the Christmas spirit—and is brought to life by Fouchard’s dreamy, digitally painted illustrations. These are resplendent in their Christmas colors and evoke the slightly pixilated, soft-focus blur of greeting cards. In addition to depicting endearing central characters, Fouchard renders unique and imaginative background details, such as the toys of Santa Cat’s workshop or the flames in Santa and Mrs. Cat’s fireplace. Children are few in the story but reflect a variety of ethnic backgrounds. Where darker backdrops preclude the natural placing of black-inked text, a striking contrast is achieved by setting said text within superimposed snowdrift bubbles.

Magical—a perfect snuggle-up read for Christmas Eve.

Kirkus Reviews