Alley Cat Rally

by Ricky Trickartt

Overview

Asta the cat is on a mission: to be the greatest racer her neighborhood has ever seen. She needs to show those alley cats who the real slow pokes are! And what better opportunity than the Kibble Hill Rally?

Using a bit of ingenuity and a washing machine, Asta's ready to take on the other racers, but can she compete with Marvin's souped-up shopping basket or Anton's sleek sportscar and win the race?
Buckle up for this lively tale from Ricky Trickartt about the importance of persisting, even when your dreams might feel out of reach...

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781838740306
Publisher:	Flying Eye Books Ltd.
Publication date:	07/06/2021
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	1,110,003
Product dimensions:	9.31(w) x 10.94(h) x 0.37(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Ricky Trickartt is a graphic artist who can barely contain his creativity. Over the past 15 years, he has developed and delivered hundreds of unique record covers and packaging designs. Ricky has created artwork for clients like BBC Radio 1 and Red Bull, and directs the visual output of the renowned independent electronic music label Hospital Records.

Editorial Reviews

05/17/2021

Asta, an orange feline, is deeply insulted when the drag-racing cats in her alley overtake her—one of them even calls her a slowpoke. In response, Asta reengineers the family washing machine into a roadster and signs on for the big cat auto race (a full spread maps the entire street course winding through the cats’ town). Asta’s vehicle is far from the oddest: one cat pilots a shopping cart, another takes the wheel of what appears to be a cross between a pickle and a squash. But Asta is triumphant—until she realizes she’s dreamed the whole thing while napping inside the washing machine. The story is short on character development, and the “then they woke up” ending will frustrate invested readers. But graphic artist Trickartt’s pictures, rendered in the flat, sharp colors and stylized crispness of vector art, have lots of fizz and detail. He’s especially good at breaking down the action so readers can savor the story’s progress, whether it’s Asta’s creation of her souped-up washer (that cat knows how to weld) or the stages of the race itself, with its breakneck speeds, hairpin turns, and wipeouts. Ages 3–7. (July)

Publishers Weekly

Featured in BookTrust's "Books we Love in April 2021" reading list

"Start your engines for some energetic fun."
—Kirkus Reviews

"Trickartt’s pictures, rendered in the flat, sharp colors and stylized crispness of vector art, have lots of fizz and detail."
—Publishers Weekly

"A fantastic message of perseverance and remaining positive when dreams seem off in the distance…”
—Treat Yo Shelf

"Bonkers but brilliant!"
—Kim & the BookBairns

“Perfect for cat lovers, car lovers and all bookworms.”
—Small Print Books

“Great messages about dreaming big, working towards your goals and persistence running through them.”
—Little Readers Love

From the Publisher

2021-06-02
A cat participates in a race car adventure, earning the respect of her feline friends.

Asta is strolling through an alley at night when a group of cats zooms by in race cars, calling her a “slowpoke.” When she learns about a race on Saturday at Kibble Hill, she gathers her tools and blowtorch and transforms her washing machine into a functional if blocky racing vehicle. After a test drive down Mount Tuna Road, it’s off to the races for four fast-paced spreads. Asta is the first (“by a whisker!”) to cross the finish line. Cat lovers and fans of auto racing, in particular, will get a kick out of seeing the cats’ creatively rendered vehicles: Ludlow drives a melon-shaped car; Marvin steers a motorized shopping cart; and Professor Kim has built an impressive, elaborate cat-shaped vehicle that she controls from inside a bubble top. There’s much humor in seeing the determined cats, some in racing goggles, fly down the track that loops through town on spreads dominated by vivid oranges, reds, and yellows. Detailed jokes await observant readers, such as the presence of a “Cat-olic Church” on the spread showing the racing map. The book’s abrupt rim shot ending leaves readers wondering if Asta dreamed it all, a resolution that may disappoint some readers who experience a vicarious thrill in Asta’s win.

Start your engines for some energetic fun. (Picture book. 4-10)

Kirkus Reviews