Five minutes with Jess Black
Author Jess Black joins us to introduce her new junior-fiction series, Kitty is Not a Cat!
What is Kitty is Not a Cat about?
Kitty is Not a Cat is a warmly funny junior-fiction series about Kitty, a little girl who believes she can be anything she dreams - even a cat. When Kitty arrives on the doorstep of a house full of music-mad felines, their lives are turned upside down as they attempt to teach her how to be human.
Do you have a specific routine when writing your books?
Not really. I do lots of reading and research before I begin writing. Once writing I find it hard to think about anything else. A book will consume me until it is finished!
What is the best thing about being a children’s author? What is the hardest?
Best thing is getting to create characters and worlds that I love to spend time in and then sharing those worlds with kids. The hardest thing is starting a new series and facing the unknown!
What did you enjoy reading as a kid?
I loved anything by Enid Blyton – Magic Faraway Tree, Famous Five and Secret Seven. I also loved mysteries – Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys. I loved horses and read every horse book that exists! Later, I read lots of fantasy.
When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
Writing came to me later in life. I wrote for Theatre and Television and all the time I was writing short stories and doing writing courses. I never imagined I’d get published! I knew from my early twenties, but it didn’t happen for me until my mid-thirties!
Kitty is not a Cat: Lights Out - Bogan Entertainment Solutions, Jess Black
Some children hate going to bed. Not Kitty! Kitty falls asleep every night curled up snug as a bug in a bed box. That is, until one spooky night when Kitty's night-light goes missing and her fear of the dark comes creeping out.
Kitty is not a Cat: Teddy's Bear - Bogan Entertainment Solutions, Jess Black
What could be better that a cuddly teddy bear? How about a real-life grizzly bear! Kitty and the bear spend a fun-filled afternoon together, but it doesn't take long for Kitty to realise that having a grizzly bear for a playmate may be a little more trouble that she thought.
Kitty is not a Cat: Bath Time - Bogan Entertainment Solutions, Jess Black
Kitty needs a bath, but that's easier said than done in a house full of cats who hate water! When the cats gather up the courage to explore the mansion's dusty old bathroom, Kitty realises that baths aren't so bad after all.
Kitty is not a Cat: Hired Hound - Bogan Entertainment Solutions, Jess Black
A house full of musical cats who must stay silent? What kind of home is that? When the neighbours hire a guard dog to keep the cats quiet, they need a solution fast. And, as usual, it comes in the form of a little girl in a bright orange cat suit.