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Peanut the Mouse (Dr Kitty Cat series) ISBN: 9780192765994
Clarke, Jane
Published by OUP, 2018
This is one of a series of books about small animals with health problems and their doctor, Dr Kitty Kat. She is female, and she has a mouse assistant who is male and rather timid. In this story, it is Peanut who is ill. After a busy morning at the clinic when Dr Kitty Kat congratulates Peanut for getting his certificate in Advanced Furry First Aid, he faints and collapses. Dr Kitty Kat is very concerned and is beside him immediately being her always gentle and helpful self. She asks lots of questions and tests him in all sorts of ways, and in the end she diagnoses ‘paw and jaw’ disease, an uncomfortable thing to have, but he should get over it in a few days. There is lots of detail about how the doctor looks after her assistant in the Vanbulance, about the symptoms and the need for rest and lots of water and good food when Peanut feels like eating. The other animals are rather concerned they might get the illness too because it is contagious, but Dr Kitty Kat is reassuring: ‘Peanut always washes his paws before dealing with a patient,’ she says. The mouse is soon up and about and all the animals are able to share in a pizza and sleepover party in celebration of Peanut’s gaining his certificate. There is lots of good information in these books real, proper information, put in easily understood terms and pulling no punches, but it is done in an accessible form that will appeal. The illustrations are unusual real photographs of animals overlaid with drawn-on clothing in white and pink. Backgrounds, when they are needed, are in the same colours along with thick black outlining. This is a most interesting series of what are basically information books but with stories as well. Excellent!
Age: 6+