‘The Joy and Light Bus Company’, by Alexander McCall Smithĥ9.

‘A Song of Comfortable Chairs’, by Alexander McCall SmithĦ0. ‘The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating’, by Elizabeth Tova BaileyĦ1. ‘A Boy Called Christmas’, by Matt HaigĦ3. ‘The Girl who Saved Christmas’, by Matt HaigĦ5. ‘The Art of Racing in the Rain’, by Garth Steinġ. ‘Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow’, by Gabrielle ZevinĢ. ‘Father Christmas and Me’, by Matt Haigģ. ‘The Light We Carry’, by Michelle ObamaĤ.

‘The Invention of Hugo Cabret’, by Brian SelznickĦ. ‘The Marriage Portrait’, by Maggie O’FarrellĨ. ‘Oops Pounce Quick Run!’, by Mike Twohyġ0. ‘Mexican Gothic’, Silvia Moreno-Garciaġ4. ‘Hana Khan Carries On’, by Uzma Jalaluddinġ7. ‘The Violin Conspiracy’, by Brendan SlocumbĢ0. ‘Miss Eliza’s English Kitchen’, Annabel AbbsĢ1. ‘Bomb Shelter’, by Mary Laura PhilpottĢ3.

‘Send Me Into the Woods Alone’, by Erin PeplerĢ4. ‘Unlikely Animals’, by Annie HartnettĢ7. ‘The Geometry of Holding Hands’, by Alexander McCall SmithĢ8. ‘The Stranger in the Lifeboat’, by Mitch Albomģ0. ‘The Burgess Boys’, by Elizabeth Stroutģ1. ‘The Storm Whale in Winter’, by Benji Daviesģ3. ‘Fellowship Point’, by Alice Elliott Darkģ4. However, this story resolves beautifully, highlighting small town community and the courage of one special cat called Mowzer.ģ5. Recently I knit an Aran sweater complete with cables and learned about how fishermen lost at sea would sometimes sadly be identified by the unique and intricate patterns their wives had designed. It communicates the mysterious relationship between man and the sea and underscores the vulnerability of fishermen in the face of the changeable weather and the power of the ocean. The illustrations are luminous and capture the emotions and nuance in the story. Yes, in a mouse story, there must be a cat! By the way, Mousehole is pronounced in the Cornish way (Mowzel). When an extended storm threatens the town with starvation, a fisherman and his cat save the day. The townspeople depend on local fishermen for food. The boats in the harbour are all small ones because the entrance in the breakwaters is very tiny. Inspired by an old Cornish legend, this British award winning illustrated children’s book is charming and true to its setting which I just had the pleasure to visit! On a trip to Cornwall we called in at Mousehole for lunch and enjoying seeing this picturesque village and fishing town.

The Mousehole Cat by Antonia Barber