Friday 24 August 2012

Cat and Crow - book review and giveaway

I don’t think there are many people who use social networking who have not come across the wonderful true story of the the cat and crow who become best friends. If you have been hiding in a cave for the last few years, here is a reminder:



Now there has been a book produced for children based on this story and Austin and I are the lucky recipients of two copies! Yes two copies!! What are the chances that?  But more about that in a minute.

The book is a beautifully presented 48 page soft cover published by Collage Books. The author is Lisa Fleming and the illustrator is Anne Marie Dominik-Harris. 

Photo taken from Barnes and Noble website

Just in case you do need updating on this story. Briefly, Cassie was a kitten who wandered into the yard of the home of Ann and Wally Collito one day. Moses is the crow who befriended and protected the kitten and they became inseparable. The Collitos watched this amazing friendship over the following four years.

This little book tells their story in a way that grips you whether you are three or eighty-three. And the illustrations are very well done and delightfully endearing - in fact the words and the artwork complement each other beautifully. There are also photos of the redoubtable duo and fun facts about cats and crows in the back of the book.

The author, Lisa Fleming, saw the You Tube video and was so enamoured of the story that she contacted the Collitos who welcomed her into their family and encouraged her to write the story.

Lisa, Wally and Cassie
picture taken from Lisa’s facebook page
The book is in memory of Ann Collito

Austin and I thoroughly recommend this book - although Austin was initially a little sceptical because of past experiences with another member of the genus corvus!

But as you can see, he is loving it now!

Ahem!

Now the reason we have two copies is because we won a copy in two different draws from two of our favourite blogs! The first was with Layla at Cat Wisdom 101 and the second was with Cat Chat with Caren and Cody. Now because we are not greedy and want others to have a chance to have a copy, Austin has decided to do his first giveaway!


If you would like to have a copy of the book (and one or two other goodies!) all you have to do is leave a comment at the bottom of this post saying that you wish to be entered. If you belong to facebook it would be really good if you could “like” the facebook page :) The draw is open to anybody, anywhere in the world and will close on Monday 27th August at 12 noon BST. The winner, drawn at random, will be announced soon after. Happy commenting!

Update: Thank you very much to all of you who have entered the draw. It has now closed. The result will be announced shortly.

31 comments:

  1. ooooh, how timely! Mommy ate crow today! We'd like to enter, we'll send it to the Grandkittens!

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  2. Please enter us too. We can always put it on an auction. We have seen the video and it is a great story. Take care.

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  3. I think I would enjoy that one and I did like the Facebook page too. Great giveaway friends!

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  4. Apparently, Mommie has been living under a rock, because she has not hear of this story! Because we live in the USA and do not want you to have to go to the expense of shipping this book, we are not entering the contest - but Mommie is going to check the book out at the library!

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  5. Don't enter me - I'm going to get my own copy. This is wonderful! I liked the fb page.

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  6. We already "loveded" the facebooky page. We would like to try to win this in the name of our cousin Spooks to give to the momma's niece. Spooks knows that she would love this storry

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  7. We would love to win this awesome book--we have a cat-loving niece who would adore it. :-) We're going to friend your Facebook page too. Thank you!

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  8. We love the story of the cat and the crow!! And we would love this book!!

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  9. We read about this amazing friendship but not the book. Since we have no human kits to give this book to, we'll not be entering the draw. Good luck to everyone else! :)

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  10. Thanks for getting me out of the cave.
    Cant wait to get my fingers on it... won or bought!
    Austin have a great weekend!

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  11. Awwwww wez would luv's that book, Wez in the dark ages, no facebook :( but Humom has a friend so Wez will get her to press the likes button :)
    Have a great Caturday Austin xx00xx

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  12. We'd love a copy of this amazing book. Such an uplifting story. I have a 10 year old black female cat. She was at a rescue that fostered lots of cats at the shop where our dogs were groomed. She had been found, pregnant, begging for,food. An elderly couple saved her life, and that of her four kittens, by contacting the rescue. I thank them everyday, even though I don't know their names. I love stories that show how,beautiful black cats really are.

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  13. Hi there Anonymous. Please can you come back and leave a name and contact? Otherwise I will have to leave you out the draw! :(

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  14. wonderful review and thank you for the shoutout! You are one lucky cat Austin! We will also share!
    xoxoxo

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  15. We love the talented Lisa and this book looks wonderful!!

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  16. Well, me and my Human are the people who must've been living under a rock for the last few years because we have never seen this! But we loved it--it maded the Human a little leaky as a matter of fact. Women, sheesh!

    We would luff to win a copy! XOXOXO

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  17. MOWZERS! What a pawesome book! We loves it when mommy reads cuz it makes for more LAP TIME (SCORE!)

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  18. Now THERE's a campaign you an hang your HAT on!

    GO AUSTIN!

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  19. OOo, this looks positively wonderful! And is Austin approved as well, what more could one ask for? Would love to win a copy, but will surely hunt it down otherwise. :)

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  20. I had the same here with my neighbor's cat ! He had a magpie following him everywhere and sometimes they were just sitting besides each other on the sidewalk and watched the street. Unfortunately I never managed to take picture of this strange couple !

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  21. Mommy and I would be enchanted to have this locely book. She remembers that story when it first was talked about/videod. We both love it.

    We would be honored to win if only we could. Please put us down for a chance. XOO

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  22. I already liked this on facebook (I am Margot Core there); it's so charming. Alysia would love it (he's a human and she is 4 years old) and she could read it with Leonardo (he is a tuxedo cat); I would probably have to help.

    margueritecore [at] gmail [dot] com

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  23. Mom loved their story about the unusual furiendship and would want a chance at winning the book to read with me please.

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  24. Me to would like to win the book and goodies :)
    Amazing that a cat can be furriend with a crow and the other way around too :)

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  25. What am amazing and beautiful story this is!!! We heard about it not long ago...the video is unbelievable! Ever since, we've heard nothing but wonderful things about it. We would absolutely LOVE to win the book.
    : )
    Katie & Glogirly

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  26. Hey Buddy! I'm getting close to 100% over here--want to come by next week for a brewski and a nice jar of Gerber's?

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  27. Cassie looks a little bit like Austin so he should like the book. What a tremendous story.

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  28. Oh, how lovely! That seems like a really sweet little book :)

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  29. Oh what a sweet book -- would love to win....will Austin autograph it for me? From Moses, Snoodles' quilting inspector

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