The Cat Who Wouldn't Come Inside, a children's picture book by Cynthia von Buhler, is a loving tribute to feline companionship, sure to warm human and kitty hearts, because cat company is worth waiting for. Published by Houghton Mifflin.

    /24-7PressRelease/ - January 19, 2007 -The "house-that-Jack-built" structure and repetition of this story will appeal to young readers, who will also delight in following the construction of the cat's new home. This tale of friendship and trust, of patience and love, is based on a true story. While living in Boston, in a large purple Victorian house, von Buhler befriended a stray cat, whom she named Olympus after the Greek mountain. She repeatedly invited him inside, but he didn't budge from the porch. So she went to the mountain, so to speak, and over the course of four years, fed him, nursed him, and built him his own (heated) purple and green house. Creating the set for the book was a family affair—von Buhler's father adapted her childhood dollhouse (which he had built by hand); her mother sewed the curtains, and her sister, a fashion designer, created the clothing. Von Buhler created all the characters using Sculpey clay. They were baked in an oven until hardened, then decorated with paint. She created a 3D set, and everything was then photographed with a Haselblad camera using a variety of lenses and colored gel filters, creating a fantastical world of cottony snow, comfortable chairs, and hidden delights.

Committed to reaching out to her audience in non-traditional ways, von Buhler has created an art exhibit based on the sculptures and sets used for the book that also incorporates a children's cat sculpture workshop . The exhibit, shown at The Museum of American Illustration, travels next to The Staten Island Musuem of Arts & Sciences, and afterwards it will tour museums nationwide. For more information, please visit http://www.comeinsidekitty.com, which also includes step-by-step "make a kitty" instructions, a feature on how the house and set were created, an author's blog, and more. Von Buhler has also produced a flash music animation, set to her original music (including her own vocals), which feature the book's characters and set. This animation, "Come Inside Kitty" can be viewed on YouTube.com

Cynthia von Buhler is an internationally known and award-winning artist. Her artwork has been displayed in galleries and museums around the world, on CD covers, and in books, magazines, and newspapers. The book was chosen as Teacher's Pick - Best Books of 2006 by Parent & Child magazine and a Winter 2006/2007 by "Book Sense". Four illustrations from the book have been chosen to appear in the prestigious art book American Illustration.

Von Buhler has rescued and placed more than thirty cats into loving homes, and plans to donate a portion of her royalties from the sale of this book to City Critters, a New York City animal rescue organization. The book also contains valuable and practical information for those who find stray cats. City Critters has held adoptions at many of von Buhler's workshops and art openings and many animals have been adopted into loving homes. Von Buhler currently lives in a "castle" on Staten Island, with a host of pets, including six doves, thirty goldfish, two rats, a small dog (adopted recently from City Critters), her husband, Russell, and, of course, eight cats.

Reviews:
"A sheer delight." - Kirkus Reviews
"a unique, quirky and delightful book" - Bookpage
"wonderfully detailed photographs" - School Library Journal
"3-D settings and characters work considerable magic" - Publisher's Weekly
"The cat's meow" - Time Out NY Kids

Available wherever books are sold or by contacting Houghton Mifflin Customer Service at
1-800-225-3362.

September 10, 2006
For Immediate Release
Contact: Karen Walsh, 617-351-3647, Houghton Mifflin


September 2006, Picture Book
Ages 2-5
PreK-K
40 pages
$16.00
ISBN 10 0-618-56314-8
ISBN 13/EAN 978-0-618-56314-2

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