Book Report: Mango and the Square Green Cat

Local author Janice Falk is the creator of Mango and the Square Green Cat (Favortwou), an illustrated book for cat lovers, or for kids, or for kids who love cats. But Mango, it seems, goes beyond literary endeavor into the territory of pretty cool marketing ploy.

First things first. Mango (illustrated buy Christine Patete) is a precocious fluffy orange (hence the name: he shares his coloring with the tropical fruit) cat. He’s a less sarcastic Garfield. In Falk’s book, Mango’s daily nap routine is interrupted by a foreign object on the bed where he likes to doze. There’s a happy ending. The book is cute yet clever and littered with fun details (a sleeping human lays near an open volume of “Knowing Your Cat;” the cat imagines a queen-sized bed comes equipped with a crown). It’s been a number of years since I read to a young person, but this book offers a relatable story for school-age kids and good practice for readers with a little experience.

But Mango doesn’t stop at the book’s final page. Nope. The companion website offers links to purchase both a Mango T-shirt (in kids and adults sizes, no less) and a plush orange cat toy. There’s also an intro by Falk promising more Mango adventures in the future, and an ongoing schedule of Mango-themed parties. The next of these takes place on Saturday, July 12 from 1-5 p.m. at the Stephens-Lee Center. The book launch event is free and includes games, prizes and refreshments. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Info: mango@mangothecat.com or 337-8692.

Other local and regional kids’ reads:
Madeleine Claire and the Dinosaur (Brave Ulysses, 2006) by Jerald Pope
What It’s Like In The Stars/ and Easy coloring book by Secret Agent 23 Skidoo (with companion CD and interactive Website).
Immersed in Verse: An Informative, Slightly Irreverent & Totally Tremendous Guide to Living the Poet’s Life (Lark Books, 2006) by Allan Wolf.
Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach (Kids Can Press, 2008) by Melanie Watt (winner of the 2008 North Carolina Children’s Book Award in the Picture Book category).
The Dirty Cowboy (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2008) by by Amy Timberlake and Adam Rex (Rex was named winner of the 2008 North Carolina Children’s Book Award in the Junior Book category).
Snow Day! (Peachtree Publishers, 2007) by Lester Laminack.

Know of other good children’s books by regional authors? Share them here.

—Alli Marshall, A&E reporter

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Alli Marshall
Alli Marshall has lived in Asheville for more than 20 years and loves live music, visual art, fiction and friendly dogs. She is the winner of the 2016 Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize and the author of the novel "How to Talk to Rockstars," published by Logosophia Books. Follow me @alli_marshall

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

One thought on “Book Report: Mango and the Square Green Cat

  1. Spellbound Bookshop

    “Little Cloud in the Crowd” is a lovely picture book by Pamella O’Connor; “Samurai Shortstop” and “Something Rotten” are two great YA novels by Alan Gratz; “Chiggers” is a brand new graphic novel for the 10-14 set by Hope Larson (profiled recently in Xpress); another favorite by Allan Wolf is “The Blood-Hungry Spleen and Other Poems About Your Parts,” a funny and informative illustrated book of poetry that’s just recently come out in paperback….

    Thank you for spotlighting books for young people!

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.