A cat's eye view of an ordinary garden is on offer in Ed Miliano's charming and visually striking children's book, It's A Jungle Out There, newly published in plenty of time for Christmas.
Regular readers of The Irish Times may know Miliano's name thanks to the many powerful illustrations he has contributed to the newspaper over the years. It's A Jungle Out There reveals a softer dimension to his work; however, it's not entirely without an "edge" - he can turn a tiny beetle into a fairly menacing giant.
We have all watched cats as they turn a hall closet into the lair of their prey, or the lettuce patch into a tropical forest. Miliano follows his white-coated, green-eyed protagonist as it stalks ladybirds and magpies, grasshoppers and butterflies, bees and shadows.
"Sleek and fast, no one gets past!" says this typically Mitty-like kitty, who walks the garden wall to "keep outsiders out" - principally the dog who's tied up next door. In the end, wholly satisfied with the day's adventures, the cat returns to curl up on an armchair in the lazy manner to which cat lovers are accustomed.
The colourful, sweetly detailed illustrations combine with simple, rhyming text to make It's A Jungle Out There a lovely gift for the young friend of your feline.
It's A Jungle Out There by Ed Miliano is published by Wolfhound Press (£8.99).
