Today, my newest book, Nat the Cat Has a Hat, officially hits shelves!
Nat the Cat Has a Hat is the fourth installment of my Nat the Cat early reader series, joining Nat the Cat Takes a Nap, Nat the Cat Takes a Bath, and Nat the Cat Has a Snack.
I try to make every one of my Nat the Cat books fun and funny–that is definitely the most important thing. But in each book, I also attempt to explore some emotional terrain that my young readers might also find themselves facing. In Nat the Cat Takes a Nap, Nat struggles with exhaustion and the annoyance and anger that often stem from it. In Nat the Cat Takes a Bath, Nat confronts fear and shame. In Nat the Cat Has a Snack, Nat deals with selfishness and, at least at first, has a tough time with sharing. And in this newest book, Nat the Cat Has a Hat, Nat has to grapple with jealousy and pride.
The release of Nat the Cat Has a Hat is special for another reason, too–it’s my 20th published book! This fact somehow feels both obvious and also impossible for me to wrap my head around. I’ve worked long and hard, and so a part of me thinks, Yeah, that was about 20 books‘ worth of work. But another part of me thinks back to before I’d sold my first book, to the days (and there were LOTS of them) where I’d think, If I could just publish one book–ONE book–in my whole entire lifetime, I’d be happy. For a long time, it was all I wanted. And I try to remind myself of that as much as I can. It helps me take a step back, take a deep breath, and feel a bit of pride about what I’ve done (something I am notoriously quite bad at…). At the same time, it also reminds me that there is absolutely no way I could’ve gotten here without my family, my friends, and also everyone–likely including YOU–who has ever supported me and my work in any way. So, if that’s you: THANK YOU. Books are nothing without readers, and whether you are one of my readers or someone keeping tabs on my career in order to connect my books to the right readers (or both!), you have been instrumental in making these 20 books a reality, and also in bringing about the next 20. You have quite literally helped make my dreams come true. I appreciate it enormously, and will never stop.
I managed to spend the last week or so of 2023 away from my computer and drawing tablet. It was lovely, and much needed — but I’m excited to be back. Especially because I’ve got a whole bunch of exciting updates to share.
First up, some Nat the Cat news!
My curmudgeonly feline friend has been popping up in some exciting places, like on Betsy Bird’s absolutely spectacular Fuse 8 blog. If you don’t know Betsy and her work, you ought to change that immediately. I’ve been a fan of Betsy’s work since before I had a book published. Over the years, I have learned about SO many amazing books from her — books I most likely would’ve otherwise missed. Also, Betsy’s writing — whether on her blog or in her books — is simply wonderful. Her voice is so strong, her sentences such a delight to read. Take a peek at her blog and you’ll quickly get what I mean.
Anyway, one of the coolest (and most impressive) things Betsy does on her blog is her annual “31 Days, 31 Lists” marathon of, well, lists. Every year, for each day of December, Betsy posts a list — a round up of what she considers the best kids’ books published in a variety of categories. I look forward to these lists every year, and usually read them with a pad and pen so I can write down all the titles I missed and want to check out. So you can imagine how excited I was when I spotted none other than Nat on one of Betsy’s lists. Specifically, Nat the Cat Takes a Nap and Nat the Cat Takes a Bath appeared on Betsy’s 2023 Easy Books and Early Chapter Books list.
Before I tell you what Betsy said about Nat’s books, I first want to share with you a bit from Betsy’s introduction to the post. She begins by asking a question: “Is the most difficult kind of book to write for children a picture book, a poetry book for kids, an easy book, or an early chapter book?” After ruling out picture book and poetry, she finally comes to a conclusion: it’s a tie between so-called easy books and early chapter books. Why? First of all, “A truly great easy book must use literally the simplest of words to convey a title so interesting that it makes a child want to know how to read.” And early chapter books? Each one has “the additional obligation of transitioning children from those easy books into long chapter books. If it fails, it sets the kid back.”
I have long felt this way about these deceptively “easy” books — and only felt it more so after I began publishing both kinds. It’s why I typically use the term “early reader” as opposed to “easy books.” They are extremely challenging to make, and not at all easy for the emerging readers who are their target audience. The only people they are easy for, in fact, are already-fluent readers (like the adults who are putting the books into the hands of the kids who need them). Probably because they’ve read these kinds of books by the hundred, if not thousand, all the librarians and educators I’ve met understand just how hard these books are to make. And any grownup who doesn’t get it should sit down and try their hand at making one themselves. The difficulties will pretty much immediately become apparent.
It was so nice to read Betsy’s take on all this — and then I scrolled down and got a look at Nat, followed by a bunch of very kind words from Betsy. Here’s her write-up in full:
Oo! A new easy book character to read relentlessly for years! And read I shall! Here we have Nat, a semi-rectangular feline with triangle ears. In Takes a Bath, with the requisite number of flies buzzing about his ears, Nat is slated to take a bath… and he don’t wanna. So how do you get a whole book out of that? As it turns out, the delay tactics of children with limited vocabularies transfer perfectly over to cats who feel the same way. Meanwhile, in Takes a Nap, Nat is trying to sleep but the book’s narrator is keeping him from his forty winks with funny results. I thought the text in both books nicely appropriate for kids first wrapping their heads around slightly longer words like “because” and “bubbles” and “scared”. Now with Nat and the Rat named Pat’s dialogue balloons, coupled with the simpler narration, it would be possible to have a child reading aloud the narrator’s part, alongside a better reader doing Nat’s. Particularly since Nat gets all the good emotional moments (I was particularly fond of him going “And… and… and…”)
Just a couple days after finding Nat the Cat on Betsy’s blog, I received some news aboutanother one of my books — A Work in Progress. The book was among those selected for the 2024 edition of ProjectLIT.
To quote the people behind the project: “Born out of one classroom in Nashville, TN, in 2016, our grassroots literacy movement now includes more than 2,000 schools (or “chapters”) across all 50 states, all committed to increasing book access and promoting a love of reading, and all led by incredible students, teachers, and librarians.” In the seven years since its inception, ProjectLIT has made the kid lit world dramatically better in all kinds of ways. The best way to learn more about ProjectLIT and to see the amazing things it does, follow @projectlitcomm on Instagram and elsewhere. You can also search the hashtag, follow some of the individual chapter accounts, or look for interviews with ProjectLIT founder Jared Amato.
Not long after all this, just before the end of the year, I got some more good news: I learned that Nat the Cat Takes a Nap had been given a 2023 Nerdy Book Award. If you’re not familiar with the Nerdy Book Club and the crew of brilliant, big-hearted people behind it, it’s another thing you must change. They have influenced and inspired me for years, and if you think I’m good at what I do, it’s in large part because of all of what I’ve learned from people like Donalyn Miller, Pernille Ripp, Colby Sharp, Travis Jonker, John Schu, and many of the other nerds making up the initial core of the “club.” So to find out that a book of mine had been selected by them as one of the best of the year — it was a special honor.
A Work in Progress also showed up on Colby Sharp’s personal blog on his round up on Amazing 2023 Books.
All of this made for a fantastic end to 2023, and the first week of 2024 has been pretty great, too. On the first day of the year, Nat popped up yet again — this time as a finalist for a Cybils Award. The Cybils are a unique and wonderful award, and rather than try to describe them myself, I’ll quote them directly:
At its heart, the Cybils Awards is a group of readers passionate about seeking out and recognizing books that portray diversity, inclusion, and appropriate representation for children and teens. To accomplish that goal, the Cybils Awards works to recognize books written for children and young adults that combine both the highest literary merit and popular appeal.
As one of the two original founders put it, between the brussels sprouts of literary merit and the gummy bears of popularity contests, we are the organic chicken nuggets–both yummy and nutritious!
If you didn’t know about the Cybils Awards before, surely you can now imagine how honored I am for Nat the Cat Takes a Nap to have received one. Even more awesome, Nat is in some absolutely amazing company — some of my favorite books of the year!
The last bit of news to report is that I was in a newspaper — specifically, the Boston Globe. I was interviewed by parenting columnist Kara Baskin about my background, my work, and the importance of making books that reflect the full and true spectrum of boys’ emotional lives. It was an enormous thrill to see myself and my work and words in print like it was. My kids, meanwhile, were mostly just excited that there was a picture of Taylor Swift right below my interview. You can check out the piece in the Globe‘s January 5th print edition, or online HERE.
All in all, I had quite an incredible end of 2023 and beginning of 2024. I don’t take any of these special shouts-outs for granted, and am humbled by every single one. The biggest thing I take away from it all is that the people behind these honors and awards, all of whom I know to be most focused on the kids that these books are all for, believe I’m doing some good work. And the biggest thing that does for me is make me eager to keep working — to make more of the kinds of books that kids both want and need. I plan to do exactly this year and beyond.
THANK YOU to all of the above-mentioned individuals and groups for reading my books, and for considering — and ultimately choosing them — for all of this awesome recognition. And THANK YOU to you if you’ve made it through this long (and pretty braggy, I know…) blog post, and for any and all of the support you gave me and my work in 2023.
In addition to the links embedded above, you can find all the posts mentioned above listed on my Press page. Once again: Happy new year!
A few weeks ago, I hopped on here to talk about how the end of the year meant the arrival of all sorts of Best Of lists — and I shared that the audiobook edition of A Work in Progress had popped up on none other than Audible’s Best of 2023. (Click HERE to check out that post.)
Well, in the time since I’ve written that, lots more lists have appeared, and I’m super delighted and wildly honored to let you know that my books have popped up on even more of them!
First up, New York Public Library’s (yep — the one with the famous lions out front) Best Books of 2023 list, on which A Work in Progress appeared:
And now, another wonderful city’s equally wondering public library — Chicago Public Library’s 2023 Best of the Best list, on which A Work in Progress was included:
Leaving behind the public libraries and heading into schools, Nat the Cat — and his second book, Nat the Cat Takes a Nap — showed up on School Library Journal’s Best Books list:
And last but definitely not least, I made a pair of appearances on another list — one that I look forward to every single year. The list is compiled by author-illustrator-librarian Travis Jonker, and published on his brilliant 100 Scope Notes blog. (You really should subscribe to it, if you don’t already.) The list, Travis’s annual “Year in Miscellanea,” is a collection of amusing, exciting, and fun things that have happened in the kid lit world throughout the calendar year. As soon as Travis posts the list, I open it up and read it, because it’s never not a delight. So imagine my surprise when I saw my name on there — twice. Best of all, my appearances on the list have nothing to do with anything I’ve done. Except, I suppose, celebrate some of the amazing creations of my fans. Here — take a look. First, at these fabulous cookies:
And now, feast your eyes on this incredible work of art:
Yes, those are Rubik’s Cubes. Dozens and dozens of them. (I’m pretty sure they told me how many, but I can’t remember. If you want, you can zoom in and count.)
Amazing. All of it. I am humbled and very, very happy.
I want to once again thank all the librarians, both public and school, for considering my books and ultimately honoring them in this way. It means that they will reach — and, hopefully, positively impact — even more readers than they would otherwise. And that, at the end of the day, is all I’m really after.
I’m delighted to share that my Nat the Cat series of early readers has been extended! There will now be (at least) SIX books in the series.
These books are such a joy to make. And I’ve already hit the ground running making them. I’ve written the third book, finished the cover art, and laid out the interior. I’ve also written Books #4 and #5, and sketched covers for both. And I know you’re obligated to take this statement with a (very large) grain of salt, but I think the stories are only getting better and better. (Perhaps there’s some evidence for this, too — while both Nat the Cat Takes a Nap and Nat the Cat Takes a Bath were Junior Library Guild selections, Nat the Cat Takes a Bath scored a bonus STARRED review.)
In any case, I can’t wait to share more about these new Nat (and Pat!) stories with you. I’ve already shared a couple of sneak peeks about/of Book #3 on my social media accounts, so head over there to see those and make sure you don’t miss anything else about the books!
I know I already gave it all away in the title of the post, but I’m so jazzed about it, I’m going to say it again down here: Nat the Cat Takes a Bath got a STARRED review from School Library Journal!
I want to say a big THANK YOU to School Library Journal — and a big THANK YOU, in particular, to SLJ reviewer Mary Lanni. It’s extra special when a reviewer really “gets” what you’ve tried to do with a book of yours, and Mary did just that and then some.
I’ve pasted below the full text of the review, and you can also click HERE if you want to check it out on SLJ’s site (which I recommend, since there’s TONS of great stuff on there). Also, if you follow me over on social media, you know I’ve been teasing some big news about Nat that I’ve got to share. This wonderful review isn’t it — this was a total surprise, and one that I learned about just last night. But I promise: the OTHER big news is coming soon!
Nat the Cat Takes a Bath is available wherever books are sold, as is Nat’s first book, Nat the Cat Takes a Nap. As always, if you want your copies of Nat’s books signed (and personalized, if you wish), you can order them from my local indie, The Silver Unicorn. Click HERE to do that.
Tomorrow, I have TWO books coming out: Nat the Cat Takes a Bath and A Work in Progress. Judging by their covers, the books couldn’t be any more different. But I have similar hopes for both of them. I hope both books find readers, and I hope they both change the way their readers think of themselves.
I hope the kids who discover Nat the Cat Takes a Bath — and have it read aloud to them in their homes or classrooms or libraries — come to think of themselves as kids who love stories, and kids who want to engage with more books. And the kids who read the book on their own — I hope they close the book feeling more certain than ever that they are indeed readers.
I hope the kids who discover A Work in Progress read the book and never again doubt — or never even begin to doubt — that they are worthy of kindness, consideration, compassion, understanding, love, and respect. I also hope the story exercises and expands readers’ empathy, and that it alters the way they interact with the individuals that they cross paths with during their time on this planet.
On the eve of what will be a very big day for me, I also want to make sure to take this opportunity to thank, as always, everyone who supports me and my books, and everyone who puts my books in the hands of the young readers who want and need them. I can’t reach those readers alone. The parents, educators, librarians, administrators, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and others who share my books with the kids in their lives are an absolutely essential part of the equation, and I never, ever take that for granted.
Thank you. And I look forward to hearing what you all think of the books!
I’m thrilled to share that the second of my Nat the Cat early reader, Nat the Cat Takes a Bath, has been named a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection! If you’ve been following along with Nat, you may remember that his first book, Nat the Cat Takes a Nap, was also a JLG Gold Standard selection.
What does this mean?
The Junior Library Guild is a hugely popular, highly influential subscription service that is used by tons of librarians. It’s been around for more than 90 years, and is known as “the librarian’s secret.” The Guild is basically a highly knowledgeable editorial team that reads pretty much EVERY SINGLE children’s book before it gets published. Books that are deemed essential additions to school libraries are given the Guild’s seal of approval, and that Gold Standard stamp means they really like it.
What happens next?
The Guild buys up a bunch of copies of their selected books and ships them out to subscribing libraries who have noted their interest in titles like it. So, when it comes to Nat the Cat Takes a Bath, librarians that have said they are looking to add more early readers to their collections are likely to receive copies right around the book’s release date.
One more pretty awesome thing about the Guild: nearly 95% of their selections go on to win awards, honors, starred reviews, and industry accolades. So not only does this honor mean that Nat the Cat Takes a Bath will end up in the hands of more readers than it otherwise might have, it means that it bodes well for its chances to receive favorable feedback from other sectors of the industry. All good news for Nat!
You can learn more about the Junior Library Guild by clicking HERE. And just a reminder: Nat the Cat Takes a Bath hits shelves on May 2nd, but can be preordered TODAY wherever books are sold (and if you haven’t already checked out the first book in Nat’s series, Nat the Cat Takes a Nap, you can do so today wherever books are able to be borrowed or bought). If you want your copies of either of Nat’s books signed by me, you can, as always, order/preorder from the Silver Unicorn. Click HERE to access my page at the Silver Unicorn site. And also as always: THANKS!
Today’s the day! Nat the Cat Takes a Nap, my very first early reader, is officially OUT. Starting now, you’ll be able to find the book on shelves near you.
I’ve been a fan of Ready-to-Read books for a long time, and creating them is an absolute blast. Because they are so explicitly aimed at helping turn kids into readers, each level of the Ready-to-Read program has its own set of “rules” or “restrictions,” and creating within these parameters often feels like solving an elaborate puzzle. I sometimes think of it as being put in a sandbox with a limited number of toys and tools. But when these creative limits are thoughtful and purposeful, they don’t actually feel limiting at all. Paradoxically, they are liberating. I think they allow you to tap into your creativity in a different sort of way than when you’ve got nothing holding you back. I wouldn’t want to ONLY work this way — but I truly love it, and plan to continue to. So, in addition to all my other books, keep an eye out for even more early readers from me. 🙂
And if you enjoy Nat’s first book — which, in case you missed it, was recently named a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection — you can already preorder his second, Nat the Cat Takes a Bath, which hits shelves in just a few months, on May 2nd. As always, if you preorder the book from my local independent bookstore, the Silver Unicorn, your copy (or copies!) of the book will be signed (or signed AND personalized, if you wish). Click HERE to head to my page at the Silver Unicorn’s site, where you can order and/or preorder all of my books.
Did you hear?! Nat the Cat Takes a Nap, my first early reader, was recently named a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection!
Learning this, you might have some questions…
What’s the Junior Library Guild? It’s a hugely popular, highly influential subscription service that is used by tons of librarians. It’s been around for more than 90 years, and is known as “the librarian’s secret.” The Guild is basically a highly knowledgeable editorial team that reads pretty much EVERY SINGLE children’s book before it gets published. Books that are deemed essential additions to school libraries are given the Guild’s seal of approval, and that Gold Standard stamp means they really like it.
What happens next?
The Guild buys up a bunch of copies of their selected books and ships them out to subscribing libraries who have noted their interest in titles like it. So, when it comes to Nat the Cat Takes a Nap, librarians that have said they are looking to add more early readers to their collections are likely to receive copies right around the book’s release date.
One more pretty awesome thing about the Guild: nearly 95% of their selections go on to win awards, honors, starred reviews, and industry accolades. So not only does this honor mean that Nat the Cat Takes a Nap will end up in the hands of more readers than it otherwise might have, it means that it bodes well for its chances to receive favorable feedback from other sectors of the industry. All good news for Nat!
You can learn more about the Junior Library Guild by clicking HERE. And just a reminder: Nat the Cat Takes a Nap hits shelves on January 17th, 2023, but can be preordered TODAY wherever books are sold (as can the second book in Nat’s series, Nat the Cat Takes a Bath, which comes out on May 2nd, 2023). If you want your copies signed by me, you can, as always, preorder from the Silver Unicorn. Click HERE to access my page at the Silver Unicorn site. And also as always: THANKS!
If you’ve been following along, you know that, in January, I’ll be launching my first early reader series as part of Simon & Schuster’s Ready-to-Read line. I’ve already shared the cover of the series’ first book, Nat the Cat Takes a Nap, and yesterday, I got to share the cover of the second, Nat the Cat Takes a Bath. Check it out!
Nat’s first adventure, Nat the Cat Takes a Nap, hits shelves on January 17th, 2023, and this second installment of the series comes out just three and a half months later, on May 2nd, 2023! You can learn more about each of the books below. Preorders, as always, are HUGELY appreciated — they are one of the best ways to support creators and their work. Also as always: copies preordered and/or purchased from my local indie, the Silver Unicorn, will be signed. Click HERE to check out my page at the Silver Unicorn’s online shop.
~ Jarrett
Nat the Cat Takes a Nap
From Jarrett Lerner, the powerhouse creator behind the EngiNerds, Geeger the Robot, and Hunger Heroes series, comes a hilarious new Pre-Level 1 Ready-to-Read series about a grumpy cat and a long-suffering narrator!
Nat the Cat is taking a nap. Or he would be…if only the narrator would stop interrupting his sleep! This witty story, where Nat’s words keep getting turned upside down and inside out, is sure to make readers laugh out loud.
Nat the Cat Takes a Bath
It’s bath time for Nat the Cat in this second book in the hilarious, fourth wall–breaking Pre-Level 1 Ready-to-Read series about a grumpy cat and a long-suffering narrator from powerhouse creator Jarrett Lerner!
Nat the Cat must take a bath. But first, he wants his toys. Then he won’t get in the tub without bubbles. And of course, he’ll need a towel. As Nat the Cat keeps coming up with excuses to not get in the bath, the narrator can’t help but wonder if he’s hiding something—like a fear of water.
Jarrett Lerner 