Quite a cat-alogue at the Niagara Falls Public Library

Oct. 27 is the 300th day of the year. It is National American Beer Day, National Bandana Day, Frankenstein Friday, and National Parmigiano Reggiano Day. All worthy days to be celebrated, to be sure, but as Halloween approaches, we’re going to focus on National Black Cat Day, which began in the United Kingdom but has since spread globally.

There is a faction of our staff who really, really want to have a library cat. Cats are good mousers, petting a cat can lower your blood pressure and hearing a cat purr is a source of happiness. Black cats, however unfairly, have the reputation of bringing bad luck, being bad omens and, during the Middle Ages, were thought to spread the plague. Egads! Perhaps we won’t invite a black cat to join our staff.

Nonetheless, a quick search of our catalogue shows that black cats are featured in material for all ages, such as, for children: “Black Cat White Cat,” a charming board book by Claire Garralon. A black cat from a white house, and a white cat from a black house, find a more colourful place to play together. This is an artistically graphic introduction to colour for young children.

In “Black cat creeping: a lucky cat story” by Teddy Slater, Halloween is the night when black cats rule. Told in rhyme with lively illustrations, this story shows the little kitten joining a parade of ghosts and ghouls, pirates and princesses, clowns and dragons. Enchanting!

For independent readers, the ever popular Rainbow Magic series by Daisy Meadows offers “Lara the Black Cat Fairy.” In it, Lara’s magical black cat has a lucky escape from the naughty goblins, but the girls must work together to prevent the goblins from recapturing it. Girl power!

For adults, cats abound in mysteries, such as “The Black Cat” by Martha Grimes. In this story, a black cat is the only witness to the murder of a shy librarian. Grimes’ popular superintendent, Richard Jury, must solve the crime and deal with his nemesis, Harry Johnson.

If cosy mysteries are your cup of tea, “Twice told tail” by Ali Brandon is set in Pettistone’s Fine Books, where Hamlet the Cat helps solve mysteries. A bride to be, an antique book, a dead body and a sleuthing cat … who could ask for more?

“The Isle of Cats” is a competitive board game where you must save as many cats as possible before the evil Lord Vesh arrives. Or learn about the real cat island, Mykonos, where hundreds of cats roam freely and every street has a feline mascot. Check out “Greek Islands” for travel planning.

To learn more about cats, discover new mystery authors or explore our board game collection, please visit our online catalogue or ask our friendly staff for help.