Cat's Dog Books Going to WYO Kids

Good news from children's writer Cat Urbigkit:

My fourth children’s book "Cattle Kids: a year on the western range," is at the printer and my publisher, Boyds Mills Press, is starting the design for my fifth title, "Shepherd’s Trail." Since I’ve stayed focused on educating kids about agriculture, it’s been a thrill to see how well the books have been received by teachers, librarians and critics.

But this week was the best. I was notified that my rhyming volume for young children, Puppies, Puppies Everywhere!" was selected by Children's Choices for 2007, a project of the International Reading Association and The Children's Book Council. The great thing about making this list is that kids are the ones who decide. "Brave Dogs, Gentle Dogs" has been selected for the 2008 Monarch Award: Illinois' K-3 Children's Choice Award Master List, and is a finalist for the 2007 (Texas) Mockingbird Award. "Brave Dogs" is also one of the six books chosen for Wyoming Reads program, in which books are distributed to students in May.

In May, I’ve been invited to be a panelist and guest at two book signings by Intermountain Therapy Animals at its Salt Lake City conference on May 18-20. This conference is for those who use Reading Education Assistance Dogs (the program that found that kids who have a hard time reading do better reading to dogs). I’m pleased kids read my books to dogs.