The Quick Six Interview with Sarah Speedie on Boss Cat

Welcome to The Quick Six Interview with Sarah Speedie!

It was such a treat to chat to author Sarah Speedie about her third picture book Boss Cat due out today! Sarah’s story was inspired by her own grumpy cat growing up, and her collaboration with illustrator Tom Jellet is a delight for anyone who loves to read about pets behaving badly.

Thanks, Sarah, for sharing your funny story and we look forward to your upcoming picture book releases! 🙂

About the Author

Sarah Speedie loves to write stories that uplift, entertain and inspire. Her debut picture book, Mozzies Vs Flies (published by Larrikin House), was shortlisted in the Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards 2022 and her second picture book, Meowster Chef, has been published in both Spanish and Italian. Sarah’s next picture book, Boss Cat, is due to be released by HarperCollins in June 2024 and she has three more books in various stages of production with CSIRO, New Frontier and Larrikin House.

When Sarah isn’t writing or dreaming up her next big idea, she loves to visit schools, kindergartens and libraries to run story-time sessions and writing workshops. She is a Writer in Residence for children’s charity Ardoch and runs writing workshops for PETAA.

Please find Sarah Speedie at her website http://www.sarahspeedie.com and on Facebook and Instagram.

WHO wrote, illustrated and published this book?
BOSS CAT was written by myself, Sarah Speedie. It was illustrated by the amazing Tom Jellett and published by HarperCollins Children’s Books.

WHAT is it about?
BOSS CAT is a very funny story about a cantankerous cat who isn’t impressed when her family bring home a new puppy. Boss Cat is used to ruling the family home and she doesn’t want to share it with a slobbering, jumping, chewing pest, so she sets out to show the canine intruder exactly who’s the boss of the house!

What is your favourite part of this book?
Oooohhhh my favourite part of the book would have to be the cranky character of Boss Cat. Tom Jellett’s illustrations perfectly capture her grumpy demeanour, her facial expressions are brilliant! Oh, and my other favourite thing about BOSS CAT is the ending.

I can’t tell you how it ends, but I can tell you it is hilarious!

WHEN did you begin writing this book?
I wrote this book sometime around June 2022.

When is its release / launch date?
BOSS CAT will be released on June 5th 2024.

The BOSS CAT launch will be held at 3pm on Saturday 15th June at Readings, St Kilda in Melbourne.

Link to book tickets to the launch:
https://www.readings.com.au/events/book-launch-boss-cat

WHERE did the inspiration for this book come from?
The inspiration for BOSS CAT came from a pet cat I had growing up. The cat’s name was Badger and she was so anti-social and cranky, she often hissed at us or scratched us. She definitely turned me into a dog person! Hahaha.

Why is this book meaningful to you?

I love writing kid’s books that are engaging, entertaining and fun and I believe BOSS CAT ticks all of those boxes. Having humour in books is a great way of inspiring children to read, and between Tom Jellett’s fantastic illustrations and Boss Cat’s grumpy attitude brought to life, this book will entertain readers, young and old.

Why would its message resonate with readers?
BOSS CAT does not contain a strong message, it is meant to be fun and entertaining.
However, the final page has a humorous twist, with a bit of a message, that will definitely
resonate with readers.

How do you feel about the illustrations / cover design? How do they convey
the feeling or mood you envisioned?
The illustrations and cover of BOSS CAT are brilliant. Tom Jellett has really captured the mood of the book.
I absolutely adore the cover. From its bold lettering, to grumpy Boss Cat glaring out at you with plenty of cat-titude, it is very eye-catching.
The illustrations throughout the book are fantastic as-well. They are full of movement and fun. Boss Cat’s facial expressions, as well as those of all the different family members, are hilarious!

How have you promoted this book and how can we find it?
BOSS CAT is being promoted on my Instagram page. I will also be visiting loads of book shops in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra, after its release, to sign copies, I will also be doing a number of online and podcast interviews.

If you are looking to buy a copy of BOSS CAT it will be available in all good bookshops and is already available for pre-order online in many different places.

Thanks so much, Sarah! We’re sure everyone will fall in love with Boss Cat! 🙂

Thanks to Gemma Creegan for sourcing this interview.

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