He’s not exactly cute, the Tobermory Cat. But he’s persistent, feisty and rather orange, and much loved and admired in Tobermory. Because he’s their cat.
Cats in Tobermory are just plain ordinary and they do cat-things, rather than touristy stuff. Which was the problem. None of the other cats could be bothered to even try, but Tobermory Cat searched for a way to satisfy his people, and what better way than to fall asleep in the road? Eccentricity wins every time.
Debi Gliori’s new picture book is a cat story with a difference, and as usual she has illustrated it with the flair she has for seeing tiny details the rest of us tend to miss. I loved the woolly cats of Loch Ba. Cute, and soft. (Sorry, TC!)
Unlike some picture book stories, this one is based on a real (or is it several?) cat, so there is a curious blend of the ‘real’ Tobermory, and traditional nursery rhymes. We have Tobermory Cat himself consorting with the cow who just might have jumped over the moon, and there is a dish and a spoon. Also, TC appears to play the fiddle.
Lovely pictures of Mull and Tobermory town, which make me want to go there, and if that’s the effect it has on me, I’d expect lots more people might want to go for a holiday, with or without TC.
It’s been almost 20 years since I’ve been to Tobermory. This reminds me of what a magical place it is. Two or three rainbows a day I recall. Must go back.
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A really charming book about Tobermory Cat is available here: http://tobermorycat.co.uk/ It’s by a local artist and his pictures of T.C., based on the character he created for facebook, are brilliant. It will make you want to go to Tobermory, too!
Thanks for the suggestion, Brig. And, of course, I am already sort of halfway there.