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Coogie the Dumpster Cat

Illustrated by Gus Duenas
Published by Indigo River Publishing
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
LIST PRICE $16.99

About The Book

"This sweet tale about a rescue kitten with a big personality will delight lap readers." Kirkus Reviews

A little kittie with a big personality makes friends on his adventure to find his fur-ever home.

When a little blue-eyed kitten wakes up in, of all places, a dumpster, he’s going to need some help to find a place where he truly belongs. In Coogie the Dumpster Cat, this little kitty with a special talent and a big personality makes friends on his adventure to find his fur-ever home.

About The Author

Lynda S. Gordon was born in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and grew up with five siblings and loving parents. Her greatest joy is spending time with them and her nieces and nephews. She is a philanthropist, children and women’s advocate and animal lover. Lynda serves on the board of Friends of Miami Animals (FoMA) not only rescuing strays but helping families to keep their pets at home in hard times. She was recently appointed to the Dean’s Advisory Council at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and is a supporter and volunteer for the Boys and Girls Club of Miami-Dade. Lynda lives with her two cats, Coogie and Casey in Miami, FL. Through her company, the Gordon Alliance, she honors the memory of her late husband Michael. (thegordonalliance.com) And by imparting many of his qualities to her fictional character of Coogie, she hopes to shape the lives of children all over the world but mostly, just make them smile!

About The Illustrator

Product Details

  • Publisher: Indigo River Publishing (March 29, 2022)
  • Length: 40 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781954676138
  • Grades: P - 3
  • Ages: 3 - 8

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Raves and Reviews

“An abandoned feline finds a forever home in this debut picture book from a philanthropist.

When a kitten wakes up in a dumpster, he’s unhappy and afraid. Then a man discovers the poor feline and lifts him out of the garbage. The animal is so delighted he does a wiggle dance. Soon, the man and kitten are off to see Aunt Lynny. “She’s not really my aunt,” the man explains, “but everyone calls her that because she’s so nice and finds good homes for lots of animals.” Lynny is immediately taken with the feline, whom she names Coogie, and sets about finding a home for him. But as the two get to know each other, they both realize that Coogie’s best home is right there with Lynny. In this series opener, Gordon smoothly navigates several moving pieces of the story—Coogie’s discovery; his trip to Lynny’s; a visit to a veterinarian; and the realization that he wants to stay in his foster home—keeping the flow of the plot accessible through the use of simple vocabulary and sentence structure. Duenas’ painted illustrations show Coogie’s two White friends; Lynny has a remarkable resemblance to the author. The images of the exuberant kitten with his huge blue eyes are sure to draw feline fans. Softhearted kids will worry that someone left Coogie in the dumpster and may appreciate that profits from the book go toward helping animals.

This sweet tale about a rescue kitten with a big personality will delight lap readers.” — Kirkus Reviews

"... a great sweet read to teach love and compassion for animals."

– Netgalley Reviewer

"... a great read aloud for preschool and elementary age children."

– Netgalley Reviewer

"This was such a cute book! I would have loved this one as a kid."

– Netgalley Reviewer

"This would be a great book for library story times."

– Netgalley Reviewer (Librarian)

"... short and sweet illustrated story ... Will recommend it to young readers for sure!"

– Netgalley Reviewer

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More books from this author: Lynda S. Gordon

More books from this illustrator: Gus Duenas