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A Cat's Tale Hits Home in 'Nini, Here and There'

For many families, summer vacation means packing up the car with all the items they need to make a home away from home.

The new children's book Nini, Here and There, by Anita Lobel, explores the value of home through the eyes of a family member who is sometimes underfoot, but not overlooked.

Nini the striped tabby cat watches her family pack for a trip and worries that she'll be left behind. But she's zipped into a carrier and soon falls asleep dreaming about adventures. When she wakes up, Nini finds herself at a beautiful countryside home, her family by her side.

Lobel illustrates Nini in watercolor and gouache, capturing her expressions in full-page portraits. And Nini's message for children is universal: You don't need four walls — just your family — to make a home away from home.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Daniel Pinkwater
Scott Simon is one of America's most admired writers and broadcasters. He is the host of Weekend Edition Saturday and is one of the hosts of NPR's morning news podcast Up First. He has reported from all fifty states, five continents, and ten wars, from El Salvador to Sarajevo to Afghanistan and Iraq. His books have chronicled character and characters, in war and peace, sports and art, tragedy and comedy.