ILLUSTRATIONS OF FLUFFY BLACK CAT WITH EXPRESSIVE TAIL GETS TURNED INTO A SUCCESSFUL CHILDREN’S BOOK
Cats may not speak our language, but their tails are surprisingly expressive. Cats may express their emotions through their tails, which can puff up in fear or flick in annoyance. Author Tess Thomas recently wrote a children's book on the feelings of a cat named Shibu, drawing inspiration from the body language of cats. Shibu initially feels ashamed of his expressive tail, but he eventually comes to accept it and himself. The picture book, Shibu's Tail, was exquisitely created by Kamwei Fong, a well-known illustrator of fluffy black cats.
When Thomas was on paternity leave in 2022, he started composing Shibu's Tail. She decided to write a narrative based on the cat character since she adored the Kamwei Fong cat print that her brother had given her for her birthday.“In between diaper changes and midnight feeds, I began writing a story inspired by it,” she reveals. “I was in the throes of new motherhood and not feeling like myself. Working on this was a creative outlet; a way to reclaim some time for myself.”
Once the story was written, Thomas knew she wanted Fong to illustrate it, and much to her surprise, he agreed. The illustrator spent almost a year visualising the story in his distinct, playful style. Thomas and Fong worked with award-winning publisher Levine Querido to make their project a reality, and now it’s available to cat lovers everywhere.
“[I’m] grateful for [Fong] for agreeing to illustrate this book. I obviously think the story and words are pretty great (lol), but Kamwei’s illustrations are truly spectacular,” Thomas writes on Instagram. “I will never get over the honour of working with such a talented artist.”