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Annotated Award-Winning Titles

		Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Awards 2006 (Ontario Arts Council and Canadian Booksellers Association) Picture book category Caramba Text and Illustrations: Marie-Louise Gay Toronto: Groundwood Books, 2005. 40 p. ISBN 0888996675 Published in French under the title Caramba ! (Québec: Dominique et compagnie, 2005) Ages 4 to 8
Caramba Source

Marie-Louise Gay delights us with the tale of Caramba, the cat. Like other cats, Caramba has soft fur and a long tail, eats fish and purrs. But try as he might, he just cannot fly.

Other cats leap off cliffs, soar over the ocean, dart among the waves and skim over them gracefully. But Caramba stumbles into the grass, pretending to look for caterpillars; falls into his grandfather's lap, seemingly to admire his slippers; and flaps into the clothesline, as if hanging out to dry with the socks.

When his cousins bring him on a flying lesson, Caramba falls into the ocean. There, he discovers his special gift: in the water, he can float, glide along, whirl about, and swoop up and down. He may not be able to fly, but he can certainly swim! Marie-Louise Gay charms young readers with her humorous text and playful illustrations.

–AC