Illustrated by Nici Gregory

Published by Pavilion,  September 2021

Longlisted for the Klaus Flugge Prize for Illustration, 2022

 

The owner of Tiddles and Monty has the most marvellous thing to show them.  

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A cake, with extra chocolate and bonbons too!  Delicious! 

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She knows she can trust her dear little cats to look after it for a moment… but when she returns the cake is GONE! 

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Just WHO could the culprit be?

Surely it couldn’t be her own darling sweet little Monty? 

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Find out in Oh Monty!, a story packed with mischievous humour and plenty of drama!  

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Reviews for Oh Monty!

"Mischief is afoot in the world of picture books this month. Halloween has cast its wicked spell over some creations but I suspect Monty the cat, from author Susannah Lloyd and illustrator Nici Gregory, is naughty all year round. Asked by his trusting owner to look after a series of show stopper-style cakes, the star of Oh Monty! attacks the bakes with total abandon and frames fellow cat Tiddles.
With his oversized, ping-pong eyes and over-the-top acting, there's something rather delicious about Monty's absolute villainy. His owner takes the role of narrator and, only ever visible from the elbows downwards, she's evidently in posession of more spangley jewellery than powers of deduction: "No you mustn't blame yourself, dear sweet Monty. I'm sure there was nothing more you could have done to stop her." Gregory's illustrations have a brilliant zany energy as the cats hurtle around the pages, clawing at cakes, plates and each other.”
The Observer
New Review, Picture Books of the Month, 17th October 2021

"With hilarious images by Nici Gregory, this funny story is full of naughtiness! But behind the hilarity are also some great discussion points on fairness, favouritism, and taking the rap for somthing you haven't done! ”
Discover Children's Books

“Susannah Lloyd does dramatic irony and humour so brilliantly in her books. Her words are brought deliciously to life here by Nici Gregory. I adore the colour palette, which appears lifted directly from the display cabinets of a Pâtisserie and lends a decadent, refined air to the book.”
Little Literary Society

“If you love a cat caper (or cake!) then this is the book for you! … The fantastic expressions on the cat's faces will make you laugh out loud as well as the owner being oblivious to the truth about her (not so) perfect pet!”
Mrs Brown's Book Box

"Younger readers will utterly love hearing it, especially as the narrative style text leaves opportunity for the person reading to little ones to interact with them, asking them what they think will happen next, and that sort of thing. I absolutely love these sort of books when reading to reception classes in my library, and I am super excited to enjoy this book all over again, with the little ones interacting as we go along. "
Book Bound

“The genius of this lively, engaging picture book lies in the superbly clever telling of the story. The narrative consists entirely of the words Monty’s owner speaks aloud to her pampered cats… This lends the book tremendous potential for reading aloud, building suspense as the drama unfolds and with a real sense of anticipation at each page turn. Even the youngest children will enjoy the dramatic irony of knowing the truth about the supposedly saintly Monty! … The bright pastel colour palette matches the sugary bakes perfectly while the cats themselves are brought brilliantly to life by illustrator, Nici Gregory. These are cats with huge attitude, characterful rather than cutesy, drawn with elegant lines as befits their pampered status and given completely hilarious facial expressions. The high-energy illustrations capture the drama of the storyline perfectly, with striking, wordless double spreads… Fingers crossed for a whole series of stories featuring Monty and Tiddles in future!”
Armadillo Magazine, autumn issue

"An absolutely gorgeous confection of a picturebook.
The injustice of it all is sure to have your little reader raging against the machine and the juxtaposition of the extreme emotions against the pastel rococo design, makes the drama all the more poignant.
Read With River

"Hilarious expressions on the faces of the two cats make this a jewel of a comedy caper."
It's All About Stories

"This book is one of those stories that grabs the reader’s attention and actively encourages them to read between the lines. Without even seeing the narrator, the brilliant characterisation creates a strong personality in your mind. The hilarious illustrations tell another tale and little ones will love spotting which one is really the naughtiest cat!!! My children and I absolutely LOVE this book!"
Stories For Little Ones

"Rosie LOVES this book! We’ve read it every bedtime since we’ve had it and after reading she likes to (very slowly) look through the book and retell me all of her favourite parts. As a cat and cake lover it definitely has her vote!"
Rosie's Library

"The expressions on the cats' faces are priceless. So funny. They both laughed their heads off. It was so sweet to watch. .If you're looking for something funny, this is it!"
Story Book Mamma

“Great fun to read aloud, children will love to argue about who is to blame and whether either cat deserves some cake.”
School Reading List