Willow the Wildcat

Lynne Rickards was born in Canada and has called Scotland home for over twenty years. She grew up reading Dr Seuss books and as a result she enjoys writing in rhyme. Lynne is the author of many much-loved picture books including Lewis Clowns Around, Harris the Hero, Skye the Puffling and Rowan the Red Squirrel. Lynne lives in Glasgow, Scotland. Kirsteen Harris-Jones completed a BA in children's illustration for publishing, and has worked in advertising, graphic design and animation. She's now a freelance artist living in Shropshire with her husband and three children.

'This rhyming story deftly educates young readers about the habits and habitat of a critically endangered species, but the learning feels incidental because the characters and their adventures are so appealing, and their sibling rivalry feels so real. While there's plenty of cuteness, both Rickards' words and Harris-Jones' beautifully- detailed illustrations capture the fiercer side of the wildcats too – giving us a really rounded insight into the life of an enigmatic creature that we might never see for ourselves.'-- Roaring Reads'A cute story. The rhyming text and expressive pictures gently point out some of the threats to the cats' survival although here there's a happy ending.'-- Jane Sandell'Great for reading aloud... An informative adventure of a wildcat family to find a new home, with plenty of wildlife to learn about.'-- YA and Kids Books Central'This cute picture book has lovely illustrations of beautiful Scottish countryside, as the wildcats travel through forests, across a flowing burn, into a meadow of grass, and find an old castle ruin. The illustrations use soft colors with sunshine on every page! I loved the art style and the way the illustrations added depth to the story by adding details and expression...The story has lovely character development for the two kittens.'-- Books for MKs'The illustrations provided by Kirsteen Harris-Jones reflect the beautiful Scottish countryside with the lush pine forests, cool blue streams, and glowing sunset on a long-forgotten castle.'-- Youth Services Book Review, 4 stars'I enjoyed the story and following three wildcats as they try to find a new place to live in the Scottish Highlands. Since this species is endangered, the book effectively shows some of the challenges to its survival... I liked the colorful illustrations and the way the young ones learned to work together, a good lesson for anyone.'-- Goodreads, Barbara WardPraise for Lynne Rickards:'A delightful book to read aloud to children.'-- Childtastic Books on Rowan the Red Squirrel'Written in a lovely rich rhyme, this is a delightful story' -- Carousel on Harris the Hero