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Quaky Cat
Written in response to the Canterbury earthquake, Quaky Cat by Diana Noonan and Gavin Bishop is an evocative, uplifting story that will touch the hearts of all who read it. 'On a cold Christchurch morning, while the city was sleeping, before the birds roused him with twitters and cheeping, curled up on the end of his friend Emma's bed, Tiger woke with a start ...and a feeling of dread. Tiger fled from the house with a leap and a bound as, louder than thunder, from deep underground, came a roar and a shudder and terrible shaking! Around him, the city was rolling and quaking.' The Canterbury earthquake affected children in so many ways: homes gone, playgrounds destroyed, schools damaged, pets missing, favourite books and toys lost. Quaky Cat is a picture book for children throughout New Zealand - to bring comfort to those who experienced the earthquake, and understanding to the children who didn't.
1 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2010
31 people want to read
About the author
Diana Noonan
286 books5 followersDiana Noonan is a celebrated New Zealand author who has made a significant contribution to children's literature. Born in Dunedin in 1960, she attended Waihola Primary School and Tokomairiro High School before completing a degree in English at the University of Otago in 1980. She followed this with a teaching diploma and spent four years teaching in secondary schools before turning to writing full-time.
In 1993, Noonan was appointed Writer in Residence at the Dunedin College of Education. She also served as editor of the New Zealand School Journal for eight years, further solidifying her influence on educational and children’s publishing in New Zealand.
Her writing career includes a wide range of fiction and non-fiction titles, many of which have been recognized with national awards. Among her most celebrated works is Quaky Cat, a picture book written in response to the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. The book, which tells the story of a cat experiencing the disaster, raised over $150,000 for the Christchurch earthquake appeal through donated royalties. For this contribution, Noonan and illustrator Gavin Bishop received the North West Christchurch Award in 2012.
Over the years, Noonan has earned multiple accolades. Her picture books and non-fiction titles have frequently been finalists in the LIANZA Awards and the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. She won the Aim Children's Book Award for Best Junior Fiction in 1994 with A Dolphin in the Bay, and for Best Picture Book in 1995 with The Best Loved Bear. Her commitment to both storytelling and education was acknowledged in 2022 when she received the prestigious Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal, honoring her outstanding contribution to literature for young people in New Zealand.
Diana Noonan’s work continues to resonate with readers, educators, and critics alike, combining storytelling with empathy, environmental awareness, and educational value.
In 1993, Noonan was appointed Writer in Residence at the Dunedin College of Education. She also served as editor of the New Zealand School Journal for eight years, further solidifying her influence on educational and children’s publishing in New Zealand.
Her writing career includes a wide range of fiction and non-fiction titles, many of which have been recognized with national awards. Among her most celebrated works is Quaky Cat, a picture book written in response to the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. The book, which tells the story of a cat experiencing the disaster, raised over $150,000 for the Christchurch earthquake appeal through donated royalties. For this contribution, Noonan and illustrator Gavin Bishop received the North West Christchurch Award in 2012.
Over the years, Noonan has earned multiple accolades. Her picture books and non-fiction titles have frequently been finalists in the LIANZA Awards and the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. She won the Aim Children's Book Award for Best Junior Fiction in 1994 with A Dolphin in the Bay, and for Best Picture Book in 1995 with The Best Loved Bear. Her commitment to both storytelling and education was acknowledged in 2022 when she received the prestigious Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal, honoring her outstanding contribution to literature for young people in New Zealand.
Diana Noonan’s work continues to resonate with readers, educators, and critics alike, combining storytelling with empathy, environmental awareness, and educational value.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 6, 2016
Quick read with a meaningful message!
" As the sun rose that morning the world looked with pity at the folk on the streets of their tumbled down city"
" As the sun rose that morning the world looked with pity at the folk on the streets of their tumbled down city"
April 20, 2012
Living in Christchurch, I am particularly moved by this gorgeously illustrated tale of a cat running away in the Christchurch earthquake and then finding his way 'home'.
Gavin Bishop is a talented artist who creates a surreal landscape in oranges and blues. I love the visual references to Christchurch landmarks. Best of all, however, is the flowing, rhyming prose by Diana Noonan. It is engaging, emotional and reminds us that home is not the bricks and mortar, it is the place where 'love keeps us safe from the storm'. I certainly will be reading this story to my children one day... a great way to explain about the earthquake and what it was all like!
Gavin Bishop is a talented artist who creates a surreal landscape in oranges and blues. I love the visual references to Christchurch landmarks. Best of all, however, is the flowing, rhyming prose by Diana Noonan. It is engaging, emotional and reminds us that home is not the bricks and mortar, it is the place where 'love keeps us safe from the storm'. I certainly will be reading this story to my children one day... a great way to explain about the earthquake and what it was all like!
February 6, 2019
My daughter was in year one at a Christchurch eastern primary school during and after the September 2010 earthquake, so received this book free from Scholastic. It is a lovely, but sad, little story about a cat separated from it's owners after the quake and their subsequent reunion. My kids have always seemed to find this story a bit too emotional though so it didn't really get as many re-reads as a lot of books in our house. Still, it is very well done and the illustrations are great.
January 18, 2012
The rhymes were very good, and described the quakes very well.
May 13, 2014
Great story of how a pet deals with a missing family after a storm effects a town. His journey of how he finds his family.
January 2, 2016
When the earthquake came, we wish it didn't break the house, we wish the cat wasn't scared. We like it when the cat found her family after all (Reviewed by children for children).
June 25, 2021
Great read. My six year old granddaughter loved it.
May 27, 2013
Beautifully rhyming narrative of the Christchurch earthquake as seen through the eyes of a cat.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews