“The Curious Life of Cookie the Cat” has a e book launch Saturday

First-time Midland creator Michelle Vouaux’s new e book shares the story of a real-life cat with the “superpower” of serving to individuals join.

“The Curious Life of Cookie the Cat” can have a e book launch this Saturday at Shop With Moxie at 4000 Jefferson (beforehand known as Joyful Tantrum Recess).

The 27-page e book, written in rhyme, tells readers the weird journey of Cookie, an initially stray cat who was supposed to be a Christmas present for a granddaughter of Vouaux’s neighbors, Jeannie and Dick Touvell. Instead, Cookie grew to become a present to the Touvells – and, by extension, to their neighborhood.

“This was by no means within the plan of life to creator a e book. We’re very excited,” stated Vouaux, who drew numerous inspiration from the third-grade college students she mentors as a paraprofessional at Plymouth Elementary.

As Dick Touvell explains it, throughout December 2021, he and his spouse secretly stored a male cat named Cookie at their home in order that their daughter, Katie Baker, might shock her now 8-year-old daughter, Hannah, with a cat for Christmas.

There was only one downside. Cookie had his personal secret.

The cat had discovered a passageway underneath the kitchen sink that led into the partitions of the Touvells’ Nineteen Fifties home. 

As a outcome, Cookie would not be seen for a number of hours at a time, however he at all times emerged at evening for meals and to make use of his litter field.

The Touvells stored their neighbors up to date on their sightings of Cookie.

“He lived in that wall for about six weeks,” Dick Touvell stated. “The complete neighborhood was sort of enthralled about the entire thing.”

“His superpower is ‘The Cookie Affect,'” Vouaux writes within the e book. “Helping pals and others at all times join!”

Meanwhile, with Christmas nearing and Cookie nonetheless making himself scarce, Baker was capable of finding a distinct cat to present as a present to Hannah.

Of course, for Jeannie and Dick, this meant that Cookie was now all theirs. Fortunately, they had been in a position to seal off the partitions.

“We had been been petless for fairly a number of years after our daughters left. Now he is grow to be a part of our each day routine,” Dick stated. “He’s like all cat. His common sleep time is 16 hours a day. He visits each window in each path.”

For Vouaux, changing into an creator has been an journey she has shared with her Plymouth college students.

“I’m working with the scholars on their (writing) processes and their tales day by day. I pulled within the driveway (someday) and thought, ‘I’ve received to put in writing (Cookie’s story) down.’ I had scrap paper in my automotive. I introduced the youngsters the story to point out them the following day.

“They gave me perception as to advertising, the web site, and the fashion of the illustrations. They had been energetic members (within the writing course of),” Vouaux stated of her college students.

Plymouth third-grade instructor Pam Taylor additionally gave Vouaux encouragement and steering in writing the e book.

“She’s a Gerstacker Award winner and an exceptional instructor,” Vouaux stated.

There’s yet one more cool connection – the e book was illustrated by Vouaux’s husband Pete’s sister, Karen Sharp, a former Auburn resident who now lives in Traverse City. A self-taught artist, Sharp had by no means illustrated a e book earlier than and did not have numerous expertise drawing cats.

“It’s my remedy. I like to do artwork,” Sharp defined. “It took numerous apply – I drew lots of of cats in pencil drawings. Cookie slowly developed as a result of I didn’t know something about cat bone construction and muscle construction.”

 She ended up placing different-colored stars throughout Cookie’s physique.

“The stars had been almost an afterthought. It was sort of serendipity,” Sharp stated. “The stars are all added with stencils. I wished Cookie to be all-inclusive. I didn’t need Cookie to be a boy or a woman; I simply wished Cookie to be Cookie. I felt like the celebs helped do this.”

Sharp’s husband, Ron Sharp, additionally contributed by combining the illustrations and the textual content in preparation for printing.

Vouaux is grateful to Shop With Moxie proprietor Julia Kepler for offering a venue for Saturday’s e book launch. The retailer can be near the Vouauxs’ and Touvell’s neighborhood.

“I simply need individuals to go to the shop. Julia has put a ton into it, and it’s a nice retailer,” Vouaux stated.

At the launch, Vouaux will do readings of her e book at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., midday and 1 p.m. Signed copies of the e book can be available for buy. Sharp can even be readily available.