Christmas Cats, The
"Elizabeth Ann and Miss Mollie plan an elegant Christmas tea, but their eight restless cats break free and crash the festivities to the delight of their guests in Nancy K. Wallace's charming and amusing tale." -RoseMary Honnold, editor in chief, VOYA In a house trimmed with holly, two sisters prepare for their annual Christmas party. But their eight rowdy cats cannot attend this festive fete, so the sisters safely stash them upstairs with some food.  After the guests arrive, the aroma of delicious treats and the sound of laughter begin to waft through the house, and the felines become restless. They decide that it's time to break loose! When they paw at the latch and jiggle the doorknob, the cats finally escape and crash the party. The bright illustrations of this festive book capture the cat-filled chaos that follows.  Nancy K. Wallace is the youth services coordinator for the Ellwood City Area Public Library, where she helped establish the annual Ellwood City Storytelling Festival. In addition to reviewing young adult fantasy and nonfiction for VOYA magazine, she has contributed articles to such publications as LibrarySparks and Highlights High Five. Under Wallace's direction, her library received five Best Practice Awards from the Pennsylvania Library Association, which honors excellence in library early learning programming, and a David J. Roberts EXCEL Library Service Award. She earned a BA in English literature from Maryville College and her library certification from Northampton College. Wallace lives in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania. Cathren Housley is an artist whose work includes illustration, fine arts, and sculpture. In addition to teaching art at museums, she created a line of inspirational jewelry, which includes the best-selling "Blessing Pin." Housley is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design with a degree in children's book illustration and a recipient of a Silver Mom's Choice Award. She lives in East Providence, Rhode Island.