When Cats Go Wrong -
Norm Hacking's Song Is Now a BOOK!
Feb 1/06 paper edition released in Canada - May 10/06
in U.S.!!
Feb 2/06 Norm enjoyed signing books at OLA conference (
past events 2006 )
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When Cats Go Wrong
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When Cats Go Wrong
Written and performed by Norm Hacking*
Illustrations by Cynthia Nugent
NEW:
The full-size paperback edition is NOW Canadian stores (February 1, 2006)
AND in U.S. stores (May 10, 2006)!!
C$ 12.95 / US$ 9.95
quality full colour - same page size & cover design - with CD single*
of the song
new ISBN 1-55192-917-1
(and ISBN 13 digit format is 978 1-55192-917-0)
from Raincoast Books
(U.S. booksellers order through Publishers Group West)
The initial hardcover edition (publisher out of stock,
still in some stores):
Canadian release October 2004 / U.S. release April 2005
(ISBN 1-55192-729-2)
10 1/4 x 9 1/2 " - 32 pages hardcover - full colour - C$24.95 / US$16.95
includes CD single* of the song!
NOW - listen to mp3 (1.22mb)
For more than 30 years, Norm Hacking has been winning loyal fans and critical acclaim for his beautifully crafted songs, with their moving and often humorous insights into life, love, songwriting - and cats! Norm's "When Cats Go Wrong" is a popular song in tango tempo from the recent CD Orange Cats Make the Very Best Friends by Norm Hacking & Kirk Elliott. His song lyrics, a tale of kitty mischief, form the text of the book, which includes a CD single recording of the song.
Cynthia Nugent is an award-winning illustrator and an author - her own book Francesca and the Magic Bike was also published by Raincoast in fall 2004. This is the third book about a cat that she has illustrated, including the bestselling Mister Got to Go and Arnie by Lois Simmie, also from Raincoast.
"Life with a naughty kitty
Isn't very pretty.
So I sing this mournful song
About when cats go wrong."
*Words and music by Norm Hacking, SOCAN
Performance by Norm Hacking (vocals, guitar) and Kirk
Elliott (all other instruments)
Produced by Kirk Elliott and Norm Hacking
Recorded and mixed by Kirk Elliott
How did the song become a book? Vancouver illustrator Cynthia Nugent was listening to Stuart McLean's popular national Vinyl Cafe program on CBC Radio on Saturday morning February 22, 2003, when she heard Norm Hacking's "When Cats Go Wrong." She immediately emailed Norm an idea about turning the song into an illustrated book. Norm's Toronto-based manager was visiting friends in British Columbia and saw the message in time to hear the Sunday repeat of the program. She had a delightful meeting with Cynthia a couple of days later to talk and exchange Norm's CD for Cynthia's latest illustrated book. Cynthia's publisher Raincoast Books agreed she had a great idea. Thanks, Stuart, Cynthia and Raincoast! And all the fans, too.
Read Norm's account of events leading
to his song becoming a beautiful book - he's wearing his monthly columnist
hat.
ENTHUSIASTIC RESPONSES:
The first edition (hard cover) had at least four weeks on best sellers
list for children's books in British Columbia!
Feature mentions in And the same link for some very important FAN MAIL - the text
of the cat-shaped letters shown at left from Grade 2 fans, and a few
of the others Norm received. The letter from their teacher is also there.
Norm answered each letter individually and sent a response
to the entire class answering the most common questions about cats,
himself and writing.
BOOK AWARDS / NOMINATIONS
The book is short-listed for a 2005-2006 Chocolate
Lily Book Award (to be chosen by kindergarten through grade 3
British Columbia students) and was an Alcuin
Society Book Design Award Winner (4th in Children's category in
Canada for 2004; Elisa
Gutiérrez designed the book).
- Quill and Quire, October 2004, p.16 (with colour illustration)
- Globe
and Mail,
Oct. 9, 2004, Book Section, p.26 (online requires subscription)
- Vancouver Sun (Nov. 20, 2004, p.F16, review by Sara O'Leary)
- Maclean's,
Nov. 29, 2004, p. 68
- CBC Radio "The Roundup" Sara O'Leary's kids book reviews,
Dec. 8, 2004 (national; Dec.
8 playlist; audio no longer archived)
- CBC Radio "Fresh
Air" feature / interview, Dec. 11, 2004 (Ontario-wide)
- The Toronto Star, April 24, 2005, p.D8, Deirdre Baker's
Small Print column (with colour illustration)
- CM
Magazine (Manitoba Library Assoc.), Feb. 4, 2005, Valerie
Nielsen's review
See
Norm's Reviews page for quotes from the above.
MORE INFORMATION / ORDERING the BOOK or the full CD
When Cats Go Wrong, the NEW paperback book edition was released in Canada on February 1, 2006, and in the U.S. on May 10, 2006. Raincoast Books does not handle direct customer orders, so ask your favourite bookstore to order copies (ISBN10: 1-55192-917-1 / ISBN13: 978 1-55192-917-0). Canadian booksellers order from 1-800-663-5714 (toll-free in Canada) or (604) 323-7106, Monday to Friday 7:00 am to 5:00 pm PST. U.S. booksellers order from Publishers Group West, 1700 Fourth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710, 1-800-788-3123. See www.raincoast.com for book description, stock status and more contact options. The earlier harcover edition (ISBN 1-55192-729-2) may be available in some stores still.
The
song is from the full CD Orange
Cats Make the Very Best Friends (3FLAM 2003) by Norm Hacking
& Kirk
Elliott - "an album for kids and cat-lovers of all ages"
and for anyone who enjoys good songs with touches of humour. It includes
more songs about our feline friends, inspiring fans to
write Norm with stories of their lovable and sometimes mischievious cats.
A donation is made to the non-profit
Annex Cat Rescue for each CD sold. This full CD is available from
Festival Distribution
by toll-free (Canada and U.S.) order line at 1-800-633-8282 or secure
web orders at www.festival.bc.ca
or in stores or at Norm's concerts - still selling well since release
in December 2002. Check out other lyrics from
the album.
For information on other recordings, see the list of Norm's CDs and vinyl with links to details of each. Other artists' recordings of Norm's songs are included on One Voice: A Tribute to Norm Hacking, Vol. 1, and many artists' own albums. In addition to recordings of original songs, Norm has a CD of poetry and prose, I am the Night, released in late 2005.
For reviews spanning more than three decades of recording - and the book, see Reviews.
To join Norm's email list, ask a question, get updates on performances
and upcoming CDs, send an email to info@normhacking.com.
Page added to www.normhacking.com on June 30, 2004
sound file added September 15, 2004
last update May 9, 2006