FIGARO AND RUMBA AND THE COOL CATS

The second adventure starring the irrepressible Figaro and his friend Rumba and the very cool cats who were kidnapped from from Cuba. A funny, entertaining story in five gorgeously illustrated chapters for boys and girls aged 5 to 8 years.

Figaro and Rumba are old friends. And their new friends are the cats from Cuba who run the Cool Cats Café. Customers come from everywhere to try their chicken empanadas, and to swoon beneath the spell of their singing and steel guitars. When Marta, the Cool Cats top singer, is leading the rehearsal for their new show, she stops singing and cries, ‘Oh, I cannot go on! That dog Figaro does not sing – he howls and he barks.’ While Rumba explains that this is what dogs do, and Figaro does it so musically, Figaro uses the opportunity to slip away to do what he likes best – some exploring! In Book 1, Figaro and Rumba and the Crocodile Café, we discover that Figaro and Rumba are best friends. Figaro is a dog who loves to run like the wind. And Rumba is a cat who once sang and danced in Cuba. When they catch the Very Fast Train that goes all the way to the beach, they meet a cunning crocodile with conga drums and an elegant satin waistcoat. Surely such a musical creature couldn‘t be a villain? Anna Fienberg, author of many popular and award-winning books for children of all ages says: ‘My son was five when we brought young Figaro home. Even though he was an English setter, we named him Figaro after the Italian opera. He loved to sing and dance. He hugged our legs like velcro whenever we did the tango. Oh, and he liked reading. Figaro was my most loyal fan – he loved my books so much that he ate them.’ Stephen Michael King loves to draw and dream. His creative meanderings have led him to illustrate over fifty books, including award-winning titles such as The Pocket Dogs by Margaret Wild, Where does Thursday Go? by Janeen Brian, and Perry Angel’s Suitcase by Glenda Millard. Stephen is published throughout the world, and his titles Milli, Jack and the Dancing Cat and Leaf were chosen as White Ravens, outstanding children’s books selected by the International Youth Library.