Book 2 in the Kitty in the City Series
06-18-2025
time, she’s headed to Central Park! In Katy in Central Park, Katy is
ready for a quiet day with her owner Lilian… until their picnic basket
is suddenly snatched.
dashes through the park’s winding paths, determined to solve the
mystery. But is everything really what it seems?
book, written and illustrated by Ella English, is full of fun, friendship, and
feline flair—plus an important lesson about thinking twice before making
snap decisions.
bundle of Did You Know? facts about Central Park.
Castle is perched high above Turtle Pond and used to house a weather station? Or that Central Park Zoo is home to snow leopards, sea lions, and red pandas?
There are over 280 species of birds in the park, and the entire park is 843
acres—that’s about 640 football fields!
launches June 18—International Picnic Day!
blanket, heading to Central Park, and sharing a storytime picnic with Katy the
singing cat!
EXCERPT
A prickly feeling crept up my neck like icy pinpricks. The hairs on my arm stood up straight.
Weasel let out a soft, worried meow.
I whirled around. A chunky calico cat was perched on top of the wall, glaring down at us. The sun lit him up like a spotlight. He wore a little red vest, and a black bandanna was tied under his chin.
“Well, looky what we have here,” he said. His eyes narrowed, and his pointy teeth poked out. “If it isn’t Weasel, my old pal. And look, he even has a little girlfriend with him.”
The cat leaped off the wall and landed with a thud. He strutted up to Weasel, who gulped.
“Who are you?” I asked. My heart skipped a beat. This cat was scary.
“I’m Calico Jack,” said the cat.
A fluffy gray cat with a black eye patch crept along the wall. With a squeak, she somersaulted and landed next to Weasel. The gray cat rubbed her head on Weasel’s cheek. She purred loudly.
Weasel’s furry face lit up. “Hi, Mary!” Weasel said.
“How’s it going?”
Calico Jack was still glaring at us. His tail swished from side to side.
Mary circled Weasel, bumping him with her head.
“Some friend you are, leaving us high and dry. Just ran away in the middle of the night, didn’t he, Jack?”
“A traitor is what you are. A no-good bum.”
Calico Jack pushed his face close to Weasel’s good ear.
“Want me to rip this one up too? It would make a nice matching pair, eh, Mary?” Calico Jack gave a belly laugh, and Mary joined in.
EEEEYYOOWWW!
A sudden shrill cry pierced the air. Something slammed onto Weasel’s back.
Weasel yelped as an orange and white striped cat dug her claws into his back. With a twist, he shook her off onto the ground.
The new cat’s fur stood straight up, like she’d been zapped with electricity. A jagged scar marked her pink nose. She wore a tiny white shirt with a belt wrapped around her middle.
“Well, well, look who finally decided to show his face,” the frizzy cat said in a crackly voice. She licked a paw and smoothed down her spiked neck fur.
“Great to see you again, Anne. You’re looking mighty fine.”
“Stow the compliments.” She punched him softly on the left side of his head. “You shouldn’t have left us.”
She circled him, her tail swishing. “We’re your family. We searched all over, missing you.”
Anne leaned in close to Weasel’s face and narrowed her eyes. “You left us in the lurch. We’re family. You don’t just run out on family.”
Weasel’s ears drooped. He stared down at his paws.
“And now we’ve found you and your little friend,” Mary said in a menacing tone. “Looks like your luck has run out.”
“You don’t scare me!” I yelled, but it came out as more of a squeak.
I charged at Mary, but she caught me in a headlock. I didn’t want her to know I was scared, so I shouted, “You’d better leave Weasel alone!”
“Stay out of it! We’re pirates!” Calico Jack said, his voice a low rumble. “And pirates don’t split up, because they know the consequences.”
“If you’re pirates, where’s your boat?” I said, sinking my teeth into Mary’s arm. Shrieking, she loosened her grip.
But Calico Jack wasn’t listening. Shoving his paw under Weasel’s chin, he hoisted Weasel above his head and swung him around in circles above his head.
“You won’t get away with this, Weasel! You let me down, and I don’t like being let down.” Calico Jack shouted.
“Stop that!” I yelled, even though my legs were shaking.
Calico Jack threw back his head and roared with
laughter.
“What are you going to do about it, little girl?” he taunted.
I squeezed my hands into tight fists. My stomach twisted into knots seeing poor Weasel being whirled around like a toy.
Calico Jack spun faster and faster. Weasel wailed helplessly.
“He’s a stinky cat! Phew, Weasel, you reek,” Anne said, holding her nose.
Weasel always smelled like pizza grease, but it wasn’t as bad as Anne was making out.
Weasel hissed and writhed in Calico Jack’s grasp.
Weasel reached out a paw and scratched him so hard that Calico Jack dropped him.
“You devil!” Calico Jack cried.
Weasel grabbed me by the paw and yelled, “RUN!”
We bolted across the observation deck. Weasel was up on the wall in one leap, pulling me behind. Shaking off his grasp, I scaled the tall, rectangular tower of gray stone that shimmered in the sun. We scrambled up the bumpy surface, determined to get to the top.
Ella English is a British author and
illustrator known for her children’s books, particularly her Kitty in the City
series and the Merblood Saga. She writes and illustrates imaginative stories,
often with themes of dreams, adventure, and friendship. After moving from
London, Ella English now lives in Baltimore, USA, with her two daughters.
@authorella1
@ellaenglishauthor
@Crimsondragonbooks
