Introducing the Pusska Moggyinsky Ballet Company - Maria McArdle

Welcome to the Pusska Moggyinsky Ballet Company, held in the secret cellars of Pluckerslea Hall, an English stately home with a ghostly reputation! Here, in a flurry of fur and feathers, a whole world of music and dancing exists...

Marmie tells of his great grandmother who founded the company and introduces its main characters – prima ballerina Pusskarina Pavlova, a dainty white cat who is completely deaf – which doesn’t stop her from dancing major roles in the ballets. Character dancer Oliver Crumble is a plump ginger tom with a leaky problem, ably assisted by Ratchett Rat and ‘The Commode’, a luxury litter box on wheels. Maestro Erico Poochetti, a shy Shih-Tzu, has the important position of ballet master, while German Shepherd Gemma McBone is conductor of the cats, dogs, birds and mice who play in the Moggyinsky Musical Ensemble. Willamena Wallaby, an Aussie with attitude, is cook and canteen manager, while Madam Carman Coiffure of millinery and make-up is an eccentric duck with a passion for plumes. Marmie explains how the animals get food, heat, light and materials, and tells with a shudder of Black Treacle Farm, where the notorious Bruiser Bumfluff and his gang of cut-throat cats hang out.

This delightful tale, complete with intricate, full-colour illustrations, is suitable for 8-12 year old children – especially animal lovers!