Shy Cat and the Stuff-the-Bus Challenge by Dian Day, Illustrated by Amanda White

This heartwarming graphic novel is poignant, adorable and deeply topical. It follows best friends Mila and Kit, who spend their days together enjoying the wonders of childhood. Their day-to-day seems like lighthearted fun as they play with neighbourhood cats, go to the park and create movie sets to bring their wild imaginations to life. However, early in the story there are subtle moments that cause Mila to question Kit’s behaviour. In one instance Mila perceives Kit as rude when he comes over after school and devours three bananas … without even asking! In another, Kit becomes extraordinarily upset over a dented can that’s donated to the food bank. Mila, along with other students in their class don’t understand the dramatic outburst. As the story unfolds, we learn that life for Kit isn’t just about being creative and having fun with Mila. Kit’s family struggles with food insecurity are difficult for Mila to fully grasp, as she comes from a food secure home.

This contrast introduces an important and timely discussion about fairness, empathy, and understanding differences in lived experience. One particularly striking line reads: “For the rest of the week I thought about why people talked about being lucky or unlucky when they really meant that things were fair or unfair.” This is a great line to show that even when shielded from difficult truths, children still have a way of piecing together what’s actually being said. It marks an important time in childhood when one recognizes that life, as much as we wish it wasn’t, is often unfair.

Trickled throughout the novel are adorable cartoons drawn by Mila that immerse the reader into Mila’s inner thoughts and feelings. These comics add a personal layer to the narrative, showing how Mila makes sense of the world through creativity. Her depictions of “Shy Cat” appear in both humorous and heartfelt scenes about the cat’s secret powers— like its selective hearing, ruling the world and being an apple— to more complex feelings like wishing every day was Tuesday so that the food bank would always be open. As the reader, we get to move through these feelings with Mila as she processes them. Her mother is a patient figure in the story that gently guides Mila —and us—on understanding food scarcity and addressing the difficult questions about hunger and inequality. 

Day and White do a fantastic job of creating realistic childlike banter amongst the characters while really capturing the innocence of childhood. They are a part of a group called the Hungry Stories team. Their goal is to advocate and educate about food insecurity. Through this story, they highlight the severity of food scarcity and how it is too complex to be solved through food banks alone. They skilfully address serious topics with care and compassion.  

This is a touching and accessible story that speaks to kids and adults alike, inviting opportunity for reflection on privilege and friendship. It does a beautiful job illustrating the quiet ways children make sense of complex truths.

Cassie Barrett

Hello! My name is Cassie. I have a BSc in Neuroscience as well as a BA in Psychology. I spent my years in university writing everything from essays to scientific journal articles about G-protein coupled estrogen receptors in the hippocampus of mice (riveting, I know). That little experiment got me published though! Now, I am currently pursuing a Creative Writing Certificate. Additionally, I went to college for Paramedicine which is what I spend my days doing now. I love reading and writing as a creative outlet to escape from my day to day job.