about the book
Caterina is a very organized, energetic little brown bird. She has bright colorful thoughts, makes lists for everything, and HATES surprises. When she decides to throw her very first party for her friends, she makes lots of itemized and extremely detailed plans to make sure the party is absolutely perfect. Her little brother, Leo, lends a helping hand.
She plans and makes the perfect bright, colorful invitations.
She plans and makes the perfect bright, colorful decorations.
And she plans and makes the perfect bright, colorful, and yummy food.
She even plans on the perfect place, the bright, colorful, and fun park!
The only problem…she doesn’t plan on the weather!
All the decorations and food are ruined by a heavy storm. With her best-laid plans all awry, will the very particular Caterina be able to roll with the punches?
(Be sure to check out the intricate illustrations. Hidden in the collaged pages, there are all sorts of interesting stamps, photos, fabrics and more.)
about the author/illustrator
Erin Eitter Kono’s family comes from northern Minnesota, and she grew up in Iowa. She studied art history at the University of Iowa and at the University of Hull in England. She also studied graphic design and writing through extension classes at UCLA, Westwood.
She spent a bunch of years just wondering around the world. Somewhere along the line, she became an award-winning children’s book illustrator and author!
Erin gets her ideas from all sorts of places. For Caterina and the Perfect Day, the inspiration for the main character Caterina came from watching her daughter. When Erin began to write, the character morphed, becoming a little like Erin, too. One thing for sure, Caterina, the little brown bird, is much more organized than either Erin or her daughter! Besides being an inspiration, Erin’s daughter is also the voice of Caterina in the book’s video trailer!
It took Erin only a couple of days to write the entire picture book, but several years to edit the story. She wanted it just right. Like her character Caterina, she’s a bit particular. The illustrations took Erin six months to finish—but really she was tweaking them right up to the day they were printed! Yup, a bit particular!
These days, Erin, her husband, and their daughter call the California community of Palos Verdes home. Erin works in a cozy cottage in the back yard. There she writes, paints and does lots of crafts. Toby is her official “studio dog.” They also have a hamster and a neighborhood wild peacock to keep them company!
Sources:
Author website
Author blog
Book website: Caterina’s Corner
Also by Erin Eitter Kono:
Caterina and the Best Beach Day (Caterina). Dial. 2015.
Caterina and the Lemonade Stand (Caterina). Dial. 2014.
read more!
Caterina and the Lemonade Stand (Caterina) by Erin Eitter Kono
Caterina hopes to earn enough money for a new scooter and to do that she plans to have the perfect lemonade stand. She makes lots of lists for exactly what she will need. Unfortunately she discovers that many others are doing the same thing. How will she make her stand truly stand out? She comes up with a very “colorful” idea, but will it be enough to make her stand the top seller?
Tea Rex by Molly Idle
Some tea parties are meant for grown-ups. Some for little girls (or boys, if they wish). But have you ever heard about a tea party for a T-Rex? You might think that all manners and decorum go out the window, but you would be wrong. You just have to make the rules a little… bigger.
Two Speckled Eggs by Jennifer K. Mann
For her birthday party, Ginger must invite all the girls in her class, even Lyla Browning, who’s very different from the rest. The party doesn’t go the way Ginger planned, and some of the girls aren’t what Ginger expected. When Lyla gives Ginger her gift—a tiny homemade nest with two malted-milk eggs-Ginger realizes that being different is a good thing.