Raving About Rufus

Children's book Rufus at Work is written by two Plattsburgh professors.

Rufus at Work is a charming children's book that illustrates the misconceptions we humans have about the busy life of house cats. When I often picture a typical cat, an image of Garfield comes to mind: a fat cat who sleeps and eats all the time.

 

Rufus at Work was written as a children's book but is an entertaining read for all age groups.

Although he is fat, Rufus is far from lazy. He spends most of his day doing things for his girl, Posy. In fact, Rufus says that he works so hard it makes him dizzy. For example, Rufus spends his busy day guarding the birdbath, decorating the neighbor's car with his footprints, and pruning the catnip. A cat's life is a hard one indeed.

Written and illustrated by Norman and Tory Taber, Rufus at Work is full of bright, beautiful images that are entertaining to children and adults alike.

“I think the book does really well for ages five to eight,” says Norman Taber, an art professor at Plattsburgh State University College. “Though, I think that younger kids can also approach it easily. We have a four-year-old. She was three when it came out and she has always really enjoyed it. Even older kids can do well with the book because it has a lot of pictorial little jokes in it that I think a lot of people can relate to.”

Cat owners can also relate to this enjoyable story. “Our cats that we have right now and cats that we've had in the past are inspirations for Rufus,” says Taber. “We [currently] own two cats. Neither of them looks like Rufus. Rufus is blue, of course. We have a black cat and a gray cat. We got them in Savannah. I think they are a little alarmed by the cold weather up here.”

Although Norman Taber is originally from the Glens Falls area, he met his wife, Tory, in college. “We were both attending the illustration program at Brigham Young University in Utah,” notes Taber. “We had married and lived in Utah. We made our way to Plattsburgh in 2000.”

Tory Taber co-authored and illustrated “Rufus at Work” with her husband Norman Taber.

The Taber's have done quite a few illustrations for publications, but this is the first book they co-authored and illustrated. The book's enchanting pictures are illustrated seamlessly despite being created by two artists. “We work on each other's sketches and pass the paintings back and forth,” explains Tory Taber. Tory came up with the story idea for Rufus at Work years ago. “I sketched a girl with a cat,” she recalls. “It kind of looked like they were talking to each other and that drawing sparked the idea for this book.”

If only cats could talk. Perhaps they would, like Rufus, tell us what a strenuous day they really have. After all if not for cats, who would keep the sun off the rug?

Read Rufus at Work. It is quite a tail.

Are you a cat lover?

Rufus at Work

by Tory and Norman Taber

Copyright 2005

Walker Publisher Company, Inc

Produced by Design Press, a division of the Savannah College of Art and Design

www.designpressbooks.com