PORT TOWNSEND — We have Sasquatch, a pair of princesses and an insomniac cat named Hissy Fitz.
And as if they’re not enough, there will be cake, prizes, stories and autographing of brand-new books as Patrick Jennings and Suzanne Selfors, local and near-local writers, throw a birthday party open to everybody this Saturday.
Admission is free to the 7 p.m. celebration at The Writer’s Workshoppe & Imprint Books, 820 Water St., while the two authors’ works will be available for purchase.
Jennings, who lives and writes in Port Townsend, will introduce his latest, Hissy Fitz — the tale of a cat and his noisy family — while Selfors, a Bainbridge Islander, will present Next Top Villain, her story of two princesses in high school together.
These books are for readers age 7 and older, and both come from authors well-known to kids across and beyond Washington state. Selfors and Jennings go on lots of school visits, reading from their chapter books and discussing the writer’s life.
Jennings is the author of the Guinea Dog series as well as of Odd, Weird and Little, his 2014 novel for readers age 8 to 12, while Selfors is the woman behind the Imaginary Veterinary series, which includes 2014’s The Sasquatch Escape.
That one is about a 10-year-old boy and girl who discover a secret hospital for imaginary creatures — including the one in the title. The kids accidentally leave the door open, and we’re off and running.
Hissy Fitz the cat runs around, too, in a community resembling Port Townsend. We get to follow him as he prowls, leaps — always landing on all four paws — and looks for someplace to sleep. He certainly can’t get his rest around his housemates, the Fitz family.
“One thing I wanted to do,” Jennings said of Hissy, was “try to describe to young readers what a cat’s experience might be like — as if I know,” as a mere human.
But Jennings does know a thing or two about feline concerns, having shared his home with cats for some 20 years. One was always slashing people, much like Hissy. Another, Louise the Burmese, was so sweet-tempered that Jennings dedicated this latest book to her.
Children’s books are more often about dogs, not cats, Jennings acknowledged. He figures that’s because kids don’t often take their cats outside to play — and let’s face it, these creatures can be aloof.
“The cat,” said Jennings, “doesn’t bend over backwards showing love and affection, looking for love and approval.
“I think my cats always saw me as their servants, not their masters.”
Nonetheless, Jennings had fun with Hissy Fitz, and will keep on with his pet projects. Next up is a new series of chapter books centered around the store called Petopia.
“It’s a special place filled with unique pets,” including that eponymous guinea pig that acted like a dog in his Guinea Dog stories.
The series’ first book, to come out in September, is Petopia: The Fur Flies, and stars a girl who wants a parrot, but ends up with a rabbit.
Both Jennings and Selfors have armloads of honors for their books, including the Washington State Book Award.
To find out more about the authors and their activities, visit www.PatrickJennings.com and www.SuzanneSelfors.com.
