Abelard and Heloise

"Josephine Jones had seven cats/ Who wore fine collars and silk cravats./ And all of the cats were Siamese/ But Abelard and Heloise." Thus begins the children's book Abelard and Heloise, a story about two scruffy animal shelter rescuees that become rescuers on a cold Christmas eve. Written as a children's poem by author Wendy Waite, Abelard and Heloise was originally published in Wendy Waite Collected Works in 2006. Subsequently, it was lovingly illustrated with original watercolors by Dana Stratton and made into a book for children six years and older. The story line involves the cats Abelard and Heloise that were rescued from the shelter by Josephine Jones, but have to take a "back seat" to her five Siamese cats. Abelard and Heloise live in the basement and make do with a laundry basket for a bed while the Siamese cats live comfortably upstairs in the main house. On Christmas eve, the newest Siamese kitten, Siru, slips out of the house while no one is watching and gets stuck in snow. Only the two basement cats can hear her cries. Abelard and Heloise slip out of the basement and rescue Siru, staying with the kitten all night. The next morning, to the delight of the Josephine Jones household, Siru is fine and Abelard and Heloise become part of the "upstairs cats." This book was written and illustrated to create a children's book with a "traditional" feel to it. The verse is in rhyming couplets that are fun for children to read out loud.Murray, Jonathan is the author of 'Abelard and Heloise', published 2006 under ISBN 9780978652708 and ISBN 0978652703.