j. e. morris | Lost in a Good Book

Flubby Will NOT Take a Bath (#4) by J. E. Morris

06 Mar 2026 Leave a comment

by Amy in 3 Stars, The Picture Book Corner Tags: children's picture book, flubby, j. e. morris, picture book, three stars

Published: 21 September 2021
Publisher: Penguin
Illustrator: J. E. Morris
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book
★ ★ ★ – 3 Stars

It’s time for Flubby to take a bath, but the fussy feline won’t get in the water. Bubbles, shampoo, and even a toy cannot convince the cat to get clean. Kami is determined to get the job done, though–even if she has to get creative!

Flubby has returned with another adventure as Kami tries to give him a bath.

There are a lot more elements than in previous Flubby books. More trial and error, more opportunity to see our little Flubby’s expressions and apprehensions. Toys and the lure of bubbles aren’t enough to get Flubby into the bath and I enjoyed seeing Kami try to get Flubby into the tub.

The usual layout of words and pictures is great as we see idea opposite execution and the simple sentences bringing an amazing dead pan vibe to the whole book. I loved the little joke at the end, and as always the illustrations are divine so the extra addition after the final page is gorgeous.

Once again, these books a relatable to anyone who has a cat or any pet who is sneaky enough to escape needing a bath even when it’s for their own good. But they are also fun books to read if you don’t have a pet like this as Flubby is a great character and brings so much to the page with a simple look or flop upon the ground. It’s also good to see I’m not the only person who tries to reason with their pet when you need them to do something or cooperate.

You can purchase Flubby Will NOT Take a Bath via the following

Dymocks | Booktopia

Wordery | Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson

Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible

Flubby will NOT Play with That (#2) by J. E. Morris

20 Feb 2026 Leave a comment

by Amy in 3 Stars, The Picture Book Corner Tags: children's picture book, flubby, j. e. morris, picture book, three stars

Published: 15 April 2020
Publisher: Penguin
Illustrator: J. E. Morris
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book
★ ★ ★ – 3.5 Stars

Flubby, the lovably lazy feline, embarks on his next non-adventure

When Kami brings home a bag full of toys for Flubby, the uninterested cat isn’t enthusiastic about the choices. A wind-up mouse? No thanks. A fish hanging from a stick? Yawn. But after Flubby rejects each offering, one unexpected option may be the best fit for Flubby after all.

The charming illustrations, simple text, and comic-like panels by J. E. Morris, author-illustrator of the Maud the Koala books, make this a unique format with a narrative style perfect for storytime and progressing readers.

Flubby returns with Kami trying to give him a nice big bag of new toys to play with. In true Flubby fashion it has very little success. What I enjoy is they are all cat based toys. This isn’t a story trying to make a cat play with unsuitable things, but Morris has captured the disinterest and attitude of a cat very well.

The illustrations are delightful once more. I loved how we get to see a lot of Flubby’s emotions and thoughts through simple facial expressions, and a solid cat stare manages to say so much.

The text and story is basic, ideal for those learning to read, but it is also comically funny and the short sentences manages to bring possibly unintentional humour to poor Kami’s situation. Seeing the hope slowly turn into uncertainty turn into disappointment that all of the toys bought Flubby won’t play with. The twist at the end is well known and expected but it is still fun to see. I have become quite fond of Flubby and wish only the best for him. Spoil him with all the things!

You can purchase Flubby will NOT Play with That via the following

Dymocks | Booktopia

Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust

Flubby Does NOT Like Valentine’s Day by J.E. Morris

06 Feb 2026 Leave a comment

by Amy in 3 Stars, The Picture Book Corner Tags: 3 Stars, children's picture book, flubby, j. e. morris, picture book

Published: 26th December 2023
Publisher: Penguin
Illustrator: J. E. Morris
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book
★ ★ ★ – 3.5 Stars

Flubby, the cute but aloof cat, is not a fan of Valentine’s Day!

Kami wants to give Flubby a gift for Valentine’s Day. But cats can’t read cards, and flowers make Flubby sneeze! Can Kami find the perfect present for her pal?

Once we get Flubby into the holidays the stories falter a little, but the sentiment is still there, as is Flubby’s Flubbyness. I love that Flubby doesn’t need any gifts, and like we see with the toys in previous books, Flubby is a cat of simple means. However Kami still wants to shower him with love because she loves him so much, which is something all pet owners can relate to.

I loved the ending, Morris always manages to wrap up each book with a simple scene or line that encapsulates everything and this book is no different. As Kami tries to shower Flubby with gifts it’s soon discovered that sometimes simple is best.

The illustrations are still cute but there are a lot more close ups and dramatics. There is something to be said about the formulaic structure of previous books but this one works just fine.

You can purchase Flubby Does Not Like Valentine’s Day via the following

Booktopia

Wordery | Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson

Amazon | Amazon Aust

Flubby is NOT a Good Pet (#1) by J. E. Morris

09 Jan 2026 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, The Picture Book Corner Tags: children's picture book, flubby, four stars, j. e. morris, picture book

Published: 23rd April 2019
Publisher: Penguin
Illustrator: J. E. Morris
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book
★ ★ ★ ★ – 4.5 Stars

Meet Flubby–the lovably lazy feline who prefers a purr-fectly laid-back lifestyle!

Flubby is a big, sleepy cat who refuses to do the things that other pets do. He won’t sing, catch, or even jump! But when a scary situation brings Flubby and his owner together, they realise they really do need each other–and that makes Flubby a good pet after all.

After discovering Flubby will NOT Go to Sleep I have tracked down more Flubby’s and this one doesn’t disappoint (unlike Flubby’s abilities).

What I love about this book is we just rag on Flubby for the entire book but it is still so sweet and I love it. The illustrations are simple but convey so much meaning and we get a lot of Flubby’s personality through them. I love that poor Flubby is being compared to other pets and isn’t gaining any points, but I also love that by the end we accept Flubby despite no discerning skills.

The illustrations are simple but there isn’t a lot to illustrate in terms of story. We see Kami and we see Flubby, that’s all we need for a sweet and funny story.

You can purchase Flubby is NOT a Good Pet via the following

QBD | Dymocks | Booktopia

Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson

Amazon | Amazon Aust

2025 Book Bingo Wrap Up

30 Dec 2025 Leave a comment

by Amy in Book Bingo Tags: alex gino, alex latimer, ali hazelwood, book bingo, book bingo 2025, book bingo 25, clayton zane comber, dahlia adler, daria defore, disha bose, elana k. arnold, gabrielle zevin, helena fox, j. e. morris, janette paul, jasper fforde, jenna voris, jordyn taylor, keris stainton, maureen johnson, peter brown, sean williams, serena valentino, shivaun plozza, vikki wakefield, walter lord

An image of a brown cartoon owl holding a bingo dabber. There are bingo cards to the left and a stack of books on its right. The words Book Bingo are in large print underneath. What I’ve enjoyed with my Book Bingo cards of late is reading whatever books through the year and come December seeing what I can put into my card, then trying to find something to read to fill in the final few boxes if there are any left. I think this time a few choices could be a bit stronger, and of course, one year this will backfire miserably, but for now we’re safe.

With 150+ books at my disposal to choose from I only managed to not fill in two. But the year is not finished yet, I could maybe do it, but I think we’ll call it and aim better next year. I’ll add that in as a new rule, what isn’t completed one year must be on the next year’s card. I vaguely recall that happening in the very beginning but all it resulted in is a lot of empty poetry boxes before I learnt my lesson.

Last year I was going to move more into fantasy, but I’ve not really gone the fantasy route instead there’s a lot of contemporary, my push to at least try a few romances, and of course my rereads were always fun. My diverse reads are getting better and I have found some amazing Aussie YA through my challenge and through the #LoveOzYA tag and website. Though, having said that, the point of the bingo card is to read widely so maybe I need to add poetry and fantasy back on and read more outside the norm.

I am keen to get into a new bingo card. I will say I am going to up my short story and anthology reads, I did have one, technically, but I also needed a Shakespeare spot filled and as it was a Shakespeare anthology it was a toss up which slot it should satisfy. Maybe in the final days of the year I can get through a Shakespeare adaptation and balance out the boxes. But for now, this is my list and I will link up to the reviews when they come out.