When the Cat's Away

When The Cat's Away, a picture book for young children, is set in Paris. A family of mice move into their new home beneath the Café des Chats. Gussie and her twin brother, Pierre, are keen to explore their new surroundings. It is not long before Pierre's nose for adventure puts his life at risk and takes them far away. It takes some luck and all of Gussie's bravery and ingenuity to stage his rescue. Their triumphant journey through the streets of Paris back to their home almost comes unstuck. And then at the very last minute they realise they have another problem - the resident cat is not quite as far away as they had hoped!

Donna Gibbs is an author, editor and educator. The written word has always been at the heart of her world. She has been involved with reading, writing, teaching and talking about books for as far back as she can remember. A particular passion is picture books with their magical combination of word and image.



Her publications are held in libraries and educational institutions around the world. She has written on topics as diverse as Elizabethan love poetry, children's literature, film and cyberculture. Her co-edited book Cyberlines: Languages and Cultures of the Internet has sold in more than twenty countries. A full list of publications is on her website (donnagibbsbooks.com).

She retired from her role as an Associate Professor at Macquarie University in 2006 to continue as a freelance writer. Since then she has written many books for teachers and students in the areas of history, grammar, comprehension and language skills. She has also completed several works of poetry and fiction for children.



She regularly reads to pre-schoolers as a volunteer at a local kindergarten. She lives in Sydney, Australia with her husband, Tony.



Website: donnagibbsbooks.com