"A Small Cat in a Big, Wide World": Natalia Shaloshvili on her picture book WHAT A SMALL CAT NEEDS
Sweet, tender, and perfect for the youngest picture book readers, Natalia Shaloshvili’s What a Small Cat Needs is an affectionate invitation to relate to and fall in love with a small cat as she explores the world around her. In celebration of the book’s publication, we’re thrilled to share a guest post from Natalia Shaloshvili about how she came up with this adorable story and its adorable protagonist, and how she brought them to life through her art.
Hello, this is Natalia Shaloshvili!
I’d love to tell you about my book What a Small Cat Needs, published by the wonderful Enchanted Lion Books and beautifully translated by Lena Traer.
The Story
The story is about a small cat and the things she needs, big and small: a tail and whiskers; milk and a flower patch; a place to run away and come back; to feel sad, to soak in the rain, and to warm herself in the beams of sunlight. But mostly, she needs a friend.
This character was born when I drew a little cat in a cup, surrounded by blue waters. There was something about her that told me she needed something—she needed a story! And word by word, the story came to life.
My Illustration Process
What I love most about being an author-illustrator is the process of working on a story. In my process, words and pictures always go side by side, so I can see the whole book as one piece.
For What a Small Cat Needs, I scribbled a lot in my sketchbook, searching for the right visual language. I was inspired by the beauty of nature around me: the mountains, the sea, the birds. That’s why the color palette of the book has many blue and white tones.
I wanted to show how small the cat is in a big, wide world, and that sometimes a wolf might be hiding behind a tree (although he’s not after the cat).
I worked with acrylics and watercolor pencils, and later brought everything together in Procreate.
Around the World
I’m so grateful that What a Small Cat Needs has been published by Enchanted Lion. This book is very dear to me, and I’m so happy that it’s been published in many languages and has now found its way to readers around the world.
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WHAT A SMALL CAT NEEDS
Written & illustrated by Natalia Shaloshvili
Translated from Russian by Lena Traer
One of LitHub's Most Anticipated Children’s Books of 2026!
Sweet, tender, and perfect for the youngest picture book readers, this winning story about a most adorable kitten is an affectionate invitation to identify with and love this small cat!
What does a small cat need? Two little eyes, two little ears, big whiskers, and a tail, to start. What else does a small cat need? Maybe a walk in the flowers, a sip of milk, or a warm spot to laze around in the sun.
But above all else, what a small cat needs is... someone big or little—maybe someone just like you!—with cuddly arms and a huge heart to pet it and hear it purr. Yes, every cat needs that!
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“Simple, evocative language accompanies Natalia Shaloshvili’s delicately textured drawings in this sweet picture book." —Wall Street Journal
★ "Beautifully captures the vulnerability and wonder emanating from small creatures." —Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW!
