A Night on the Tiles - Hardcover

Bruce Ingman illustrated for magazines such as British Vogue and Elle and taught at several art colleges before publishing his first children's book. He lives and works in London.

The feline hero of When Martha's Away (1995) is back, bounding on Martha's bed as she goes to sleep and asking, "What do you think I do all night?" This is one busy ginger cat, as he scoots off to the Cat Academy for his fashion class, woodworking class, and mechanics class (to keep his scooter in working order). Then it's to Jean-Pierre's for a whisker trim, and then meeting with his friend Audrey, a fluffy white cat, for a snack and a movie. Then he takes Audrey home and is back in time to wake Martha up in the morning. Big type with flourishes is in tune with the illustrations: vivacious black line over thick brushed color, with collage elements, such as a scrap of music from "Moon River" and a still from the movie Roman Holiday. The opening double-page spread, the title page and its verso, is done in white on black in the shape of a cat face, very clever indeed. Great for picture-book time.

April 1, 1999 (Booklist, ALA)

"Vintage fashion-magazine-style drawings atop brightly colored paintings evoke the nighttime world of a sophisticated cat who takes classes, sees movies, and rides a motor scooter after his owner falls asleep. References to Audrey Hepburn, including photos of her from BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S and ROMAN HOLIDAY, are obviously meant for adult appreciation, but kids also might be charmed by this pet's quirky secret life." (Horn Book)

When Martha's Away (1995), her cat leads a busy life, but it's nothing compared to his night schedule; as this companion book demonstrates, once his human falls asleep, it's up and out to study fashion, engineering, and mechanics at the Cat Academy, have a whisker trim, then rendezvous with feline friend Audrey for a banana milkshake and a movie. Ingman strews naively painted figures, plus an occasional bit of printed music or a black-and-white still from, say, Roman Holiday, against strongly colored, vigorously brushed monochrome backgrounds, creating a whimsically contemporary look perfectly in keeping with the brief, droll text. Even more industrious than the nightclub-owning pet of Nina Laden's The Night I Followed the Dog (1994), this ambitious kitty thoroughly debunks the silly notion that cats laze about all the time. (Kirkus Reviews)