Adelina from Home Maid Simple received a copy of Purrball Meets Burrball in Brazil in exchange for this post.

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This delightful childrens book follows a cat as he gets separated from his family when they move to Brazil, and meets a very helpful sloth. Enjoy this Q&A with authro Anne Zoet.

What inspired you to write this book?
The story hit me on a day that I took our for myself away from my high tech work. I was havig a massage, which is when I zone-out and don’t think about anything. Oddly, this time, I started creating the Purrball and Burrball storyline the more and more I unwound. I was so relaxed that the whole thing unfolded start to finish.
How would you describe the characters of Purrball and Burrball?
Smart, kind, resourceful and they’re team players. Animals are invariably way more clever than we humans give them credit for. I’ve seen my cats use incredible logic to alter a situation they’re in. I once had a cat run away in a place she didn’t know (the worst weeks of my life searching every day) but she found her way back, though completely unfamiliar with the surroundings. I have another car, my outdoor cat, who you can see trotting alongside opossums and raccoons in evening. That scare me so much at first, but eventually we’ve come to see that he has a real relationship with them.
He’s so smart and the more I see the wildlife interact with him, the more I see them as clever and accepting and even friendly. The Purrball and Burrball characters came to me before I moved to this area and could witness my cat and his outdoor adventures. But this experience solidified how Purrball and Burrball should be portrayed as a team. I think that my cat’s experiences with wildlife show that animals are capable of very unexpected bonds with one another.
How do Purrball and Burrball use technology in the book?
Purrball, the cat, is unable to send a critical text message, so she asks Burrball, the sloth, if he could tap with his toes to write it. Maybe that’s my wish:  I wish my cats would find a way to text me what they’re thinking, lol.
Why did you decide to set the story in Brazil?
It had to be set in the natural habitat of a sloth. I’ve always wanted to see a Brazilian rainforest, so I just created my own. It is roughly the Atlantic Forest of Brazil and their plane arrives in Sao Paulo. Earthquakes are incredibly rare in that region, so all the more surprising that one happens when they arrive. After setting my sights on this area, I’ve seen dozens of photos of both SaoPaulo and the Atlantic Forest that make me long to go there! It is on my bucket list.
What was the most rewarding moment you experienced in writing Purrball Meets Burrball in Brazil?
It was seeing the art that kids created from my coloring pages! I always loved to draw and didn’t find coloring pages that interesting as a kid. Now that I’ve seen what some kids come up with (like one used a gold pen to make a gold mobile phone), I think it can be very creative. I look forward to some freehand drawing, if kids post any to my site (and there’s an option for that at purrballandburrball.com).
You can purchase a copy of Purrball Meets Burrball in Brazil on Amazon