Who is “Sam Katz On The Loose”? Ask one of NBC’s Top Cats, Frank Radice, his wife, Vida, and the world-renowned 3-D pop illustrator, Charles Fazzino. Their book is a one-of-a-kind picture book filled with playful rhymes and gorgeous illustrations. Sam Katz On The Loose is sure to please art lovers and children alike!
The book is based on the real-life mischievous cat of the Radice family, and chronicles the secret life of one imaginative feline who finds endless amusement and high adventure within the walls of his masters’ New York City apartment. The Radices are great animal lovers. “The innocence they bring to us is unconditional love which means every thing to us,” explains Frank Radice. It was their desire to capture their personalities in a fanciful way, and to inform and educate children everywhere. Of course they wanted a lasting memory of their Sam Katz, number one, which changed Vida’s opinion of felines forever. When they adopted Sam Katz, number two, they purposely went for a little guy that looked like his predecessor (although he has a decidedly different personality). Sam Katz II, being curious as cats can be, fell from their 5th floor balcony in Nice, France and survived. The vets there called him “Flying Cat”. It was that incident that made Sam II a boldface feline name on the NY Post’s Page Six. So now, Sam Katz is famous and this book will forever immortalize Sam I. While Sam II gets whatever he wants, whenever he wants, from his favorite admirers.
In Sam Katz On The Loose, every day Sam Katz’s owners leave him all alone in an apartment whose walls are covered with Charles Fazzino’s imaginary and colorful paintings. There, Sam Katz merges with the paintings and takes us on a breathtaking journey through the universe.
It is the first time that Fazzino’s astonishing three-dimensional art is available in a picture book format for children, but not the first time he lends his art to the service of humanitarian and animal causes. Fazzino has been involved with charity works such as Rosie O’Donnell’s For All Kids Foundation, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Together with Frank and Vida Radice, they are planning to use the books to help benefit pets. “Sam Katz was actually adopted from an animal shelter and we are donating a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the artwork to various shelters,” Fazzino comments.
– Iman Bounhar
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