From critically acclaimed author Patricia Polacco comes a heartwarming story about a girl named Annie, her lucky Thursdays, and a special cat who comes into her life just in time to make everything right.
Thursdays have always been lucky for Annie Fetlock. She was born on a Thursday. She won her first cooking contest at the age of eight on a Thursday. She met the love of her life, Mario, on a Thursday. They were married on a bright Thursday afternoon and their two children were both born on a Thursday. Annie is known far and wide for her Poke Pasta Salad and has the most popular restaurant for miles around.
When Mario suddenly passes away, Annie’s joy and love of cooking disappears. Before too long, a little kitty appears and Annie takes the kitty in, and, of course, calls it Thursday. Annie is back making Poke Salad in no time. Thursday the cat is known for amazing twirls and tricks and one day his twirls land him in Annie’s draining rigatoni, causing the pot of hot oil, garlic, and peppers to spill into the pasta! Then the entire container of Parmesan cheese overturned into the mix. The customers were horrified until they noticed that what looked like a big mess had the most amazing aroma and turned out to be the most delicious pasta dish ever created! Ugly Pasta—the dish that would make Annie famous for miles around—was born. And of course it was a Thursday!
"Annie Fetlock--born on Thursday, met the love of her life on Thursday, and when a special cat comes into her life on Thursday, she knows he has found the right home"--
A grieving widow finds a new lease on life and unexpected material success after adopting a stray cat.Annie and her husband, Mario, happily run a small diner in a small town. As the white couple grows older, the two continue to enjoy their low-key life—until Mario falls ill and dies. Annie's subsequent sadness mutes her enthusiasm for cooking. The discovery of a kitten on her porch—the titular Thursday—revitalizes her and, eventually, results in the creation of an entirely new recipe. Annie doesn't just reopen the original diner, she brands her new dish Ugly Pasta, adds national franchises, builds a factory to employ her neighbors, and spends her profits on civic improvements. Polacco's signature scratchy illustrations, rendered in pencil and marker, are full of energy.
