That of cats in the White House is a noble tradition. The best known is perhaps Socks Clinton, First Cat from 1993 to 2001, the only one to be photographed in the presidential press room, casually in front of the microphone. But there were also George W. Bush’s two cats, the black India, known as Willie, and the red Tabbie Ernie. Without forgetting the Fords’ Siamese cat, Shan, and Amy Carter’s, Misty Malarky Ying Yang. While Ronald Reagan’s cats, Cleo and Sara, decidedly luckier than their urbanized brothers, have always lived on the Rancho del Cielo estate, in California.
Now one of them even has a dedicated book. In fact, American first lady Jill Biden wrote a children’s book about Willow, the family cat who resides in the White House, with the well-known children’s author Alyssa Satin Capucilli. ‘Willow the White House Cat’ will be released in June, four months before the US vote, with illustrations by artist Kate Berube and will be published by Simon & Schuster. “As she goes from room to room exploring the history of her new home,” writes Jill, “Willow quickly learns what there is to know about the incredible people who make People House work, what they arranging the flowers, another preparing sweets to eat, and the man with the beautiful smile who seems to be able to do everything at once. They welcomed Willow with love and care, just as they did with Joe and me, the First Families who have gone before us and all the people who set foot in this house. Making many new friends along the way, Willow’s journey gives the world a “cat’s eye” view of all the ins and outs of America’s most famous address.” The final message, they explain to Simon & Shuster, is that being open to new friendships makes us grow and surprises us every day.
It is not the first children’s book by Jill Biden, who was a college English professor for a long time: she has already written “Don’t Forget, God Bless Our Troops” which recounts the experience of a child with a parent at war far away, inspired by his granddaughter Natalie, daughter of Beau, the firstborn of the presidential couple who died in 2015. Willow is a four-year-old gray female with green eyes who comes from a farm in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania , named in honor of Jill Biden’s hometown of Willow Grove. It is the Bidens’ only pet: for a long time they had two German shepherds, Champ and Major: the first died at 13 years old, while the second reacted badly to the change of home, became aggressive and was therefore sent to live with friends of the presidential couple