THE SKELETON AND THE CAT
HarperCollins | July 2026
A humorous and touching tale of the unexpected friendship that blossoms between a peaceful skeleton and a persistent cat. Told in five short and charming stories that will remind you of Frog and Toad!
This is the first in a series of books and Brandon’s author-illustrator debut.
#1 INDIE BESTSELLER, American Booksellers Association
#1 Kids Indie Next Pick, American Booksellers Association
★ "Funny, vibrant, and surprisingly tender—in short, everything a good friendship should be."
— Kirkus (Starred Review)
★ "A friendship story with a bona fide funny bone—and soul to spare"
— Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
★ "Tender and visually radiant"
— Shelf Awareness (starred review)
★"A surefire hit"
— Booklist (starred review)
★ "a simple story of friendship with a clipped wit"
— The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)
#1 Kids Indie Next Pick, American Booksellers Association
The Skeleton and the Cat is based on Brandon’s Dead Cat series of paintings - a daily illustration practice of discovering the whimsical (after)life and times of death and a cat:
