This story of an unusual friendship between a black cat and a white rat is full of colourful Métis affectations. With subtle references to the life of a Métis, the black cat is not accepted at the cat show as he is not considered a purebred. The white rat fiddles a tune, encouraging all the cats to learn to jig. They join together and achieve status and respect for who they are. In the end, they create a new jig called the Red River Cat Dance. This story is written in a complete rhyming pattern, enjoyable for children of all ages.

Beatrice Mosionier (formerly Culleton) was born in St. Boniface, Manitoba. The youngest of four children, she grew up in foster homes. Following the second suicide in her family, she decided to write a novel. First published in 1983, In Search of April Raintree has become a Canadian Classic.Mosionier's second novel is In the Shadow of Evil, now a re-edited version. A psychological thriller with many plot twists, it tells the story of a Metis woman, Christine, and of her experiences of prejudice, sexual abuse and foster homes in Canada. Her story is juxtaposed by the life struggles of a family of wolves at the fictional Shadow Lake. As with much of her works, this novel focuses on themes of self-forgiveness, power, healing, and how one must deal with the past before moving forward effectively.She has also written children's books, including Unusual Friendships: A Little Black Cat and a Little White Rat. Her most recent work is Come Walk with Me: A Memoir. Beatrice lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

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Born in Upsala, Ontario, Rebecca Belmore is a member of Lac Seul First Nation (Anishinaabe). She attended the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto and is internationally recognized for her performance and installation art. Since 1987, her multi-disciplinary work has addressed history, place, and identity through the media of sculpture, installation, video, and performance.

Belmore was Canada's official representative at the 2005 Venice Biennale, the first indigenous artist to represent Canada at the event. Her work has appeared in numerous exhibitions both nationally and internationally including two solo touring exhibitions, The Named and the Unnamed, Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery, Vancouver (2002); and 33 Pieces, Blackwood Gallery, University of Toronto at Mississauga (2001). Her group exhibitions include Houseguests, Art Gallery of Ontario (2001); Longing and Belonging: From the Faraway Nearby, SITE Santa Fe, Santa Fe, New Mexico (1995); Land, Spirit, Power, National Gallery of Canada (1992); and Creation or Death: We Will Win, at the Havana Biennial, Havana Cuba (1991).

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