The Bookwatch
The Official Newsletter of the Midwest Book Review
Volume 18 Number 5 • 1997
May ISSN 0896-6521

Why … Thank You!
Cat Wagman

We all have experienced the encouragement of parents to write “thank you” notes
for gifts and kindnesses that came our way as children. And we have all attempted
to discharge this courtesy with as little effort as we could get by with at the time!
Now we are adults facing this same dilemma with our own children—and ourselves,
now that we have a more mature perspective on the need for courtesy and etiquette
in a complex world of family, friends, and associates. Why … Thank You! comes
to the rescue of such as we as it provides painless remedies for creating appropriate
and effective acknowledgements when called upon to sit down with pen and paper
(and in this day and age—keyboard and computer) to say “thank you”.
Cat Wagman’s suggestions and “how-to” hints and words of advice are practical,
applicable, understandable, helpful, and can even make the process of writing
thank-you notes and correspondences a positive pleasure!

Highly recommended!

Books that DO Something!
by Sheryl Rapée
The Mountain Times
Killington, Vermont
12/25/97

    For those special someones, or for yourself, just head to a local bookstore for a
couple of fun and very useful books. More than a good read, these books guide
the reader toward giving to others.
   The decline of the thank-you note may be due not to rudeness, but to a simple lack
of how-to. Why ... THANK YOU! by Cat Wagman comes to the rescue. Subtitled
“How to Have FUN Writing Fantastic Notes and More,” this book lives up to its
claims.
    Described by the author as “mini-adventures in creative writing,” it was “highly
recommended” by The Midwest Book Review. An amusingly illustrated cat named
Moussé‚ appears along the way as Why ... THANK YOU! leads the reader through
the whys and wherefores of thank-you notes, including organizational techniques and
methods to analyze situation that indicate thank-yous. Descriptions of various situations
are followed by appropriate sample thank-you notes. Written clearly and concisely,
Why ... THANK YOU! is appropriate for anyone old enough to write a thank-you
note. Important bonus: everyone who uses this book will improve his or
her writing skills—painlessly.

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