Clever Cat by Peter Collington Jonathan Cape
ages: 4-8
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Bottomley Cattery by Peter Harris & Doffy Weir Red Fox
ages: 5-7
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Slinky Malinki: Catflaps by Lynley Dodd Puffin Books
ages: 2-4
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In memory of Daisy Thomasina, the PBQ's cat who was recently killed, we are reviewing a few recently released cat books.
cover One spends most of one's youth wanting to be older, more grown-up. But once you reach adulthood there is precious little time before middle-class worries set in. Bills, mortgages, private schools, the right car are concerns that can dominate fitful sleep and waking moments too.
Clever Cat clearly explains the difference between grown-ups' lives of pleasure and responsibility, and children's care-free existence. But the children will only understand that aspect of the story if the reader explains it. Otherwise, it is a story about a cat who tires of waiting to be fed, picks up a can opener and opens the door to his independence. After Tibs abuse of his owners' cash card he gets a job, loses his job and ultimately goes back to his normal cat behaviour.
Collington's pictures brilliantly portray Tibs with shopping basket and key proudly marching about, The Ford family's reactions to his new behaviour and the lazy cats smirking at the problems Tibs has created for himself.
A fascinating book, not to be read by depressed adults.
cover Bottomley Cattery is a book that appears more child friendly and in fact leaves them baffled. It is a story of a cat left in a cattery and does not like it. It is told from the perspective of the cat. He is sarcastic throughout and the sarcasm is completely lost on young children.
If you relish disjointed reading due to the need to explain the joke on every page, this book's for you. Otherwise avoid it unless you wish to give your child a lesson in sarcasm.
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Slinky Malinki and friends are back in Catflaps. The usual crew of dogs is not about. Catflaps is just about cats. But those who enjoy the outrageous names in Dodd's other books will be equally satisfied. We come across Butterball Brown and Greywacke Jones, the Poppadum kittens and of course, Scarface Claw.
The cats are up to twilight mischief. As usual, Dodd presents moments in the lives of her subjects, in verse, and true to life not a lot happens. One either likes it or leaves. We, at the PBQ are big fans.
Prowlpuss by Gina Wilson illust David Parkins Walker Books
ages: ?
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He's not a sit-by-the-fire-and-purr cat,
A look-at-my-exquisite-fur cat
No he's not!
He's rough and gruff and very very tough...
He's not a lap cat, a cuddle-up-for-a-chat cat,
No he's not!
He's not a sit-in-the-window-and-stare cat.
He's an I-WAS-THERE! cat.
This is the way in which Gina Wilson describes Prowlpuss, the eponymous hero of a 32-page picture book recently published in paperback by Walker. With its evocative lists, its uncontrived rhyming schemes, and its passionate throwing of meter to the winds, this is a text of great style and beauty.
We make no apology for writing about two cat books on a single page of the PBQ. Although the prior hardback publication of Prowlpuss made the book ineligible for a winter 1996 award, our editor and publisher felt that this was one of the very best written children's books to have emerged recently. Wilson's text is complemented perfectly by David Parkins's magnificent rag-spattered illustrations in a speckled palette of rusts, browns, yellows and blacks. The most startling image of all is of Prowlpuss, an ear and an eye missing from some street fight in the past, staring forlornly out at the reader, with the image of the white cat that is the unrequited love of his life reflected precisely around his pupil.
Prowlpuss's disappointment, and the warm, consoling welcome he receives from the old woman who is his owner, turn this simple story into something that will not only entertain children but also move their parents.
A Night on the Tiles by Bruce Ingman Methuen
ages: 3-6
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When the most unlikely book in the world to have a sequel, has a sequel, it is hard not to take a peek. Seeing goofy looking Lionel from When Martha Was Away, is like seeing an old friend. He has his same serious look and his same cock-eyed eyes.
If you thought his daytime activities were amusing, you'll find his night time ones equally random and entertaining.
After his courses in the cat academy (fashion, design and mechanics), he has his haircut, drinks a milkshake and goes to the films.
His friend Audrey is back, along with some new cameos by Nutty Bolts, Giovanni and Jean-Pierre.
Back from the obscurity of his Lost Property, Ingman is filled with detail, a touch of collage and a lot to consider.
Bruce Ingman appears in a focus article:
<../aifocus/link_ingman.htm>Both pen and brush don't make a strong book
more cat books
prizewinners
<../prizewinners/prizewinners.htm#yoko>Yoko by Rosemary Wells
<../prizewinners/prizewinners.htm#nocats>No Cats Allowed by Lois Simmie
foreign books
<../foreign/foreign.htm#mousecats>A Tale of a Small Mouse and Two Hungry Cats
religion
<../religion/judaism/judaism.htm#tikvah>Tikvah Means Hope includes a cat as a central character
more books about other animals
prizewinners
<../prizewinners/prizewinners.htm#pigwhowished>The Pig Who Wished
<../prizewinners/prizewinners.htm#tobias>The Tale of Tobias is narrated by a dog
foreign books
<../foreign/foreign.htm#leopard>Leopard in Golden Pyjamas
religion and holidays
<../religion/christianity/christian.htm#bartimouse>Bartimouse and the Easter Egg
<../religion/christianity/christian.htm#froggy>Froggy's First Kiss
<../religion/judaism/judaism.htm#spiderRH>Sammy Spider's Rosh Hashanah
<../religion/judaism/judaism.htm#spiderchanuka>Sammy Spider's First Chanuka
<../religion/judaism/judaism.htm#sammyspiderpurim>Sammy Spider's First Purim
<../religion/judaism/judaism.htm#pparrot>The Passover Parrot
Sam's Duck by Michael Morpurgo illustrated by Keith Bowen Collins
ages: ?
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Along with trains and dinosaurs, farm animals seem to be in the top three of young children's obsessions. Michael Morpurgo, the energy behind the charity Farms for City Children, has written a journalistic account of Sam, a city boy's visit to a farm. The animals play a large part, but the realities and challenges of farm life are exposed as well.
Sam, an emotional boy, leaves his grandfather and goes off with his class to Nethercott in Devon. He loves milking, feeding and mucking out. They are taken to a market where Sam encounters a duck to be slaughtered and he saves it for the price of two pounds.
Upon his return he gives it to his grandfather, who lets it go in a park that looks rather like Hampstead Heath.
Keith Bowen, an artist whose pictures hang in the National Portrait Gallery, has done a marvellous job illustrating in a soft crayon. His portraits of animals , the sheep market and the various drawings of Sam's duck are so stylish that many readers may be tempted to cut them out of the book for framing. Sam sometimes looks different from one page to the next; but since he is the only black child, there is little difficulty in identifying him.
Morpurgo's story includes many interesting relationships. Sam seems to be parented by his grandfather. He befriends an old gardener who names his duck Francis Drake. But Sam doesn't seem to have learned much from his experience. He doesn't understand why his grandfather doesn't want to keep the duck in the bathtub. He doesn't seem interested in the origin of Francis' name. Nor does he realize that most farms raise animals for slaughter.
One can't help questioning whether children are suitably informed as to why they are visiting these farms. They may have a wonderful time but do they know how to connect the experience with their city-dwelling lives? I'm not sure if Sam can.
Duck Books
In the Rain with Baby Duck by Amy Hest illustrated by Jill Barton Walker Books
ages: ??
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One Duck Stuck by Phyllis Root Walker Books
ages: ??
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Come on Daisy by Jane Simmons Orchard Books
ages: ??
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The great appeal of those fluffy white and waddily creatures - ducks - is manifest. They are more cuddly than trains; much more vulnerable than foxes. They have wonderful feet and beaks - usually in contrasting orange. They can be adored in books but as wildlife goes, they are quite accessible even for city dwellers. Three duck books have been published recently and they all have something to recommend them beyond their downy protagonists.
one duck stuck cover One Duck Stuck is a marvellous book for early readers and number enthusiasts. As the title suggests, a duck gets her foot stuck in the mud. Various swamp animals and insects try to help her out and fail. Eventually she is freed from her muddy imprisonment.
Each group approaches her with a different sound - a sloshing or a whirring of some kind. The text is written by Phyllis Root who has a wonderful ear for rhythm and language. It can be read like a chant, a poem or even a sing-song. Each set of pages end with the words, "Help, help, who can help?" The book lends itself to audience participation or as mentioned before an early reader who needs a confidence boost.
come along daisy cover Come on, Daisy is more suitable for the lower end of the age range, although the vast green and blue acrylics are complex and engaging for all ages. The plot is simple and addresses a situation that two year olds, in particular, find themselves in a lot.
Daisy dilly dallies because she is distracted by the world around her. She realizes she is lost just before her mother turns back to find her. She still admires her habitat but learns to be more responsible. If it were only that simple in real life...
in the rain with baby duck cover In the Rain With Baby Duck is a grandpa duck - grandchild duck bonding story. When the parents don't understand why baby duck doesn't enjoy the rain, grandfather has an ancient set of umbrella and boots to solve the problem.
Jill Barton, best known for her illustrations in Pig in the Pond (Walker) uses her brush to depict water. Leave it to an English illustrator to give one a true sense of the wet and damp. Her ducks wear waistcoats and funny hats, specs and slippers. Their beaks form interesting expressions on their faces. The mood is cheerful even when Baby Duck is not.
If there is one petty criticism to be made it is that the songs Baby Duck sings don't rhyme. Singing in a book can be awkward but rhyming helps the reader render a decent tune.
Rufferella Vanessa Gill-Brown illust Mandy Stanley Bloomsbury
ages: 3-8
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ruff cover Classic fairy tales set up powerful scenarios about transformations; poor to rich, powerful to weak, pretty to ugly and the other way around. Cinderella is one such story and a particular favourite with little girls. This story is about how one girl plays the fairy godmother role and the result.
After Diamante convinces her dog, Ruff, that being a human is "all trifle and television", Diamante sets to work on Ruff's transformation. She teaches her table manners, does her hair and makeup and dresses her up. She learns to sing at a party and is suddenly launched into stardom. Meanwhile no one detects that she is a dog. Eventually, she is invited to a ball at what would appear to be Buckingham Palace. When she leaps into the Queen's lap to retrieve some sausages, her cover is blown.
This is a story about the fun of fantasy. It is also about how it can lose its allure when it becomes the norm. Diamante missed horsing around with her dog. Somehow, she was locked into the change.
Stanley's big bright cartoony pictures are fun. Although the title lacks promise, it is not a bad book at all. It would be particularly suitable for girls who are gaining confidence reading on their own.
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff illustrated by Felicia Bond Collins
ages: 2-5
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If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Joffe Numeroff illustrated by Felicia Bond Collins
ages: 2-5
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If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Joffe Numeroff illustrated by Felicia Bond Collins
ages: 2-5
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It is hard to imagine that the PBQ has never reviewed this book. The simple reason is it was ubiquitous in 1996 when we began. It seemed redundant to give it space. Who would have thought that it would take six years for this best seller to swim across the ocean. Now that it is here (with the board and video game soon to follow), and the book has indeed stood the test of time, we'd like to say a few words about it.
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie was a great idea. The carrying out of the idea was equally successful. It is a story, a series of events, that illustrate the concept of consequences. "If you give a mouse a cookie, he's going to ask for a glass of milk. When you give him the milk," and so on. That is how the text reads and it is works.
The mouse runs the cookie giving boy around until he is exhausted. But the mouse is inventive, determined and charming. And when he asks for a glass of milk at the end, "chances are...he's going to want a cookie to go with it." Thus the circle is completed.
The publishers have taken a leap of faith. They have left in the word "cookie" and held back from substituting "biscuit". That was a wise decision. Could they not have made the leap then, to keep the entire text as it was originally written? Is it necessary to change Scotch tape to Sticky tape? This is clearly an American book because of the use of the word cookie. So why can't the publishers have faith in the adults who read this book with children to explain that Scotch tape must be a brand of sticky tape or some kind of American tape. And then later in life if they go to America they can reflect on their other association with Scotch tape.
Felicia Bond's illustrations add heaps of humour to this book. The colour seems to have been touched up when they changed the packaging to look a little more English. As for going on to read If You Give a Moose a Muffin or If You Give a Pig a Pancake, you are on your own.
Tom Finger Gillian McClure Bloomsbury
ages: 5-8
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This is a curious book. Not everyone likes curious books. But many people will find it amusing enough to keep reading it and to find out whether they love it or can't be bothered with all the questions that curious books evoke.
Queenie's cat has died and she still calls for it every day. Her brother Ben tells her not to. He has come to terms with the death. One day as she calls for him, another cat on hind legs, appears. He is Tom Finger. Unlike Tom Thumb, he is tall and elegant. He appears everyday with a strange present. Everyday, Ben decides the source and the reason of the gift both tend to point to a made up witch.
After six days, he brings a half finished shawl attached to a ball of wool. She follows the yarn. She is led to a blind woman who is happy to receive her belongings back. In rhyme, she explains each item. She gives Queenie a kitten in return. Tom Kitten takes her back home.
McClure's pictures are mesmerising. Queenie is an adorable girl. Tom Finger is very human in all its cat-ness. The imagined witch has feathers for hair and striped stocking. The snowy scenes are magical especially if you live in London and are sheltered from snow storms.
There is a lot of repetition in the words of this story. Queenie is always asking, "Where did he come from and where did he go? The children seem to catch on to those lines and repeat them with Queenie.
It is a long book and a lot of imagination is required. So I would advise it for the older segment of picture book readers.
Puss in Boots by Phillip Pullman illustrated by Ian Beck Picture Corgi Books
ages: 3-8
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If you like Ian Beck's loose cross hatching, dreamy faces and trees that are often bending in the wind, you'll be delighted with his latest work. Along with Puss, he has illustrated a number of classics including The Jumblies. Teaming him up here with Pullman, the amazingly famous and controversial novelist, Puss in Boots has been injected with new life.
Puss, for those of you who have forgotten this classic fairy tale, is the inheritance for the youngest son of a poor miller. Puss' plan is to transform his poor master into a marquis. Living by the saying, "the suit makes the man", he goes about getting a royal set of clothes for handsome Jacques and ultimately the hand of the beautiful princess. A terrible ogre could foil Jacques' plan but Puss outwits him as well.
Why does the cover say "written by" Phillip Pullman if it is the same classic story it ever was? Because Pullman embellishes seamlessly where he can. He adds pirates and the Emperor of China's daughter. He adds a kidnapping of the princess. He includes an old hermit, some insomniac ghouls and dream-berries without disturbing the story's flow. This version of events is unlikely to irk a purist. Those who love the story of Puss in Boots ought to be grateful for having a bit more of it to savour.
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