Mr. Cat and the Little Girl
by Wang Yuwei
Date: 2019
Publisher: Clavis
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley
Mr. Cat spends his days alone. When he goes out to paint a beautiful winter landscape, he finds a little girl. He decides to take her home. The girl colors his world... until she disappears
A poetic story about friendship and saying good-bye. For daydreamers ages 5 years and up.
(synopsis from Goodreads)
What a strange little book! It's surreal, but also kind of charming. Friendship, loss, and hope are all explored here with fascinating illustrations and a unique story.
Mr. Cat is an artist, and one day when he's outside painting, he comes across a tiny girl under a green leaf in the otherwise barren landscape. He takes the girl home with him, and takes care of her almost like a pet. When he takes her outside into the snow, he notices that wherever she steps, yellow flowers appear. Curious, he turns to the encyclopedia and discovers that she's some sort of creature who will only last the season. Eventually, the girl disappears, and Mr. Cat is left wondering if he'll ever see her again.
The illustrations are so wonderfully weird. The cat is drawn fairly realistically, but he's also anthropomorphized quite a bit. He paints at an easel, he wears clothes, and he has his own house, complete with snazzy decor. I loved seeing him take the little girl outside, having dressed her in a little yellow dress and a cat-eared hat. (Can it get much cuter?)
I'm not sure if young children will really "get" the message about loss and hope, but it's such a wonderfully quirky story that it's bound to find some fans. I'd recommend this one for readers who are looking for something slightly different in their picture books. It's worth taking a look at for the illustrations alone.
Thank you to NetGalley and Clavis for providing a digital ARC.
Premise: 3/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5
Enjoyment: 4/5
Overall: 3.67 out of 5
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