CAT'S FUR
by Bonnie Stanard
Illustrated by Mariaena Shannon
Fairview Publishing
Picture Book
36 pages
ages 4 to 8
A witch lives alone until homeless cats move in. The moonlight gets scratchy and the witch gets achey. Then a letter arrives and she understands! Cat's Fur is a lyrical read aloud story with irresistible artwork and beautiful illustrations. Fun for all ages. Perfect for Halloween and year round. Perfect for the little ones, and big ones will enjoy it too!
MY TIDBITS
A witch lives alone and is miserable, since everyone avoids her. But in a way, she has a heart of gold. Stray cats find a type of home around her house...and she tolerates them mostly thanks to the things they bring her so she can do her spells. When a witch friend very unexpectedly wants to visit but has a cat allergy, the witch realizes that this might just be her problem too.
I'm always on the look-out for picture books that stick out. And this one definitely does that. Dark is the word for this tale, inside and out. It starts with the very heavy illustrations and stretches right into the odd tale. Every page is dark and dreary...much like the witch herself. The illustrations give off a creepy vibe without really ever crossing any lines. But still, the image of her house surrounded by many, many cats, and even the image of her horribly, miserable self, does anything but awake warm fuzzy feelings. Sensitive readers might not like this one, since it does send off a strange vibe.
The tale itself is...well, strange. But that doesn't mean it's badly written either. The witch is a witch, a very lonely witch. This brings a sense of sadness which mixes in with her odd quirks and strangeness. But I don't think it really misses any marks because witches might just be that way. I did enjoy it and believe that there are young listeners out there, who will be thrilled. It just won't be every listener's thing. My only real critique on this one is the ending. It doesn't wrap up much, but leaves a lot hanging as if the story were dropped off before the end hit.
Is it worth a read? That really depends on your listeners, but for Halloween, this definitely earns at least a consideration.
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