Synopses & Reviews
An unforgettable tour of France
The cat and the old woman have lived happily together for many years in the stone house by the sea. But when the old woman dies, the cat is packed up with her belongings and sent north to the village where she was born. Soon he is forgotten. He walks the streets aimlessly until, spurred by memories and a longing to return to the place he knows and loves, the cat embarks on a journey to find the home he was taken away from.
In lyrical prose and breathtaking images, Kate Banks and Georg Hallensleben take the reader on a journey across the Norman countryside, past ancient ruins, through bustling cities, to the sparkling ports of the Mediterranean Sea and a place the cat can call home.
Review
"This lonely and determined cat...is a heroine grown-ups are likely to find especially pleasing for purely visual reasons. Georg Hallensleben's paintings of her trip have at once a poster-paint Fauve simplicity and a Vuillard-like melancholy..." Adam Gopnik, The New York Times
Review
"The team behind And If the Moon Could Talk tells an 'incredible journey' narrative without overstating the drama or sentimentalizing the resolute cat. Hallensleben composes space like Matisse and loads his brush with paint like Van Gogh..." Publishers Weekly (Starred Reviews)
Review
"With the rich palette and thick brushwork of Rouault or Gauguin, Hallensleben magically captures the light of France and the forthright courage of a small gray cat....Beautifully realized." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"The paintings are exquisite, and the landmarks are famous, but what kids will like best is the cat's adventure and the loving welcome he receives from the new owners when he finally reaches the house he knows." Hazel Rochman, Booklist
Review
"Banks and Hallensleben make beautiful books together." American Bookseller
Review
"Hallensleben's drawings, using richly saturated colors, reflect a deeply loving view of France, both countryside and towns, and include landmarks that Francophiles can easily pick out." The Horn Book
Review
"The artwork is stunning and this author/illustrator team has received many awards." Kristin Harris, Children's Literature
Review
"The unidentified French landmarks create a particular geography for the universally satisfying story....Rich in theme and evocative in tone, the cat's quest will resonate with young readers." School Library Journal
Synopsis
After his owner dies, a cat wanders across the countryside of France, unable to forget the home he had in the stone house by the edge of the sea.
About the Author
Kate Banks and Georg Hallensleben are the author and artist of several picture books for children, including And If the Moon Could Talk, winner of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award; The Night Worker, winner of the Charlotte Zolotow Award; and Baboon. Ms. Banks lives in the South of France, and Mr. Hallensleben lives in Paris, France.