Synopses & Reviews
Lillian is an orphan who lives with her aunt on a homestead miles from anyone, surrounded by uncharted forest. She wanders the woods, chasing squirrels and rabbits and climbing trees. Free-spirited and independent Lillian is a kindred spirit to the many wild cats who gather around the ancient beech tree. One day, while she is under the beech, Lillian is bitten by a poisonous snake. The cats refuse to let her die, and use their magic to turn her into one of their own. How she becomes a girl again is a lyrical, original folktale.
Set in the countryside north of de Lint's fictional Newford, with some of the same characters as the duo's recent, acclaimed Seven Wild Sisters, A Circle of Cats is the long-awaited first picture book by long-time friends Charles de Lint and Charles Vess, whose masterful art is as magical as the story.
Illustrations by Charles Vess.
Review
"[S]imply outstanding....Prequel or stand alone fairy story, A Circle of Cats is a bewitching little book, much bigger inside than out, and a wonderful collaboration between two enormous talents." Maria Nutick, Green Man Review
Review
"The plot is slight enough....De Lint's sonorous, ingenuous language is complemented beautifully by Vess's full-color line-and-watercolor illustrations....[T]he story has an unfinished and ultimately unsatisfying quality." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"How the Apple Tree Man and the panther help [Lillian] become a girl again is a fantastic tale indeed." Publishers Weekly