Yuwei flips human and feline timelines through the melancholic and contemplative story of a painter named Mr. Cat and the small sprite of a girl he finds beneath a leaf and takes home as autumn gives way to winter. A solitary gray feline, Mr. Cat isn’t used to having a houseguest (“Get off my TAIL!”), but before long the girl—whose touch magically causes plants to grow—becomes a source of artistic inspiration, and the muted winter scenes gradually fill with color as friendship blossoms. Though the pair’s time together is brief (“Lifetime... one winter,” the encyclopedia reads), she leaves Mr. Cat with joyful memories of their ephemeral friendship. (…) the careful, softly shaded illustrations are gently luminous. Ages 5–up.” – Publishers Weekly
"(…)The smudgy, soft-edged illustrations are quite captivating. Close-ups of the girl and Mr. Cat really engage readers, and the spare use of yellow draws their eyes along. The use of white space creates tension and provides balance for several full-color spreads.(…) a story with quite engaging illustrations.” - Kirkus Reviews
“While he’s out for a walk in the autumn woods, Mr. Cat discovers a wee, thumb-sized girl who brings love, light, and laughter into his regimented days. The little sprite spreads joy and inspires creativity, brightening the cold winter months. Her bare feet and sunny yellow dress stand in contrast to Mr. Cat’s formal manners. This is a bittersweet tale of hope; it celebrates the beauty and transience of life and the passing seasons.” – Foreword Reviews
“A wonderful and beautiful tale of loneliness and the impact of friendship on those we love. I could also see this being used in a classroom to describe death and sadness. Overall, very informative and creative.” – Rogene Carter (Educator)
“How imaginative and lovely. I've never read anything quite like Mr. Cat and the Little Girl. It is a lovely, gentle little story about friendship and loss and renewal. It is strange but in a great way and the illustrations are wonderful.” – Erin Crites (Librarian)
2019-08-12
Sometimes friendships can be all too fleeting.
In this tale told across the seasons, Mr. Cat, a painter, encounters a tiny slip of a girl beneath some autumn leaves amid winter's snows. Concerned, he takes her home and feeds her toast. Though at first he must adapt to having someone new around, soon Mr. Cat comes to care for her and watch out for her. He even finds creative inspiration in the yellow flowers that appear in her footsteps outdoors. Mr. Cat searches for the name of the flower in an encyclopedia and discovers a picture of the girl, as well as some sad news about her life span. The straightforward text (translated from Chinese into Dutch and then into English) at times repeats what appears in the illustrations rather than leaving space for artistic vision and, furthermore, can be rather lengthy for a picture book. However, the smudgy, soft-edged illustrations are quite captivating. Close-ups of the girl and Mr. Cat really engage readers, and the spare use of yellow draws their eyes along. The use of white space creates tension and provides balance for several full-color spreads. The story, though, is slight, and it might leave young readers puzzled as to the little girl's demise as well as Mr. Cat's future now that he has been changed by his friend.
A slip of a story with quite engaging illustrations. (Picture book. 5-7)
