Matilda's Cat is a 2012 children's picture book by Emily Gravett. The book is about Matilda, a girl dressed in a ginger-striped cat costume, who attempts to involve her similarly ginger-striped cat in various activities to no avail but then eventually snuggles up with the cat in bed.
 | |
| Author | Emily Gravett |
|---|---|
| Country | England |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's picture book |
| Published | 2012 (Macmillan Children's Books) |
| Media type | Print (hardback) |
| Pages | 32 (unpaginated) |
| ISBN | 9780230745377 |
| OCLC | 800852809 |
Publication history edit
- 2014, USA, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers ISBN 9781442475274
- 2012, England, Macmillan Children's Books ISBN 9780230745377
Reception edit
A review in Kirkus Reviews of Matilda's Cat wrote "A master of animal countenance, Gravett pairs an expressive cat with a busy kid and winks at the difference between textual and visual message",[1] and Booktrust wrote that "Gravett’s illustrations in this funny and touching picture book are as delightful as ever."[2]
Matilda's Cat has also been reviewed by Publishers Weekly,[3] Booklist,[4] School Library Journal,[5] Horn Book Guides,[6] Library Media Connection,[7] The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books,[8] The New York Times,[9] and The Wall Street Journal.[10]
It was long-listed for the 2013 Kate Greenaway Medal [citation needed].
References edit
- ^ "Matilda's Cat (starred review)". Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus Media LLC. 15 January 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
- ^ "Matilda's Cat". booktrust.org.uk. Booktrust. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
- ^ "Matilda's Cat". Publishers Weekly. PWxyz LLC. 6 January 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
Gravett's humor generally runs from giddy to Gothic; in this story, it's toward the sweeter end of the spectrum.
- ^ Sarah Hunter (2014). "Matilda's Cat". Booklist. American Library Association. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
Gravett, the creator of Again! (2013), creates big, bold drawings against clean, white backgrounds, perfect for showcasing spunky Matilda, her uncooperative cat, and their odd-couple friendship, which happily succeeds even though they have nothing in common.
- ^ Luann Toth (2014). "Matilda's Cat". School Library Journal. Media Source Inc. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
The energetic watercolor artwork is pure Gravett, with plenty of visual jokes and with characters-girl and cat-who express their feelings with every fiber of their being. For every overly exuberant youngster who has ever attempted to win the affections of a feline, this picture book offers reassurances that the friendship bond will most like occur but perhaps not on the child's timetable.
- ^ "Matilda's Cat". Horn Book Guides. Media Source Inc. 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
Generous white space puts Matilda and her cat front-and-center in each amusing, clever double-page spread.
- ^ Brenda Dales (2014). "Matilda's Cat". Library Media Connection. Linworth Publications. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
Gravett's use of cat and dog motifs in the illustrations, and details such as the cat using the storybook as a platform for preening, enhance the unconditional relationship between Matilda and her tabby.
- ^ "Matilda's Cat". The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. 67 (7). Johns Hopkins University Press: 359, 360. March 2014. doi:10.1353/bcc.2014.0169. S2CID 142501065. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
The listlike narrative is carefully and crisply structured, ... The contradiction between the text and the put-upon cat's comical expressions is the real hoot here, and young pet owners will particularly relate to Matilda's desire to have her cat behave according to her whims.
- ^ "Bookshelf: Pets (subscription required)". The New York Times. 14 March 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
- ^ Meghan Cox Gurdon (21 March 2014). "Children's Books: Tame and Wild (subscription required)". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 6 November 2021.