As we know from The Little Prince, taming an animal (or flower) is an emotional process. Fog Cat chronicles young Hannah’s attempts to tame a cat living wild by the sea. Hannah lives with her grandfather in an East Coast fishing village. There are no parents and no explanation is offered for their absence; Hannah and her grandfather simply live on their own. When a stray cat appears on the beach, Hannah is determined to adopt her. Eventually she succeeds, and Fog Cat moves in, but doesn’t stay. Fog Cat leaves behind a kitten (the only survivor of a litter of three), which Hannah names Misty. If there is a subtext, it’s that Hannah has adjusted to life with her grandfather, and Misty, like Hannah, will thrive as well.

This is the second book for both author and illustrator. Helmer debuted in 1992 with the whimsical The Boy, the Dollar and the Wonderful Hat; artist Mombourquette won acclaim for the lovely Emma and the Silk Train by Julie Lawson. Mombourquette’s pen-and-ink and watercolour drawings for Fog Cat are in places reminiscent of Edward Ardizzone’s Tim books with their soft colours, cross-hatching, and seaside setting. He uses different visual points of view to interpret the text, and includes cozy details like stocking feet and an old baby blanket – the perfect accompaniment to Helmer’s spirited, lyrical prose. The result is a beautifully produced, thoroughly engaging picture book. Pair this sensitive, unsentimental story for 4- to 9-year-olds with other intergenerational books such as Jan Bourdeau Waboose’s Morning on the Lake.