Quill and Quire

REVIEWS

« Back to
Book Reviews

The Chicken Cat

by Stephanie Simpson McLellan, Sean Cassidy, illus.

Picture books about the reassurance of parental love have become standard over the last 50 years, with some, like Robert Munsch’s Love You Forever, proving lucrative beyond anyone’s wildest imaginings. It is gratifying, then, to find a clever and pleasant book for young children featuring dubious mothers.

The Chicken Cat is the story of Merlin, a kitten born on a winter’s night and promptly abandoned. There are two choices of adoptive mother on the farm: the most “natural” choice is Allison, a malevolent and emaciated six-toed cat; the other candidate is Guinevere, an old hen who is abundantly maternal but largely incompetent. Merlin lasts a season under Guinevere’s wing, nearly starving to death but keeping warm and learning of his foster mother’s desire to fly. When a little girl adopts him, Merlin gains strength in her family home and has time to gaze out the window. After some months of carefully observing birds, Merlin pays a return visit to the farm and helps his old guardian realize her lifelong ambition.

This quirky and energetic book is a triumph for its author and illustrator, both newcomers to the field of children’s books. McLellan is a fine storyteller, combining a matter-of-fact narrative style – life’s imperfections are fixed with a clear-eyed gaze – with elegant flourishes in turns of phrase and twists of plot. Cassidy’s coloured-pencil illustrations offer an excellent complement to the text, heightening both its pathos and humour. Softly shaded colours play up the story’s gentle aspects, while the judicious use of accent colour heightens its exuberance. The animals’ facial expressions and postures are humorously vivid throughout, particularly at the great moment of liberation when kitten, then chicken, take to the open skies.

 

Reviewer: Bridget Donald

Publisher: Fitzhenry & Whiteside

DETAILS

Price: $17.95

Page Count: 32 pp

Format: Cloth

ISBN: 1-55041-531-X

Released: July

Issue Date: 2000-6

Categories: Children and YA Fiction, Picture Books

Age Range: ages 4–7