Katje, the Windmill Cat - Hardcover

Woelfle, Gretchen

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0763613479 ISBN 13: 9780763613471

Publisher: Candlewick, 2001

Synopsis

When a dike that holds back the sea breaks during a violent storm, flooding a little Dutch town, Nico's baby is saved by his heroic cat, Katje, in a tale based on a true story.

About this title

About the Author:

Author of the delightful picture book Katje the Windmill Cat, illustrated by Nicola Bayley. A truly gifted painter, best known for her loving, detailed illustrations of cats.

From School Library Journal:

K-Gr 3-Katje has an easy life. She keeps Nico's mill free of mice during the week, chases seagulls on Sundays, and sleeps on her owner's pillow at night. All that changes when he brings home a wife, who scolds the cat for her dusty paws and banishes her from the bedroom. When their baby arrives, the feline loves playing with her and gently rocking her cradle. Lena scolds again, saying that the cat will make the baby sneeze or tip the cradle, and a forlorn Katje takes up residence in the mill instead of the house. However, when a violent storm breaks through the dike and floodwaters wash the cradle out of the house, it is Katje who rescues Anneke by leaping from side to side to keep the cradle upright. Her place of honor in the family secure, she returns to the house, although she now remembers to lick her paws before entering. An author's note indicates that the book is based on a true event that occurred in 1421 in South Holland. Woelfle's simple, graceful prose is a pleasure to read aloud. Bayley's lovely watercolors with their borders inspired by delft tiles are a delight for the eye. The soft blues and browns coupled with meticulous attention to detail are a perfect match for this gentle, charming tale. Pair it with Norma Green's The Hole in the Dike (Scholastic, 1974) for a discussion both of Holland's vulnerability and the courage to be found in small packages.

Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Candlewick
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0763613479
• ISBN 13: 9780763613471
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Bayley Nicola