Katje, the Windmill Cat - Softcover

Woelfle, Gretchen

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0763620890 ISBN 13: 9780763620899

Publisher: Candlewick, 2006

Synopsis

A heroic tale, based on a true story more than five hundred years old, of a cat, a baby, and a flood

"Smoothly told as well as finely illustrated, this heartwarming book . . . is certain to become a favorite for lap sharing."
— BOOKLIST (starred review)

"The panel illustrations, like miniature Dutch paintings, glow with a patina of amber light and parallel the excitement of the text."
— PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

About this title

About the Author:

Gretchen Woelfle is the author of THE WIND AT WORK: AN ACTIVITY GUIDE TO WINDMILLS, as well as numerous award-winning stories
for children. About KATJE, THE WINDMILL CAT she says, "When I visited the site where this story took place, and saw the sea and the dike and the windmills, I began to wonder, who was that cat that was so clever and so brave? It was then that Katje's story began to develop."
Nicola Bayley is well known for her naturalistic and detailed illustrations. She has illustrated numerous books for children, including ALL FOR THE NEWBORN BABY by Phyllis Root and THE MOUSEHOLE CAT by Antonia Barber. In its starred review of Nicola Bayley's THE NECESSARY CAT, PUBLISHERS WEEKLY extolled her "versatile illustrations [that] betray sly humor and a true passion for her subject." About KATJE, THE WINDMILL CAT, Nicola Bayley says, "My cat Pansy loves to sit right on my artwork while I am painting, so she was the perfect model for Katje."

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: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0763620890
• ISBN 13: 9780763620899
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Bayley Nicola