still plugging away

...at reading Newbery winners...

The Cat Who Went to Heaven, Elizabeth Coatsworth, was the 1931 Newbery medal winner. This is a very short (thank God!) story about a poor Japanese artist whose life begins to turn around after his housekeeper brings home a cat which they name, “Good Fortune,” (as soon as I read that I simultaneously groaned and wanted to shout, “THE CAT IS GOING TO BRING YOU GOOD LUCK!! I GET IT!!”)

Lucky kitty in tow, poor artist now gets very prestigious work--commissioned to paint Buddha’s death. As the artist tries to decide which animals will be in this mural (each animal represents different aspects of Buddha’s life and reincarnations!) his cat watches on with admiration and a desire to be included in the painting...while I won’t give away the ending (keep in mind the cat’s name is Good Fortune), I will say I was so glad when it ended.

Would I recommend it: Yes, to extreme cat lovers and aspiring Buddhists..and maybe someone I was mad at.

Ages: Amazon recommends 8 and up

Comments

Unknown said…
I, too, was disappointed with this book. You usually think award winners will be exceptional -- but this one was just average. Predictable and not that engaging. *sigh*

Have you tried "Secret of the Andes" (1953)? It was well worth the effort, in my opinion.
April 26, 2012 at 10:25 AM
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