From Publishers Weekly
Praising the "nimble, polished prose and elegant cinnamon-toned paintings" that "distinguish this pungent Chinese folktale," PW starred this retelling of the tale of a newly impoverished, haughty widow and the cat that brings about her change of heart. Ages 4-9.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 3-4-- Chin Yu Min, a haughty and frivolous rich woman in a fictitious Old China, must mend her ways when her husband dies and her money runs out. She meets a ginger cat who fishes so well with his tail that she recoups some of her fortunes from selling his catches. When he disappears, Chin Yu Min is so distraught that she humbles herself enough to ask her neighbors for help; when the cat is found, she invites them to dinner. Despite a rather abrupt volte-face, this is an amusing story that is told with gusto in mellifluous prose. The exaggerated melodramatics of Chin Yu Min offset her vicissitudes with comic effect and successfully soften the implied moral. The illustrations, in watercolor and pastels, accentuate the entertaining theatricality of the text. Colors are rich, yet applied with subtlety. Composition is dramatic, and perspective is employed strikingly. The eponymous cat is properly anthropomorphized without losing his felinity. As this is a fanciful invention, inaccuracy of detail in clothing, dwellings, implements, etc. can be overlooked. However, the exaggerated stylization and angular pitch of the characters' eyes and cheekbones perpetuate an unfortunate, offensive stereotype. This surprising and distressing feature disqualifies an otherwise enterprising work for inclusion in any children's collection. --John Philbrook, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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