Katje : The Windmill Cat - Hardcover

Gretchen Woelfle (Woelfe); Illustrated By Nicola Bayley

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0744580161 ISBN 13: 9780744580167

Publisher: Walker Books Ltd, 2001

Synopsis

Based on a true story over 500 years old, this is the story of Katje, the windmill cat, who lives with the miller. When he gets married Katje is driven from the house, and moves into the windmill. When a storm breaks the dyke, Katje performs an extraordinary feat of courage, and is welcomed home.

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: Walker Books Ltd
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0744580161
• ISBN 13: 9780744580167
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Nicola Bayley