Ketzel, the Cat Who Composed - Hardcover

Newman, Lesléa

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 076366555X ISBN 13: 9780763665555

Publisher: Candlewick, 2015

Synopsis

A 2016 Association of Jewish Libraries Sydney Taylor Award Winner

A kitten’s stroll down a keyboard leads to a celebrated one-minute composition in this charming portrait of a remarkable true friendship.

Moshe Cotel was a composer who lived in a noisy building on a noisy street in a noisy city. But Moshe didn’t mind. Everything he heard was music to his ears. One day, while out for a walk, he heard a small, sad sound that he’d never heard before. It was a tiny kitten! “Come on, little Ketzel,” Moshe said, “I will take you home and we will make beautiful music together.” And they did—in a most surprising way. Inspired by a true story, Lesléa Newman and Amy June Bates craft an engaging tale of a creative man and the beloved cat who brings unexpected sweet notes his way.

About this title

About the Author

Lesléa Newman is the author of more than seventy books for children and adults, including the groundbreaking children's classic Heather Has Two Mommies. She has received poetry fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Massachusetts Artists Fellowship Foundation. She lives in Massachusetts.

Amy June Bates has illustrated more than forty books for children, including Waiting for the Magic by Patricia MacLachlan and The Dog Who Belonged to No One by Amy Hest. Her work has been honored by the Society of Illustrators. She lives in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Reviews

PreS-Gr 2—Musicians and cat lovers alike will enjoy this charming picture book based on a true story. Moshe Cotel, a young composer, lives alone in a busy, noisy city, but "Everything he heard was music to his ears." One day he discovers Ketzel, a tiny, black-and-white kitten, on the street. He holds her tenderly to his chest and declares, "I will take you home, and we will make beautiful music together," prophetic words, to say the least. When Moshe receives a letter from the Paris New Music Review about a contest to write a composition of 60 seconds or less, try as he might, he is at a loss. Then, Ketzel creeps across the keyboard, inadvertently accomplishing what the composer could not. "Moshe grabbed a pencil and jotted down exactly what he'd heard…. 'Your composition has a clear beginning, middle, and end, is full of heart, and takes exactly 21 seconds to play. Ketzel, you're a genius!'" The feline's "Piece for Piano: Four Paws" wins an honorable mention, and its furry composer actually attends a performance. The watercolor, gouache, and pencil illustrations depict a busy city, a sympathetic bearded musician, and a simply adorable protagonist. VERDICT A delightful read.—Barbara Auerbach, New York City Public Schools

Edition details

• Publisher: Candlewick
• Publication date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 076366555X
• ISBN 13: 9780763665555
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Bates Amy June
• Number of pages: 40