Cat Heaven

by Cynthia Rylant

A joyous celebration of a cat's journey after a happy life on Earth by Newbery Medalist Cynthia Rylant.

"The way to Cat Heaven is a field of sweet grass, where crickets and butterflies play!" With a gentle, playful rhyme, Newbery Medalist Cynthia Rylant explores all the ways our beloved cats enjoy Cat Heaven, as she did for dogs in the bestselling companion book, DOG HEAVEN. Her shining artwork illustrates a world of peace for cats in Heaven, where no tree is too tall for exploring, where there is no lack of angels' laps for sleeping. If your child wonders where his or her kitty goes after a happy life on Earth, they can rest assured that all cats "know where the angel cats fly. They'll run past the stars and the moon and the sun . . . to curl up with God in the sky."

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Cats, Animals, Death, Fiction, Grief

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

An author of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for children and young adults as well as an author and author/illustrator of picture books for children, Cynthia Rylant is recognized as a gifted writer who has contributed memorably to several genres of juvenile literature. A prolific author who often bases her works on her own background, especially on her childhood in the West Virginia mountains, she is the creator of contemporary novels and historical fiction for young adults, middle-grade fiction and fantasy, lyrical prose poems, beginning readers, collections of short stories, volumes of poetry and verse, books of prayers and blessings, two autobiographies, and a biography of three well-known children's writers; several volumes of the author's fiction and picture books are published in series, including the popular "Henry and Mudge" easy readers about a small boy and his very large dog.

Rylant is perhaps most well known as a novelist. Characteristically, she portrays introspective, compassionate young people who live in rural settings or in small towns and who tend to be set apart from their peers.

from bookrags.com

Reviews

[C. (Comment, never msg). · Rating 4 out of 5]

The powerful love and comfort coming to us, mean more than specific spirituality matching ours. God taking kitties to the afterlife is so sensitive, I am glad Cynthia Rylant’s drawing and writing is in a rudimentary, make-believe style for kids. Overwhelming emotions are tempered by cartoons. This tender portrayal, however, hits anyone with an imagination, personally.

This compassionate depiction, “Cat Heaven” 1997, is not how I think the ascent of spirits works. I removed a star for not depicting our cats with family in Heaven and visiting us much more closely. Pain comes from separation on Earth, where most of us can’t see our loved-ones. We know they stay near us, whenever we ask them to reassure us we have not lost them. We are forced to recognize them subtly. We wish we could keep touching them.

This is a sadness to endure ten or twenty years apart. My Mom ascended in 2020 and our dear boy cat in January 2021. When my friend, Ellery lost their family cat and heard that our little girl cat joined them in June 2021; she knew three of our closest family were too much. She sent me this book for comfort. I smiled through the pages peacefully and thanked her. But the image of a little cat walking into Heaven alone, for a short distance, hit me hard. Our babies have my Mom & each other but the solo part of the ascent tears me up.

I read this in February. This March, another cat ascended! May my gratitude herein thank supportive friends and strangers. May my words honour our precious Lovey (2014), Mom, Spirit, Marigold, and our far too recently elevated McCartney boy. Facing the departure of five lights of our life, although they went naturally at home, is the hardest ordeal.

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked CAT HEAVEN because
1. I like cats and this is a pretty book
2. I loved Sheldon
3. I hope he went to heaven
4. I like to think that he is watching and knows I loved him
5. the book says these things are possible

To all silly furbabies... like Fat Charles who sleeps in the MIDDLE of my bed...

Happy Reading.

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely way to help explain the death of a cat. Cynthia Rylant envisions a heaven with cat toys and catnip everywhere, cats congregating on God's kitchen counter for tasty food and sleeping on his bed, being petted by angels and occasionally looking down at their former home.

[Sara Truog · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't usually review pictures books in here, but I wanted to mention this one because it really helped us today. A little more "God talk" than we are used to in our house, but after the death of our beloved cat Gonzo, my kids really responded to the idea of a cat heaven and picture him there, surrounded by all of the things he most loved. I had to have Daniel read it aloud to his sister because it really broke me up. A sweet and touching book.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book to give to anyone who has suffered the loss of their beloved cat. Helped me after the death of Skittles, my Siamese 16th birthday gift & lap kitty extraordinaire.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Both of my children have chosen Cat Heaven by Cynthia Rylant. Harriet chose it because it has cats. Sean, I think he picked it because he recognized the author's name. Both kids though respond with "what a strange book" after I've read it to them.

Cat Heaven offers a simplistic view of what heaven would like to cats who have died. They can share the bed with God, drink milk, have catnip and all sorts of other things cats like to do.

I suppose the idea is to ease the pain for children who have lost a beloved pet. Caligula cat is going on 15 so she can't have many more years of life left but I don't think pretending that she'll be off having fantastic feline adventures will make her loss any easier. Our plan instead is to offer our home to a new shelter kitty who is in need of a "forever home."

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winner from Cynthia Rylant. While I'm not crazy about the illustration style (kitty is a word my 10-month-old recognizes, but these simplistic drawings don't much look like the kitties he knows), I think everything else about the book is perfect. It captures everything that would make a place heavenly for a cat. I think it would be great for anyone who's lost a cat recently, not just for kids. One little thing I like is the various skin tones used for the angels and God: kind of a multi-cultural cast.

[Peacegal · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my entire adult life I have only wept over a single book. This is it.

Humane education themes include pet loss, the idea that it’s ok to grieve, and bringing pets into the fold of our religious beliefs.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm crying.

[Cindra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my sister's book; she used it to keep track of all the cats we belonged to, after they crossed the Rainbow Bridge. I took over this task after she passed. Yesterday was her birthday, so I decided to add three names/poems for furbabies I lost this year, and did another skim-through. It's a children's book, but a comfort to me every time I read it, and each time I have to enter the name of a precious kitty I've recently lost.

[Marjorie Elwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

When my kitty died recently, a very kind friend brought me this book to help ease the pain. Just what I needed. Kitties go to heaven and good things happen to them – laps, pets, yummy treats, and they can look back at those who loved them.

[Christina Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book when our cat schmutz passed away about 8 years ago on the recommendation from my sister in law, Donna. I read it to the kids over and over again and we wrote a loving note inside to schmutz. Just yesterday our loving cat of 19 years, schwarz, passed away and the kids lovingly remembered this story and talked about schwarz and schmutz reuniting in Cat Heaven...also in the process we have written a lovely note inside to schwarz. It brings smiles to our faces to think of our kitties in Cat Heaven playing and having fun and it helps us to remember the fun times we had with them.

[Jon Jenkins · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book made me feel distant at best, and depressed at worst. The basic theme of the "cat heaven" seems like cats go on to a heaven separate from humans, giving the impression that I'd never see my dear cat again.

The one human interaction is profoundly sad. There is a page of a lonely cat standing out in the dark, watching their Earthly home with the people who loved them inside. I thought of my cat standing in the dark outside my house, all alone and unable to join me, and it set me back substantially in my grief.

[Mary Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

10) Rylant, C. (1997). Cat Heaven. New York: Blue Sky Press.
(Ages 2 – 6) I’d never heard the term “bibliotherapy” before MLIS 567, but this book fits into that category. Short, rhyming passages and bright, simple illustrations are comforting for those whose cat has recently died, and even those whose pet is still alive. It’s even comforting for me: earlier this year, my 15-year-old cat died. : (

[Laren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's a book I sent my niece when her cat died, but I didn't read it myself until recently when I lost my beloved furball. It is a nice change from all that rainbow bridge crap where the story makes your cat wait for your death before going to heaven by crossing the rainbow bridge with you. Here the cat goes right to heaven and has a wonderful time, just the way it should be.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was reading a bedtime story to a friend's daughter and son and ironically, this was the book on the shelf. (We currently have a cat who is terminally ill.) So I read the book and remembered how much I love Cynthia Rylant's words and illustrations. Simple yet profoundly artistic. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves cats.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Illustrator: Cynthia Rylant
Age: any age
Summary: A story about cat heaven.
Applications/Uses: Not really necessary for a classroom, but good to have on hand if a student has lost a pet cat and needs to read something related to the death of their animal.
Themes/Connections: Pets, life after death
Awards: None

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's something wrong with this book, the first few pages were fine but after I read the part about how God lets all the cats sleep in his bed the words got very blurry and hard to read. Weird how this happens, 5 stars tho

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely, comforting book for anyone who loves & has lost a sweet kitty friend.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, good lord. I cried like a baby when I read this.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cat Heaven, is a good book, written in a sensitive manner, about what supposedly happens when a cat dies. It's a faith based story, about what the cats encounter on their way to heaven such as, sweet grass to play in, crickets and butterflies, plenty of milk and even catnip. The book talk's of God's kitchen with all of their favorite foods, looking down at their former family from heaven, and getting to sleep in God's bed. Of course the cat's are happy there, because "all cats love heaven."

The illustrations, done by the author, are bright, happy and colorful. It's ultimately a hopeful story.

4/5 stars

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

What would I do without my friend, Amy? Thank you for this gem of a book, one that made me smile and weep, both. And, the first book Michael Finn said, "AGAIN!" to, after reading it through together once.
I miss Mr. Bodie.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

a good introduction to how much God loves us in a whimsical way, also a good way to introduce a discussion about what their impressions of heaven might be and how it might be different--and not as scary as we may have learned.

[Linda Hartlaub · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Ms. Rylant's companion piece to Dog Heaven. Although it is classified as a children's book, it is for all ages. If you have lost a furry best friend, it will make you smile, it will make you cry. But in your heart, you'll know this is where your kitty is.

[Shay · Rating 3 out of 5]

very cute, but made me sad

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, I’m a grown woman. Yes, it’s all of 100 words. Yes, I’m weeping.

[Isabel]

Read this at work because someone called and put it on hold and I was curious about it. Too spiritual for me, but there was one page that really made me tear up (“She will watch the old house where she once lived and wandered, and the people who loved her inside.”🤍)

[Terri Flagg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes you find the book, sometimes the book finds you. : )

[Lauren ❦ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cried. I'm at work. :(

[Librarian Jessie (BibliophileRoses) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gifted to me by a friend after the passing of my own baby boy (childhood cat). I’m so grateful to have such strong support and to know he was so well loved.