Pandora

by William Mayne, Dietlind Blech (Illustrator)

Illustrated in full color. Here is a captivating picture book for cat lovers of all ages--told from a feline point of view.  Pandora, a beautiful black cat, has lived contentedly in a cozy house with a man and woman who cherish her. One day they bring a baby home, and Pandora begins to feel both unloved and unwanted.  She runs away in a huff and learns how to fend for herself in the wild.  But when she gives birth to two kittens of her own, Pandora begins to understand why her humans were so protective of their new baby.  When her kittens are strong enough, Pandora leads them back home, where they all live together as one happy human and cat family.  This tender story of tolerance will especially appeal to children who have to accept a new baby into the family.  

Genres: Picture Books

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

William Mayne was a British writer of children's fiction. Born in Hull, he was educated at the choir school attached to Canterbury Cathedral and his memories of that time contributed to his early books. He lived most of his life in North Yorkshire.

He was described as one of the outstanding children's authors of the 20th Century by the Oxford Companion to Children's Literature, and won the Carnegie Medal in 1957 for A Grass Rope and the Guardian Award in 1993 for Low Tide. He has written more than a hundred books, and is best known for his Choir School quartet comprising A Swarm in May, Choristers' Cake, Cathedral Wednesday and Words and Music, and his Earthfasts trilogy comprising Earthfasts, Cradlefasts and Candlefasts, an unusual evocation of the King Arthur legend.

A Swarm in May was filmed by the Children's Film Unit in 1983 and a five-part television series of Earthfasts was broadcast by the BBC in 1994.

William Mayne was imprisoned for two and a half years in 2004 after admitting to charges of child sexual abuse and was placed on the British sex offenders' register. His books were largely removed from shelves, and he died in disgrace in 2010.

Reviews

[Hayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story makes me feel melancholy. I absolutely hate how the humans treat Pandora when the baby comes and I don’t think there is any excuse for it. But Pandora does okay and comes back and forgives them. The last line haunts me a little though.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story about "jealousy of a new baby" told from another perspective - that of a cat. (A cat that looks like our cat - at that.)

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book, both to read as well as to study if you are a writer. Every time I would read this book with my daughter, I found myself struggling to keep from getting misty. It strikes at the heart of human loneliness and connection in a startlingly simple and honest way. But I knew it was a gem of a book when my daughter looked at me one night as we were reaching the end and said "this book always makes me feel...." She didn't have the words to describe it, so I suggested "weepy." She smiled and nodded. "Me, too," I told her, "but I like it anyway." Me, too," she said.
The illustrations of Pandora and the landscape are very beautiful. I am less taken with the human depictions, but the illustrations are solid throughout. The text is clear and concise, yet tells so much. I highly recommend this lovely picture book.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, I tried to read this one, and most assuredly would have enjoyed it more had the pages of the copy I received via interlibrary loan been in the right order. The story appears to be about a cat who becomes jealous of the new baby and decides to run away. Come winter and suddenly she produces a litter of two kittens--with no hint of a male cat anywhere. Only then does she understand the humans' love for their baby, and she decides to go back to them with her babies. I did like the illustrations by Dietland Blech--very detailed, and he draws cute kitties. I just wish the pages had been in the right order. Recommended?

[Mari · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations are beautiful and the colors are very vibrant. Very much liked the ending.

[Ava · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations and writing. I read this to my five-year-old, and she lived it. I would also easily read this to my class of seventh graders to demonstrate conflict and figurative language.

[Elizabeth Ferry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice-ish story. Beautiful illustrations.