My Cat Isis[ MY CAT ISIS ] by Austen, Catherine (Author) Mar-01-11[ Hardcover ]

by Catherine Austen

Striking collage illustrations bring to life a boy's comparisons of his beloved cat to Isis, goddess of Egyptian myth. The goddess Isis was the revered daughter of the earth and sky. The cat Isis is a family pet who is just as special. This dazzling work of paper- and photo-collage, painting and pen-and-ink illustration is both an homage to a beloved feline and a journey into the realm of Ancient Egyptian myth and the goddess Isis. Through a series of lighthearted comparisons between his cat and its goddess namesake, the boy narrator reveals both similarities and differences between the two worlds. An ideal book for pet lovers and lovers of ancient history alike!

Genres: Picture Books, Mythology, Childrens, Egypt

Hardcover

First published March 1, 2011

About the author

I grew up in Kingston, Ontario. I studied political science at Queen's University and environmental studies at York before moving to the Ottawa area to work in the conservation movement. I now write freelance (reports as well as books) from my home in Quebec, where I live with my husband and two sons. I love wildlife, music, museums, and books and I'm grateful that my life is full of all of these.

I read all types of books but usually forget to review them. I'll only post about books I like here (hence the high average rating).

Reviews

[ConnieLettow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just loved this book! What a clever way to introduce the Goddess Isis to young children, and to me. I found the facts about Isis to be very interesting, and the comparisons to the family cat named Isis, to be hilarious. Unfortunately the art for the cat was a bit too creepy for me. But I loved the book nonetheless.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the text of this book in which a boy compares his cat Isis and the Egyptian goddess after whom his cat is named. On each 2-page spread, the first page tells us some fact about or characteristic of the goddess Isis, and the second page tells us a parallel characteristic of or fact about the cat. It's very clever. I also learned something about Isis that I'd never heard before: I didn't know that each of the 24 hours of the day was ruled by a different god or goddess.

The only thing I disliked about the book was the illustrations of the cat, which I thought were just plain ugly. The pictures of Isis were fine. I wish something other than a collage technique had been used to depict the cat. The ugliest cat illustration of all was the cover! Aside from that, however, the book was cute.

[Ernest Fleming · Rating 4 out of 5]

The artwork is unique and there are interesting facts about Isis the goddess.

[Canadian Children's Book Centre]

Who has never marvelled at the affinity between a goddess and a feline friend? My Cat Isis takes a loving look at the similarities and differences between an ancient Egyptian divinity and a boy’s cat. The story is a back and forth dialogue between mythology and the main character’s observations about his pet.

Egger’s artwork cleverly reflects this style. She combines paperand photo-collage with painting and pen-and-ink illustration, furthering the multi-facetted approach.

There is also a subtle humour in both the text and artwork. In one spread, Isis (the deity) does not chase birds at the feeder like her animal counterpart, but rather she “protects the seeds.” The goddess and her feline namesake cautiously regard each other across pages, a humorous visual reflection of the relationship between them.

The parallelism, however, is occasionally forced and the distinct differentiation between the two different styles of language may pose some difficulty for younger audiences. “My Isis bosses everyone around, especially the dog,” has a simplicity and a tone younger children would enjoy but, when it is juxtaposed with “At the height of her popularity, Isis was adored as the supreme protector of the ancient world,” parts of the book may be less accessible.

However, Austen very aptly conveys both information about Egyptian mythology and a depiction of the simple but complete relationship between the boy and his pet. As he says, “I love my Isis because she is my cat.”

This book would be a particularly useful classroom resource for ancient civilizations units and is recommended for children aged five to eight.

Reviewed by Lisa Dalrymple in Canadian Children's Book News (Spring 2011, Vol. 34, No. 2)

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the comparisons between the goddess and the cat. They are dry in tone and down to earth but still made me smile. I like the Egyptian collages, their composition and color, but I have to admit the cat collages are a little too disjointed for me. My image of cats is very composed, and the mismatched pieces kept throwing me off. I wanted to love Isis, but I didn't really love her pictures.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun series of comparisons between a pet cat and her Egyptian goddess namesake. Unusual collage illustrations.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

These illustrations are strangely interesting.