Jenny Lind and her Listening Cat

by Frances Cavanah, Paul Frame (Illustrator)

Jenny is so lonely. Her mother is too busy to take care of her, and her father is almost never home. That's why she must live with strangers. One day the lonely girl finds a cat. Jenny loves to sing, and now she has someone to sing to. Her cat listens to her beautiful voice. And so do other. Then one day someone very special hears her sing. That's when life changes for Jenny Lind, the little Swedish girl who became one of the world's greatest singers.

Genres: Childrens, Biography, Cats, Nonfiction

158 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1961

About the author

Frances Cavanah (1889-1982) was born in Indiana and attended DePauw University. She wrote many shortstories, articles and textbooks for children. She is also credited with the following books: Boyhood Adventures of Our Presidents, Pocahontas, A Little Girl of Jamestown, Abe Lincoln Got His Chance, Our Country's Freedom, Jenny Lind's America, When Americans Came to New Orleans, We Wanted to be Free, They Lived in the White House and The Truth About the Man Who Sparked the War Between the States.

Reviews

[Cindy]

This is the one!!! When I saw “The Greatest Showman” The first time, the reference to Jenny Lind sent me into a major flashback—I had read a book about her when I was a little girl, and I remember that it was an absolute favorite! I owned it and read it many times! Thank you, Goodreads...now I can sleep at night! (Next step—seeing if I can find a copy to add to my grandkid library, so that I have another book to pull out when the kids ask me “Gramma, what stories did you like when you were growing up?”)P. S. The rating given is based on my childhood recollection.

UPDATE: I found a used copy online, and it is once again in my personal library! Rereading it was like traveling back in time...it is just a sweet, simple story that outlines Jenny's early years and the path that led her to share her gift with the world. Yes, I rated it 4 stars based on the way I felt about it when I was a kid, but I won't change it now that I've become reacquainted with it. Maybe it's just the nostalgia talking, but that's OK!

[Cindy aka "The Book Fairy"]

What an amazing story....true stories are so unique at times.Great read.

[Stephanie]

I bought this book from school when I was about 10…I was a solitary child who often played alone and could relate to Jenny's loneliness and desire to sing to her faithful companion..the story was touching and the illustrations are beautiful...

[Kecia]

Love-loved this book in 5th grade.

[Cheryl]

Lovely childhood favorite!

[Mary Beth]

I first read this book as a fourth grader. It was my favorite as a child, and it was the first book I had read that made me feel as if I had actually entered the world of the characters. I bought the book because of the picture on the cover, and I've kept it all these years. This book sparked my interest in reading. After finishing it, I remember wanting to read more and more, and reading a book at bedtime became a way of life for me. I recently read this book to my five-year-old granddaughter, and she liked it, too.

[Char Ipacs]

Childhood favorite and I still have my copy I reread the book after seeing the movie The greatest show earth

[Melinda Griffith]

No idea why they put a red ribbon on the cat on the cover. Jenny’s cat had a blue ribbon. But I enjoyed this telling of the early childhood of the Swedish Nightingale..

[Abril Ayala]

It was such a cute story!

[Linda "The Book Lady" Warner]

I read this book as a child even naming one of cats Kisse like Jenny cat. It has a good as O remember

[Maggie]

Loved this book as a child and was excited to find it to read again, as an adult. It is a well written biography for children of the famous Swedish singer, Jenny Lind. I recommend it to all ages.

[LuAnn]

A sweet, well-written book that tells how a Swedish woman famous worldwide in the 19th century became known for her singing. What is it about books written this era that make them so alive and real?! This one doesn't gloss over the unpleasant aspects of Jenny's family life, though it doesn't dwell on them either.

[George Ilsley]

A book from my childhood home that I don't recall ever seeing. Perhaps I was biased against children's books! This is a simple tale based on the early life of a famous Swedish singer. In the first few lines, however, it explains why this girl (and thousands of readers) could not be thought pretty.

[Susan]

I remembered this book today while sitting with my cat....loved it as a girl.

[Cindy]

I had no idea who Jenny Lind was but loved the story because it had a cat in it.