Cat Tales: Snippets on Life from Our Favorite Felines

by Charles Wysocki

Beloved and highly popular artist Charles Wysocki paints acrobatic antics and adventures of feline friends sure to charm cat lovers and collectible art fans alike. Whether sleeping soundly or frolicking on all fours, Wysocki's cat "tales", suitable quotes, and quirky escapades capture hearts and imaginations.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Cats

48 pages, Hardcover

First published July 15, 2002

Reviews

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Feline-related literary quotes are paired with the author's highly-detailed paintings. This would make a very nice gift for someone who enjoys both cats and books (the two do seem to go together).

[Joselito Honestly and Brilliantly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A coffee-table book of cat quotes, finely detailed paintings (by the author) of the author’s cats and the stories about these pets. In the cover is the best of these paintings, and the featured cat is Frederick, killed by a car in 1991, but remembered as one who preferred to sleep on a bookshelf. The accompanying story narrates of the laborious effort exerted by the author and his wife Liz trying to come up with the titles of the books in this painting which, if you’d care to enlarge the photo in your computer screen, I’m sure you’ll find equally amusing:

Lusting for the Grand Rodent by A. Catastrophe
The Catebury Tales
Rat Holes of the World
Cat-o Nine Tales
Fuss n Boots
A Tale of Two Kitties
Poems by Robin Wing
The Little Brown Mouse
Delicious Field Mice I Have Known
The Killer Sparrow of Ipswitch
Classic Wharf Rats and their Hideouts
The Feline Comedy by Kitty Mewpur
Caterwauls Catalogue of Hairballs
How to Smell a Rat
The Three Mouseketeers
Field Guide to the Garbage Can
The Sardine in All of Its Splendor
How to Catnap with a Smile by Z. Snooze
Renowned Persian Mouse Traps
Renowned Siamese Mouse Traps
Renowned Himalayan Mouse Traps
Renowned Abyssinian Mouse Traps
Renowned Egyptian Mouse Traps

The book ends with a quote from The Tiger in the House by Carl Van Vechten:


“It is perfectly possible (a fact which I have proved scores of times myself) to work not only with a cat in the room, but with a cat on one’s shoulder or in one’s lap. In a draughty room, indeed, the cat makes a superior kind of paperweight! Cats, to be sure, love to play on tables with loose papers and pens, but a little care will keep them from doing damage, and how welcome is the soft paw tap on the pen with the look of surprise that invariably follows, to the tired writer.”

My first book review for 2021.

[Lenore Kuipers-Cummins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the art of Charles Wysocki. It is so realistic, detailed,
and colorful, and has humor in it too.
This book contains a collection of cats; what they look like, along with their names. It shows them in their natural resting places, which could be anyplace. Those places are very detailed too.
The book also has quotes about cats from various writers. Some examples (which are all true of cats, by-the-way):

"What greater gift than the love of a cat?" Charles Dickens

"A home without a cat-and a well-fed , well-petted and properly revered cat-may be a home, perhaps, but how can it prove title?" Mark Twain

"No matter how much cats fight, there always seem to be plenty of kittens." Abraham Lincoln

"Take a cat, nourish it well with milk, and tender meat, making a couch of silk, but let it see a mouse along the wall, and it abandons milk and meat and all, and every other dainty in the house, such is the appetite to eat a mouse." Geoffrey Chaucer

A great book to read, especially if you love felines!

[K. McDevitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sweet book showcasing the author's cat art. He discusses the cats in his life who have become the subjects of his pieces. In-between each piece are quotes about cats--some from sources unknown, some from famous names, and some from book passages. In the margins and on every page are little bits of his works, a kettle from one piece here, a cat sleeping behind some books there. It makes the whole book drip with his style and scream cat. There are also so many incredible details like fun punny titles of newspapers and books on shelves. Each of the cats has its own personality and flair.

This was a lovely, heartwarming, fun read. I look forward to sharing it with fellow BCinDC members and watching it move around. I'm so glad our friend, MaryZee, put this book out there into the world so we can all continue to enjoy it!

[melydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of cat paintings and brief stories about the cats depicted in them, interspersed with cat-related quotes. Very cute, perhaps not so memorable. I liked some of the artistic notes on why he chose certain settings, but by and large it's just a cat book.

[Barb Ashby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who has ever loved a cat will love this book!

[Mellanie C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars because I loved the illustrations.

[Alissa J. Zavalianos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I randomly found this little book at my library's book sale and purchased it for only a quarter! It was adorable, cunning, charming, and beautifully illustrated.

For all you cat lovers out there, get yourself in proximity to this book & you won't be disappointed.

:)

[Heather Lowther · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Charles Wysocki's art and his whimsical cats and creative book titles "Puss in Boots", etc. in his paintings. So nice to read quotes from others about cats and Charles stories about his own and family cats that posed for the paintings. He was a fantastic Americana artist and he is well missed. We own his "Americana Celebration" book as well and two seasonal paintings. I went with my family to the Richard Nixon library in the 90's and Charles artwork was displayed there.

[Ellen Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a charming book with delightful paintings of cats posed in interesting settings, quotes about cats from famous persons, poems, and the author's comments and observations about cats. I loved it!

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute little compilation of quotes and remembrances of cats. Loved the images and all the detail that went into it.