T-Bone, the Baby-Sitter

by Clare Turlay Newberry

All's well with the cat as babysitter until one morning the cat wakes up feeling wild, pouncy, and full of mischief.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Cats

30 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1950

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amazing charcoal drawings. I love the cat in the pictures. Such a cat with those cold eyes. He’s a big fluff ball. There are 3 colors, Black, white and coral.

T-bone the cat, liked to babysit the newborn baby; on the porch, in the crib, and in his room. He sat with the child. The fact the baby never tugged on the cat’s fur is a mystery. Still, T-bone got in a nasty mood one day and was making a mess of clothes. He’s sent off to the farm after destroying a favorite hat and other clothing items. The baby was sad without T-bone and Mrs. Pinny had to deal with a cross and unhappy baby. T-bone is brought back home. The babies first word is ‘Kitty’.

The story is alright. The cat pictures are cute. I was not blown away by the book. It’s from a different time. I had to go to the Library of Congress to read this one so I’m not sure how the kids would see it. The nephew loves cats so he might like the drawings, but overall I suspect he might be a little bored.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My father gave me this book about 40 years ago when I was first learning to read. I was also a budding artist and the charcoal drawings with a single accent colour really inspired me - I became a professional artist as an adult, and I credit this book for expanding my imagination. The story is cute and sweet, and even though the cover is lovingly battered and time-worn, this book is going to be part of Grandma's Library when I have grandchildren someday. I'm sure that they'll love it as much as I did.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wisdom of letting a cat babysit a child aside (see also: Carl) this is a delightful story. T-Bone is a fluffy, round cat who minds the baby while Mrs. Pinny gets work done around the house. He sits with the baby during his airing on the front porch, and purrs the baby to sleep at naptime. But when he's feeling a bit naughty and destroys one of Mrs. Pinny's hats, he's sent away to live in a barn. Oh no! Who will mind the baby? NOBODY draws cats like Clare Newberry. His fur is almost palpable and she gets cat expressions JUST RIGHT.

[Laura5 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is my favorite of Newberry's picture books I've read so far. It's probably no coincidence that it has the least amout of text of all that I have read so far too.

Enjoyed the fact that the models for the illustrations were her own son and her cat named T-Bone (so named for stealing a pricy steak).

There is no one better for illustrating a cat story than Clare Newberry.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clare Newberry draws fantastic cats. And I am not a cat lover, as I fall in the category of "dog person". But even I love her cat drawings, This is a very cute story and well illustrated, even for a book about a cat.

[Brindi Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

1951 Caldecott Honor

This book melts my heart with fantastic illustrations.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m glad I’m doing the Caldecott Challenge, even though it’s taking me forever to finish, as I get to discover so many awesome authors and illustrators. Newberry is just so good at illustrating cats, and T-Bone is the biggest fluffiest cat I’ve ever seen. This book won a 1951 Caldecott Honor, and it is a nice quick read. T-Bone is a great babysitter for Mrs. P’s baby girl. She’ll sit in the basket with her, sit on the dresser and purr during naptime and allows Mrs. P to get all her housework done. One day, T-Bone wakes up and decides she is tired of being a good kitty and decides to cause a little chaos. Her actions drive her owner to distraction, and she sends the cat away to the farm. T-Bone doesn’t like the farm as he isn’t given any special treatment. The baby does not like that T-Bone has left and won’t stop crying for days. So Mrs. P sends her husband to get the cat back. Everyone is happy. Recommended for ages 3-6, 3 ½ stars.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was relieved to discover that this Clare Turlay Newberry book actually almost resembles a true picture book. Though her style still strongly favors portraits that have very little to do with the text, she has at least cut down on the amount of text in this book, and it is laid out on the page in a way that at least resembles what a modern picture book looks like. Still, though, it will never cease to amaze me how she manages not to illustrate the best and most exciting parts of her own stories.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fanciful account of T-Bone the cat, who not only attends to the baby but establishes a mutual bond of attachment. Newberry's charcoal drawings are again powerful in their simplicity, and T-Bone is not only responsible but discovers how to make mischief too. Both text and illustration capture this sudden transition...

But one morning T-Bone did not feel like baby-sitting. He woke up feeling wild, and pouncy, and full of mischief.

The book has a dated feel in its depiction of the humans, but cat lovers will probably embrace this book with more stars.

[Tori Singco · Rating 3 out of 5]

T-Bone the cat had gotten into trouble around the house, so his owner sent him to go live on the farm with his aunt. The owner's baby daughter ended up not being able to sleep, so the owner went back to the farm and brought the cat back home. Just because a "family member" so to speak is acting out does not mean that you can just get rid of it. Family is family and sometimes you just have to deal with it!

[Maria Rowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

• 1951 Caldecott Honor Book •

Such an adorable story of a baby and her cat! The charcoal(?) drawings are really masterful and expressive. There are spots of red throughout the book that are a little random at times, and I could have done without it. But overall a really sweet story and great drawings.

Materials used: unlisted
Typeface used: unlisted

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's fun to read old picture books to get a glimpse of what life was like at the time of their publication. This one is no exception--I guess in the 1950s, babies were taken outside "for airings"--who knew!

The voice is timeless, though, just as enjoyable now as it must have been then.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story. Wonder if the Carl books came from this idea?

[Mckinley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Caldecott honor

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of a cat named T-bone who babysits. Of the older, Caldecott Honor books this one has been a favorite so far. It was short and sweet and cute.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

T-Bone the Baby-Sitter by Clare Turlay Newberry is a cute book all about the companionship of a baby and its sitter, a cat named T-Bone. As always, Newberry writes a very complete story with a beginning, middle, and end, and focuses on her interest in cats. When the cat has one of those days (who hasn't had one of those days) when it decides to destroy everything in its path, it's sent away, only to be missed terribly by the baby. My rating - 3/5

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute story, about a cat baby sitter. Who better to take up the task of sitting than a cat? He can't do the bottles or the diapers, but the sitting, he can handle. The illustrations were charming, but there's a similarity to all of her books that I'm not sure deserved to be rewarded multiple times.

[MaryAnne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Storyline is simple but cute. Illustrations are only OK. Caldecott Honor Book.

[Nanny B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story

[Laurel Zeisler · Rating 5 out of 5]

It deserved its Caldecott Medal. Beautiful illustrations. Lovely story.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I saw this book had "T-Bone" in the title, I guessed that the book would have a dog as the main character. Instead it was a cat. Highly disappointing.

Anyway, the cat kind of babysits the baby for a couple while the mother gets housework done, but one day the cat decides to be naughty, so they send him to live out in the country. But then the baby cries and cries, so they bring the cat back. I felt the plot left something to be desired... like a dog.

[Lorna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Caldecott Honor 1951

Favorite line: "Sometimes he [the cat] pushed her in her swing, but mostly he just sat."

Favorite illustration: The baby and cat playing in the playpen.

Kid-appeal: Animal, or cat loving kids will still be drawn to this story today. The illustrations are soft and charming, and unlike many of the 1940s and 1950s, this book isn't packed with text.

[Stefanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I laughed out loud. This was really cute. I loved the mischievous cat face.