The Cat That Walked a Week

by Meidert. DeJonge, Victor G. Ambrus (Illustrator)

The Cat That Walked a Week

Genres: Middle Grade, Childrens, Adventure

Paperback

First published January 1, 1943

Reviews

[Two Hearts Homeschool · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our second chapter book read aloud of 2021 - I teared up reading the reunion scene at the end (and that's saying something since I'm not a cat person!); my 5 year old gave me a big smooch on the cheek with a huge grin on his face as I read that paragraph. Highly recommend if you can find a reasonably-priced copy, as it's OOP.

[Karis · Rating 3 out of 5]

In The Cat That Walked a Week by Meindert Dejong, the reader will fall in love with the antics of one dear, all-white cat who loves to pound on piano keys along with his little boy. The neighbors, though, are not so enamored. When they kidnap the cat out of exasperation and drop her off in the middle of nowhere, she must bravely make her way back to her boy who misses her dearly. The cat’s naïve lack of fear for the people and animals she encounters along the way create for some amusing stories, while at other times, her disappointments are beautifully captured and quite moving. I would have simply adored this book as a child with its simple and amusing style of writing, and I definitely recommend it for beginning and very young reader and for parents looking for books to read-out-loud to their young kids.

[Esther Filbrun · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had many books read to me as a child, and one that has always stood out as a favorite is The Cat That Walked a Week. I don’t remember when Mom first read this to me, but I do remember identifying with the cat to the extent that I quickly became invested in its survival. Recently, when I went to pick a book to read to my youngest sister, I happened across this on the shelf and decided it was high time to introduce her to this story. Meindert DeJong has always been one of my favorite children’s authors, so it was fun to get to introduce her to his work—and it ended up being just as emotional of a read for her as it was for me when I was a youngster!

I wouldn’t describe The Cat That Walked a Week as an entirely gentle story. My sister and I took several weeks to get through it, and several times, she stopped me in the middle of a sentence to tearfully ask if it would be alright in the end. At one point, when the cat was dropped into the water, she jumped—and had to be reassured that “Yes, it will turn out okay!”

Still, as a child and now as an adult, I’ve found the book to be a heartwarming, hope-filled, gripping read about a cat, the family that loved him, and the adventure that was thrust upon him. This is one of those books that children and adults can enjoy, and I love that.

It’s hard to put into words why I love this book so much. By today’s standards, the writing style isn’t outstanding—there’s a lot of telling and explanation throughout the story. But the story itself—the plot and the characters—are so well-drawn that you instantly connect with them and wish with your whole heart that things will go well for the cat. The language used in the story is much richer than you’d find in many modern books. And then there’s the whole adventure aspect of the story—I love the journey the cat goes on, as he encounters many different people (most of whom are unique and hilarious!), and quite a few different ecosystems as he travels.

Sadly, this book is out of print, but if you do manage to snag a copy for yourself, I highly recommend you read it (or, preferably, share it with a child in your life). I’ve loved it since I was young, and love that I got to share it with my younger sister now.

[Niki (nikilovestoread) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of a poor white cat who is taken from his home and abandoned in the woods miles from home. His little boy and the little boy's mother are heartbroken. The little white cat proceeds on a long journey trying to find his way back home. Along the way, he meets many different people who help him in different ways, but all he wants is to make it back home to his little boy. I read this aloud to my kids and they both loved it.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my favorite books when I was a kid. I read this over and over again. Good for older kids with whom you can have a talk about people being mean to animals.