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Da Vinci's Cat
Two unlikely friends—Federico, in sixteenth-century Rome, and Bee, in present-day New Jersey—are linked through an amiable cat, Leonardo Da Vinci’s mysterious wardrobe, and an eerily perfect sketch of Bee.
Newbery Honor author Catherine Gilbert Murdock’s Da Vinci’s Cat is a thrilling, time-slip fantasy about rewriting history to save the present. This inventive novel will engross anyone who loved 'When You Reach Me' and 'A Wrinkle in Time.'
Federico doesn’t mind being a political hostage in the Pope’s palace, especially now that he has a cat as a friend. But he must admit that a kitten walking into a wardrobe and returning full-grown a moment later is quite odd. Even stranger is Herbert, apparently an art collector from the future, who emerges from the wardrobe the next night. Herbert barters with Federico to get a sketch signed by the famous painter Raphael, but his plans take a dangerous turn when he hurries back to his era, desperate to save a dying girl.
Bee never wanted to move to New Jersey. When a neighbor shows Bee a sketch that perfectly resembles her, Bee, freaked out, solidifies her resolve to keep to herself. But then she meets a friendly cat and discovers a mysterious cabinet in her neighbor’s attic—a cabinet that leads her to Renaissance Rome. Bee, who has learned about Raphael and Michelangelo in school, never expected she’d get to meet them and see them paint their masterpieces.
This compelling time-slip adventure by Newbery Honor author Catherine Gilbert Murdock is full of action, mystery, history, art, and friendship—and features one unforgettable cat.
Includes black-and-white spot art throughout of Da Vinci’s cat by Caldecott Medalist Paul O. Zelinsky, as well as an author’s note about the art, artists, and history that inspired the novel .
Newbery Honor author Catherine Gilbert Murdock’s Da Vinci’s Cat is a thrilling, time-slip fantasy about rewriting history to save the present. This inventive novel will engross anyone who loved 'When You Reach Me' and 'A Wrinkle in Time.'
Federico doesn’t mind being a political hostage in the Pope’s palace, especially now that he has a cat as a friend. But he must admit that a kitten walking into a wardrobe and returning full-grown a moment later is quite odd. Even stranger is Herbert, apparently an art collector from the future, who emerges from the wardrobe the next night. Herbert barters with Federico to get a sketch signed by the famous painter Raphael, but his plans take a dangerous turn when he hurries back to his era, desperate to save a dying girl.
Bee never wanted to move to New Jersey. When a neighbor shows Bee a sketch that perfectly resembles her, Bee, freaked out, solidifies her resolve to keep to herself. But then she meets a friendly cat and discovers a mysterious cabinet in her neighbor’s attic—a cabinet that leads her to Renaissance Rome. Bee, who has learned about Raphael and Michelangelo in school, never expected she’d get to meet them and see them paint their masterpieces.
This compelling time-slip adventure by Newbery Honor author Catherine Gilbert Murdock is full of action, mystery, history, art, and friendship—and features one unforgettable cat.
Includes black-and-white spot art throughout of Da Vinci’s cat by Caldecott Medalist Paul O. Zelinsky, as well as an author’s note about the art, artists, and history that inspired the novel .
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 25, 2021
52 people are currently reading
4079 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Gilbert Murdock
13 books817 followersI grew up in small-town Connecticut, on a tiny farm with honeybees, two adventurous goats, and a mess of Christmas trees. My sister claims we didn’t have a television, but we did, sometimes – only it was ancient, received exactly two channels, and had to be turned off after 45 minutes to cool down or else the screen would go all fuzzy. Watching (or rather, “watching”) Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds was quite the experience, because it’s hard to tell a flock of vicious crows from a field of very active static; this might be why I still can’t stand horror movies, to this day.
My sister Liz, who is now a Very Famous Writer with a large stack of books, was my primary companion, even though she was extremely cautious – she wouldn’t even try to jump off the garage roof, which involved crouching right at the edge for ten minutes working up your nerve, and then checking each time you landed to see if you’d broken anything – and she learned early on that losing at games was easier in the long run than putting up with me losing. Now, of course, she travels all over the world collecting stories and diseases, while I stay at home scowling over paint chips, and losing on purpose to my kids. So the cycle continues. (Read an New York Times article by Catherine and Liz.)
People sometimes ask if I played football in high school: no. I ran cross country and track, badly, but I have absolutely no skill whatsoever with ball or team sports. Plus my high school didn’t even have a football team. Instead, I was part of the art clique – taking extra art classes, spending my study halls and lunch periods working on my latest still life. (Please tell me this was not a unique experience.) I didn’t do much writing – my sister was the anointed writer – but I read my little eyeballs out. I was the queen of our library’s YA section.
In college I studied architectural history. The formal name was “Growth and Structure of Cities Program,” but for me, it was all about buildings. I’ve always been fascinated with the built environment – how spaces fit together, how streets work, how they read. And curiously (Warning: Life Lesson approaching), it’s paid off in the oddest ways. For example, several of us in our neighborhood recently got quite upset about a enormous building going in across the street, and while everyone agreed that they didn’t like the way it looked, I was the one who stood up at public meetings and used words like entablature and cornice line and fenestration – all this architectural jargon I’d learned back at Bryn Mawr – and sounded like I knew what I was talking about. And because of that, the building ended up getting redesigned, and – in my humble opinion – now will look much more attractive and appropriate, which is nice because I’ll be looking at it for the rest of my life. So don’t be afraid to study what you love, because you do not know now, and you may not know for twenty years, how amazingly it will pay off. But it will.
Dairy Queen was my first stab at creative writing since high school, not counting several years as a struggling screenwriter (which followed several years as a struggling scholar). I unabashedly recommend screenwriting for mastering the art of storytelling; just don’t pin any hopes on seeing your work on the big screen. But you’ll learn so much in the process that this won’t matter. I also recommend, you know, living. I've been passionate about food pretty much my whole life – first eating it, now preparing and then eating it. And so it plays a pretty big role in my writing, and adds so much flavor . . . not literally, of course, but the more you can add that's true, whether it's emotion or geography or gardening (that’s me in the picture above), then the stronger that story is.
My sister Liz, who is now a Very Famous Writer with a large stack of books, was my primary companion, even though she was extremely cautious – she wouldn’t even try to jump off the garage roof, which involved crouching right at the edge for ten minutes working up your nerve, and then checking each time you landed to see if you’d broken anything – and she learned early on that losing at games was easier in the long run than putting up with me losing. Now, of course, she travels all over the world collecting stories and diseases, while I stay at home scowling over paint chips, and losing on purpose to my kids. So the cycle continues. (Read an New York Times article by Catherine and Liz.)
People sometimes ask if I played football in high school: no. I ran cross country and track, badly, but I have absolutely no skill whatsoever with ball or team sports. Plus my high school didn’t even have a football team. Instead, I was part of the art clique – taking extra art classes, spending my study halls and lunch periods working on my latest still life. (Please tell me this was not a unique experience.) I didn’t do much writing – my sister was the anointed writer – but I read my little eyeballs out. I was the queen of our library’s YA section.
In college I studied architectural history. The formal name was “Growth and Structure of Cities Program,” but for me, it was all about buildings. I’ve always been fascinated with the built environment – how spaces fit together, how streets work, how they read. And curiously (Warning: Life Lesson approaching), it’s paid off in the oddest ways. For example, several of us in our neighborhood recently got quite upset about a enormous building going in across the street, and while everyone agreed that they didn’t like the way it looked, I was the one who stood up at public meetings and used words like entablature and cornice line and fenestration – all this architectural jargon I’d learned back at Bryn Mawr – and sounded like I knew what I was talking about. And because of that, the building ended up getting redesigned, and – in my humble opinion – now will look much more attractive and appropriate, which is nice because I’ll be looking at it for the rest of my life. So don’t be afraid to study what you love, because you do not know now, and you may not know for twenty years, how amazingly it will pay off. But it will.
Dairy Queen was my first stab at creative writing since high school, not counting several years as a struggling screenwriter (which followed several years as a struggling scholar). I unabashedly recommend screenwriting for mastering the art of storytelling; just don’t pin any hopes on seeing your work on the big screen. But you’ll learn so much in the process that this won’t matter. I also recommend, you know, living. I've been passionate about food pretty much my whole life – first eating it, now preparing and then eating it. And so it plays a pretty big role in my writing, and adds so much flavor . . . not literally, of course, but the more you can add that's true, whether it's emotion or geography or gardening (that’s me in the picture above), then the stronger that story is.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews
July 2, 2021
As a lover of cats and art history, I had high hopes for this story. They were not fulfilled. The author clearly has done an enormous amount of research to get the details of early 16th-century Rome right, and then falls victim to the temptation to write them ALL into every page - every dish at several banquets, every item of clothing worn. The writing is often repetitive: she tells us multiple times in a single scene that Michelangelo stinks. She tells us - over and over - that Federico wants a friend. Paradoxically, there are elements of the art and artists and assumptions that *I* (as an adult art history grad) "got" that I'm not sure the intended middle-grade reader would, or would find terribly appealing. When the setting and characters shifted to present-day America, the carpentry just broke down and I bailed.
Clumsy writing, tenuous plot machinery, and charmless characters... just didn't work for me.
Clumsy writing, tenuous plot machinery, and charmless characters... just didn't work for me.
June 16, 2023
ترجمهی فارسی این کاب توسط انتشارات دلتا با نام گربهی داوینچی به چاپ رسیده و من از خوندنش لذت بردم. سفر در زمان و ایتالیای قدیم برام خیلی جالب بود. اگر به داوینچی و رافائل و هم عصرانشون علاقه دارید از خوندن این کتاب هم لذت خواهید برد
May 18, 2022
Did you know Da Vinci had a time traveling cat??????
I read this on my own to see if it would work as a chapterbook for my reading group, and I've got it on the list! There are some loosey goosey parts that could be stronger in the plot, but the getting to hang with artists in the Sistine Chapel pushes it up the scale.
A gift of spending time in the actual Renaissance, makes for a very delightful read.
I read this on my own to see if it would work as a chapterbook for my reading group, and I've got it on the list! There are some loosey goosey parts that could be stronger in the plot, but the getting to hang with artists in the Sistine Chapel pushes it up the scale.
A gift of spending time in the actual Renaissance, makes for a very delightful read.
January 23, 2022
(FROM MY BLOG) Sir Federico Gonzaga is the son of the Duke of Mantua. He has been held hostage in the Vatican by Pope Julius II, in order to ensure the continued loyalty of the Duke.
Sir Federico has a fine eye for ranks of nobility, for court etiquette, and for proper dress. We would call him arrogant, but he is acting as he has been brought up. He feels a strong duty to maintain the dignity of his father and of his family.
Sir Federico is also lonely and bored. He has many important acquaintances -- the pope himself plays backgammon with him, and is often enraged when he loses -- but he has no true friends. This is understandable, because Sir Federico is only eleven years old. A child surviving in a court of intrigue.
The boy makes his first friend when he opens a large, ornate box and meets a lively, friendly, and intelligent kitten. The two are inseparable, until the kitten walks back into the box and disappears. Federico is devastated, but the kitten emerges again, a short time later, as a fully grown, elegant cat. Federico fears witchcraft.
But the reality is even stranger. The box is a time machine, one crafted -- we eventually learn -- by Leonardo da Vinci as a gift for the King of France.
Thus begins Da Vinci's Cat (2021), a novel apparently aimed at middle school students, by Catherine Gilbert Murdock. The plot is perhaps too elementary, and the human relations too superficially described, to serve as an adult novel (but not perhaps as a sci-fi or fantasy novel). And yet, it appeals to adults (to this one, in any event), while it may seem too rich in history and art to be accessible (or of interest) to the typical middle school reader.
Leonardo himself plays little additional part in the story. But Federico is close friends with Raphael (elegant, charming, popular) and is tactfully diplomatic with Michelangelo (ugly, hostile, jealous, and -- as Federico repeatedly reminds us -- he stinks). The time is the early sixteenth century. Michelangelo is painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling, and Raphael is doing the papal apartments. (Federico brags that Raphael painted him as a beautiful young boy and inserted him into his School of Athens masterpiece.)
The boy views Pope Julius II as just another egotistical Renaissance aristocrat, the head of one of the most powerful Italian states. He hardly touches on the pope's religious leadership. As he observes during a service in the Sistine Chapel, below Michelangelo's scaffolding:
The plot thickens. From the same box from which the cat had stepped appears an American from the year 1928.
Federico found Herbert's Italian appalling, but then he was from New Jersey. But despite initial dislike, he soon adopts Herbert as his second friend, after the cat. We also are introduced to Beatrice, or Bea, also from America -- but from America in our own time -- a young girl Federico's age. Bea becomes a protagonist along with Federico, and some of the chapters are told from her point of view. Stir these odd characters together with the concept of time travel, and you end with a plot that is interesting enough to keep you reading.
But the better reason for reading Da Vinci's Cat is the picture Ms. Murdock paints of Renaissance Rome, as seen both through Federico's contemporary eyes, and through the astonished eyes of visitors from the twentieth century: The Vatican, a century before the completion of the modern St. Peter's (first planned by Julius II himself). The darkness and danger of the Roman streets at night. The smells. The jousting for advantage by both nobles and artists, all seeking the pope's favor. The policing power of the newly formed Swiss Guards. The mutual jealousies of all those competing artists whose names loom large in Art 101.
Most of the background is accurate. As the author notes at the end, Federico was a real kid, born in 1500 in Mantua. A kid who really was a hostage of Pope Julius II for three years. He may or may not be the young boy painted in Rafael's The School of Athens -- but the author is convinced he is. The personalities and characteristics of Michelangelo ("he stinks") and Raphael (charming and popular) were actually more or less as described. Leonardo was a scientific genius as well as an artist. As Murdock notes, tongue in cheek:
Federico is arrogant, but he was an aristocrat. He has a good heart, and becomes increasingly likeable. (Anyone who loves a cat is just dandy in my book.) Bea discovers a painting of Federico as an adult in a modern encyclopedia -- he had a distinguished career as Duke of Mantua and as a patron of the arts.
It's not mentioned in this middle school novel, but Federico died at the age of 40 of syphilis.
Sir Federico has a fine eye for ranks of nobility, for court etiquette, and for proper dress. We would call him arrogant, but he is acting as he has been brought up. He feels a strong duty to maintain the dignity of his father and of his family.
Sir Federico is also lonely and bored. He has many important acquaintances -- the pope himself plays backgammon with him, and is often enraged when he loses -- but he has no true friends. This is understandable, because Sir Federico is only eleven years old. A child surviving in a court of intrigue.
The boy makes his first friend when he opens a large, ornate box and meets a lively, friendly, and intelligent kitten. The two are inseparable, until the kitten walks back into the box and disappears. Federico is devastated, but the kitten emerges again, a short time later, as a fully grown, elegant cat. Federico fears witchcraft.
But the reality is even stranger. The box is a time machine, one crafted -- we eventually learn -- by Leonardo da Vinci as a gift for the King of France.
Thus begins Da Vinci's Cat (2021), a novel apparently aimed at middle school students, by Catherine Gilbert Murdock. The plot is perhaps too elementary, and the human relations too superficially described, to serve as an adult novel (but not perhaps as a sci-fi or fantasy novel). And yet, it appeals to adults (to this one, in any event), while it may seem too rich in history and art to be accessible (or of interest) to the typical middle school reader.
Leonardo himself plays little additional part in the story. But Federico is close friends with Raphael (elegant, charming, popular) and is tactfully diplomatic with Michelangelo (ugly, hostile, jealous, and -- as Federico repeatedly reminds us -- he stinks). The time is the early sixteenth century. Michelangelo is painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling, and Raphael is doing the papal apartments. (Federico brags that Raphael painted him as a beautiful young boy and inserted him into his School of Athens masterpiece.)
The boy views Pope Julius II as just another egotistical Renaissance aristocrat, the head of one of the most powerful Italian states. He hardly touches on the pope's religious leadership. As he observes during a service in the Sistine Chapel, below Michelangelo's scaffolding:
His Holiness promptly went to sleep as he usually did during ceremonies. Federico could not hear the priests for the pope's snoring.And that may have been an accurate assessment of Julius II's priorities. According to Wikipedia, Julius II "left a significant cultural and political legacy." No mention of his personal sanctity.
The plot thickens. From the same box from which the cat had stepped appears an American from the year 1928.
"I am Sir Federico of Mantua."
"Pleased to meet you Sir Federico. Herbert Bother of New Jersey. Call me Herbert."
Federico found Herbert's Italian appalling, but then he was from New Jersey. But despite initial dislike, he soon adopts Herbert as his second friend, after the cat. We also are introduced to Beatrice, or Bea, also from America -- but from America in our own time -- a young girl Federico's age. Bea becomes a protagonist along with Federico, and some of the chapters are told from her point of view. Stir these odd characters together with the concept of time travel, and you end with a plot that is interesting enough to keep you reading.
But the better reason for reading Da Vinci's Cat is the picture Ms. Murdock paints of Renaissance Rome, as seen both through Federico's contemporary eyes, and through the astonished eyes of visitors from the twentieth century: The Vatican, a century before the completion of the modern St. Peter's (first planned by Julius II himself). The darkness and danger of the Roman streets at night. The smells. The jousting for advantage by both nobles and artists, all seeking the pope's favor. The policing power of the newly formed Swiss Guards. The mutual jealousies of all those competing artists whose names loom large in Art 101.
Most of the background is accurate. As the author notes at the end, Federico was a real kid, born in 1500 in Mantua. A kid who really was a hostage of Pope Julius II for three years. He may or may not be the young boy painted in Rafael's The School of Athens -- but the author is convinced he is. The personalities and characteristics of Michelangelo ("he stinks") and Raphael (charming and popular) were actually more or less as described. Leonardo was a scientific genius as well as an artist. As Murdock notes, tongue in cheek:
Perhaps he invented a time machine, but since many of his notebooks have been lost, we'll never know for sure.So, I ask again. Will middle school kids enjoy the book? Some, probably. I'm not sure how I would have reacted to it at that age. It may presume more historical and artistic background than I had in middle school. Although what seventh grader can resist a heroine about whom it is written: "Also she really needed to pee. No one in books ever talked about pee."
Federico is arrogant, but he was an aristocrat. He has a good heart, and becomes increasingly likeable. (Anyone who loves a cat is just dandy in my book.) Bea discovers a painting of Federico as an adult in a modern encyclopedia -- he had a distinguished career as Duke of Mantua and as a patron of the arts.
It's not mentioned in this middle school novel, but Federico died at the age of 40 of syphilis.
December 2, 2024
Mam dość mieszane uczucia - sam koncept wydawał się super, myślałam, że może być to comfort read, bo jestem fanką sztuki renesansowej, uwielbiam Rzym, freski Michała Anioła, a temat podróży w czasie też zawsze mnie ciekawił. Po przemyśleniu mam kilka „ale” i wiem już, co denerwowało mnie w lekturze.
Forma tej książki wygląda totalnie jak coś dla dzieci, natomiast historia wydaje mi się zbyt trudna dla młodszych odbiorców. Może to fajny sposób na zapoznanie dzieci ze sztuką renesansu, ale z drugiej strony jednak nie wiem, czy nie jest to zbyt skomplikowane. Moim zdaniem język bardzo próbuje być skierowany do młodszych odbiorców, przez co momentami brzmi troszkę dziwne, tak jakby ten ton był wymuszony. Na początku ciężko mi się czytało, ale przy drugiej połowie nie miałam już tego problemu, wciągnęłam się w fabułę.
Książka została pięknie wydana, przypomina mi książki z bajkami - ilustracje z kotkami były przesłodkie, to dla mnie taka nostalgia do czasów dzieciństwa 🥹.
To coś oryginalnego i zdecydowanie innego niż większość książek dostępnych na rynku. Na dziś jednak 3🌟. W moich oczach książce brakuje spójności pod względem tego, do kogo jest skierowana. Myślę raczej o młodzieży 12+, chyba dopiero w tym wieku zrozumie się większość poruszonych tu kwestii.
Forma tej książki wygląda totalnie jak coś dla dzieci, natomiast historia wydaje mi się zbyt trudna dla młodszych odbiorców. Może to fajny sposób na zapoznanie dzieci ze sztuką renesansu, ale z drugiej strony jednak nie wiem, czy nie jest to zbyt skomplikowane. Moim zdaniem język bardzo próbuje być skierowany do młodszych odbiorców, przez co momentami brzmi troszkę dziwne, tak jakby ten ton był wymuszony. Na początku ciężko mi się czytało, ale przy drugiej połowie nie miałam już tego problemu, wciągnęłam się w fabułę.
Książka została pięknie wydana, przypomina mi książki z bajkami - ilustracje z kotkami były przesłodkie, to dla mnie taka nostalgia do czasów dzieciństwa 🥹.
To coś oryginalnego i zdecydowanie innego niż większość książek dostępnych na rynku. Na dziś jednak 3🌟. W moich oczach książce brakuje spójności pod względem tego, do kogo jest skierowana. Myślę raczej o młodzieży 12+, chyba dopiero w tym wieku zrozumie się większość poruszonych tu kwestii.
July 16, 2021
This was good, but I wish I liked it more unreservedly. I can understand starting with Federico, but because he is somewhat unsympathetic at first and this is written in the 3rd person, I wasn’t that engaged by the book’s voice and characterizations, even though these should have been strengths (as Murdock has repeatedly shown in her best books.) Eventually, I was drawn in, but by the plot more than the writing (though I found the two brief, parallel climaxes effective and moving). I confess I didn’t really understand what happened in the last chapter.
November 19, 2021
Every year, I fixate on a book and then am sad when it doesn't win the Newbery (see my "Shoulda Been Newbery" list). This is this year's book--though I suppose it MIGHT win :-)
(Last year was "Wink" ...yes, I know I was on the committee last year and I loved our winners and honors, but... And the Year before was "We Are Not From Here" which was so much better than "New Kid" they aren't even in the same ballpark)
All this to say: This is the best book for kids I have read this year. (note how long it took me to read it)
(Last year was "Wink" ...yes, I know I was on the committee last year and I loved our winners and honors, but... And the Year before was "We Are Not From Here" which was so much better than "New Kid" they aren't even in the same ballpark)
All this to say: This is the best book for kids I have read this year. (note how long it took me to read it)
August 3, 2023
LOVED The Book of Boy and was excited to read this one . If she'd stuck to just telling a story that would have been great. However we had to jump to two moms in a lesbian relationship and, get mad at me all you want, it's clear when agenda matters more than telling a good story and this was one of those times.
June 2, 2021
I really enjoyed this; it checked many boxes--Renaissance Italy, a lovely cat, art, friendship, and of course time travel. Lots of nice details about both quotidian and wonderful things, and I really liked the two kids.
December 12, 2022
DNF around 40%.
I just couldn’t get into this one. The language is a barrier, since Murdock throws both a bunch of Italian words at the reader and has one of the major characters speak in broken “Italian” (written as broken English). Then when we abandon the first protagonist in favor of a second one, there’s all this talk about Mom and Moo, without any explanation of who or what Moo is. On the whole, the first half of the book presents as sloppy and disorganized, and I didn’t care enough to keep going.
I just couldn’t get into this one. The language is a barrier, since Murdock throws both a bunch of Italian words at the reader and has one of the major characters speak in broken “Italian” (written as broken English). Then when we abandon the first protagonist in favor of a second one, there’s all this talk about Mom and Moo, without any explanation of who or what Moo is. On the whole, the first half of the book presents as sloppy and disorganized, and I didn’t care enough to keep going.
July 30, 2021
This book was so much better than I expected! I was worried when I got it that it would be one of those books that says cat in the title but has nothing to do with an actual cat and it's just a metaphor. Luckily this wasn't that sort of book. This book was amazing and I totally recommend it!
June 14, 2022
Kedvelem az effajta ifjúsági regényeket: van benne szellem és kellem, a kalandos történet időutazás révén az itáliai reneszánsz művészetével is elkápráztatja az olvasót. Szerintem gyerekként is legalább annyira élveztem volna, mint annak idején a Koldus és királyfit. A korabeli Róma elég ijesztő, Raffaello és Michelangelo ábrázolása viszont zseniális volt, ám Da Vinciből nem sok jutott a könyvbe – a macskákért meg nem vagyok annyira oda. Az időutazásos szál, és a New Jersey-ben élő családtagok története is lehetett volna kidolgozottabb, ezért csak négyes.
August 4, 2021
First sentence: Federico leaped to his feet, reaching for his knife though he was still half asleep.
Premise/plot: Da Vinci's Cat asks a great what-if question: What if Leonardo Da Vinci created a time travel machine (disguised as a wardrobe)? Federico, our hero, notices the strange, mysterious wardrobe when a KITTEN enters in and comes out a full-grown cat. But that's only the start. What comes out next is a man--Herbert--from NEW JERSEY (c. 1928? 1929?)
In exchange for CHOCOLATE AND PEANUTS, Federico is more than happy to provide Herbert Bother with drafts and sketches from Michelangelo and Raphael. (I am 100% sure on Raphael....less so on Michelangelo. But Federico knows them both, gets along with both). These works could be the potential fortune for Herbert Bother...and his family.
But this story isn't just set in the past--circa 1511--it's set in modern times too. Bee (aka Beatrice) is an eleven year old girl just settling into her new home with her two moms (Mom and Moo). The neighbor, an old woman, is STRANGE, STRANGE, SUPER-STRANGE. She has a sketch she claims by Raphael that is the VERY IMAGE of Beatrice. She claims that Beatrice can fix everything....
But can Bee fix something she doesn't know is broken? Could her stumbling into the wardrobe make things better or worse???
The cat JUNO appears in all story lines--Bee, Herbert, and Federico all claim the cat.
My thoughts: I enjoy books with elements of time travel. Though I don't know if this is time travel or time slipping? I much preferred the past story line. I was just settling in with Federico and Herbert when the book switched to Bee. Once Bee visited the past, well, it lost some of its charm. (I couldn't really get behind the whole "Fred" thing.) Still it stayed fun. I never once though of quitting. (Which may seem an odd thing to bring up, but I've read some one star books lately.)
I loved the cat. I almost, almost wished we got the cat's perspective!
Premise/plot: Da Vinci's Cat asks a great what-if question: What if Leonardo Da Vinci created a time travel machine (disguised as a wardrobe)? Federico, our hero, notices the strange, mysterious wardrobe when a KITTEN enters in and comes out a full-grown cat. But that's only the start. What comes out next is a man--Herbert--from NEW JERSEY (c. 1928? 1929?)
In exchange for CHOCOLATE AND PEANUTS, Federico is more than happy to provide Herbert Bother with drafts and sketches from Michelangelo and Raphael. (I am 100% sure on Raphael....less so on Michelangelo. But Federico knows them both, gets along with both). These works could be the potential fortune for Herbert Bother...and his family.
But this story isn't just set in the past--circa 1511--it's set in modern times too. Bee (aka Beatrice) is an eleven year old girl just settling into her new home with her two moms (Mom and Moo). The neighbor, an old woman, is STRANGE, STRANGE, SUPER-STRANGE. She has a sketch she claims by Raphael that is the VERY IMAGE of Beatrice. She claims that Beatrice can fix everything....
But can Bee fix something she doesn't know is broken? Could her stumbling into the wardrobe make things better or worse???
The cat JUNO appears in all story lines--Bee, Herbert, and Federico all claim the cat.
My thoughts: I enjoy books with elements of time travel. Though I don't know if this is time travel or time slipping? I much preferred the past story line. I was just settling in with Federico and Herbert when the book switched to Bee. Once Bee visited the past, well, it lost some of its charm. (I couldn't really get behind the whole "Fred" thing.) Still it stayed fun. I never once though of quitting. (Which may seem an odd thing to bring up, but I've read some one star books lately.)
I loved the cat. I almost, almost wished we got the cat's perspective!
December 29, 2024
Nie od dziś wiadomo, że Leonardo Da Vinci był Wielkim Wynalazcą. Swoimi wynalazkami wprawiał w ogromne zdumienie ludzi żyjących w XVI wieku. Do tej pory zachwycamy się jego geniuszem. Dlatego nie można wykluczyć faktu, czy aby nie udało mu się skonstruować kredensu bądź szafy za pomocą której możliwe byłoby przemieszczanie się w czasie. Taką oto fabułą zaskakuje młodego czytelnika Catherine Murdock w swojej książce „Kot Leonarda Da Vinci”.
Dlaczego kot zapytacie? Odpowiem, że to właśnie zwierzątko łączy dwa światy. Czasy w których żyje Mistrz Leonardo i te bardziej nam współczesne. Z kolei głównym bohaterem powieści jest Federico II Gonzoga, faktycznie żyjący w tamtym czasie i przebywający w Rzymie jako... Tego dowiecie się z książki. Jednak dzięki zręcznemu wynalazkowi jakim był wehikuł czasu miał okazję zaprzyjaźnić się z kilkoma osobami pochodzącymi z czasów nam współczesnych. Jak przebiegała ich znajomość i jakie wynikły z tego komplikacje? Sądzę, że każdy czytelnik ten młodszy, myślę, że najlepiej powyżej szóstego roku życia jak i nieco starszy z chęcią dowiedzą się czytając tę powieść, która jest naprawdę bardzo dobrze napisana. Można z niej dowiedzieć się wielu ciekawych rzeczy o artystach, żyjących w owym czasie, którzy pracowali zarówno przy zdobieniu Kaplicy Sykstyńskiej jak i Pałacu Papieża. Jednak nie tylko. Sama wyczytałam kilka smaczków o których albo nigdy nie myślałam albo po prostu nie pomyślałam aby poszukać o nich wiadomości. Dlatego polecam ową książkę z kotką Junoną na różnych etapach aktywności, znajdującą się na brzegach. Zachwyci ona każdego nawet najbardziej wybrednego czytelnika.
Współpraca barterowa z Wydawnictwem to.tamto.
Dlaczego kot zapytacie? Odpowiem, że to właśnie zwierzątko łączy dwa światy. Czasy w których żyje Mistrz Leonardo i te bardziej nam współczesne. Z kolei głównym bohaterem powieści jest Federico II Gonzoga, faktycznie żyjący w tamtym czasie i przebywający w Rzymie jako... Tego dowiecie się z książki. Jednak dzięki zręcznemu wynalazkowi jakim był wehikuł czasu miał okazję zaprzyjaźnić się z kilkoma osobami pochodzącymi z czasów nam współczesnych. Jak przebiegała ich znajomość i jakie wynikły z tego komplikacje? Sądzę, że każdy czytelnik ten młodszy, myślę, że najlepiej powyżej szóstego roku życia jak i nieco starszy z chęcią dowiedzą się czytając tę powieść, która jest naprawdę bardzo dobrze napisana. Można z niej dowiedzieć się wielu ciekawych rzeczy o artystach, żyjących w owym czasie, którzy pracowali zarówno przy zdobieniu Kaplicy Sykstyńskiej jak i Pałacu Papieża. Jednak nie tylko. Sama wyczytałam kilka smaczków o których albo nigdy nie myślałam albo po prostu nie pomyślałam aby poszukać o nich wiadomości. Dlatego polecam ową książkę z kotką Junoną na różnych etapach aktywności, znajdującą się na brzegach. Zachwyci ona każdego nawet najbardziej wybrednego czytelnika.
Współpraca barterowa z Wydawnictwem to.tamto.
October 20, 2022
This was a really excellent book for kids, from the same author who wrote The Book of Boy - a time-travel story involving a time machine built by Leonardo da Vinci which connects a girl from our time (Beatrice, called Bee for short) with the 11-year-old Federico Gonzafa, hostage of the pope in Rome in the year 1511 (the historical figure who would one day be Duke Federico II Gonzaga of Mantua), and a cat named Juno. Their adventures involve Raphael and Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel ceiling, and other awesome stuff. I loved reading this with my kids.
April 11, 2021
A time-travel cabinet created by Leonardi DaVinci? A sweet, sassy kitty who moves through the centuries as smoothly as she slides through a cat door? Written by the newbery-honor winning author of the delightful Book of Boy? You can bet I jumped at the chance to read this Netgalley e-arc! And (which so rarely happens) it's every bit as good as I was hoping. This book is a winner: smart, fast-paced, and fun. Highly recommended.
August 23, 2021
When eleven-year-old Federico, confined to Rome as hostage of the pope, discovers a time-travel wardrobe constructed by Leonardo da Vinci, the fun begins in this original combination of portal fantasy, historical fiction, and time-travel with a hint of alt-history.
September 20, 2021
Does assume you know a couple of things right out of the gate that slow you down a bit if kids don’t know them- like who/what a pope is, for instance. But the cat got us through! A cute story, if at times stressful in the way time travel is always stressful. Once again, worth it for the cat!
July 20, 2022
Another slow burn with a satisfying pay off. Catherine Gilbert Murdock’s work is not to be missed and is some of the best of the genre. Give me more fantastical adventures with medieval time travel any day.
May 8, 2023
I had high expectations going into this book, knowing it is a children’s book that contains time travel, art history, cats, and chocolate and thus thinking it’d be a quick, but captivating and fun read. Unfortunately, the novel didn’t meet my expectations ultimately. I tried my best to follow it along and truly absorb the story, but as the book progressed towards its conclusion, it simply got more confusing and dull. I wasn’t really a fan of the characters either. I did however really like the cover art and the beautifully designed illustrations featured in the beginning of each chapter which, at one point, became the sole reason why I kept reading on. lol
July 31, 2021
Delightful and magical little story about two 11-year-old friends, and a cat, and Michelangelo. The characters all feel fully developed, and the story (full of classic time travel tomfoolery) has just the right level of stakes to be exciting, but not TOO scary.
Great fun!
Great fun!
November 7, 2022
This book would be appreciated by lovers of the Renaissance; the art, the characters and the intricate bickering. The story creatively melds Young fiction and Historic fiction with a hint of Sci-Fi. Just good fun for a few afternoons, shouldn't be taken seriously.
June 21, 2023
I enjoyed this story. It is listed as a juvenile book, but is enjoyable anyway.
September 19, 2021
This historical novel has everything I love--Renaissance art, a mysterious wardrobe, Raphael, Michelangelo, Da Vinci, diverse characters, the maze of the Vatican, and chocolate! Bee, a 21st century 11-year-old, finds herself in 1511 Rome, just as Michelangelo is working on the Sistine Chapel Ceiling. She's there to "make everything better" but she's not even sure what that means or how she's going to work it out. She meets 11-year-old Federico, the future Duke of Mantua, who's being held as a hostage by Pope Julius II. Maybe he knows something. Maybe they can help each other. Maybe. Full of adventure and historical detail. Very well researched. A nice introduction to the intrigue of the art world for middle grade readers. A great mystery/adventure. Brava!
February 1, 2025
What a delightful read if you love art,cats,and friendship. You can tell the author researched details to make the famous characters come alive. I like the interactions, situations, and the comedy bits of this story. Taking famous people and giving them new life is an art. This is a great children’s book to introduce famous artists, mystery, and the value of friendship.
July 17, 2021
This book has a great plot and I really liked it except there is one minor thing that I strongly disagreed with but other than that I really liked it!
August 15, 2022
Federico is a guest of his honor the Pope (translation: he's being held hostage to make sure his father the Duke behaves). Most of his day is kind of boring, but he does get to play backgammon with the Pope and he gets to watch Michelangelo paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling and Rafael work on another part of the Pope's rooms. His days get more exciting when first a kitten, then a cat, and then a man named Herbert come through a closet that came from Da Vinci. The man brings Federico a sweet called chocolate in exchange for some scribbles from Rafael or Michelangelo. Herbert also really wants to see the ceiling Michelangelo is working on. Federico knows it could bring trouble, but he really likes the chocolate.
In modern day New Jersey Bee has moved into a house with her moms for a week while they work nearby. She meets the elderly next door neighbor lady who has a piece of art of HER supposedly done by Rafael (which is impossible!). She's kind of creeped out by the old lady and the impossible art, but when the old lady falls she goes over to help out and in the process discovers a strange wardrobe in the attic that leads her sadly not to Narnia but to Medieval Italy. There she meets a boy who is waiting for his friend Herbert to bring him chocolate. But will her trip mess up the timeline or fix it?
I know a lot of people have loved this but it didn't click for me. I had a hard time liking Federico, even though I know he puts on a tough stuffed up act to hide his hurts. I also felt like it was only half a story. The ending felt super rushed to me. And it was kind of like, that's it?!? Maybe that's just because I saw all the hype and had high expectations? Anyway, I felt like it could have been better with several more chapters. I did like the way the book makes Rafael and Michelangelo come alive for readers with all their quirks. And the cat that pops in and out of the story provides some commonality to connect characters. I also liked the internal artwork. Might be a good pick for those studying the old masters or looking for a quick time travel read. For me this was just a 2.5 star read. Rounding it up for GoodReads rating.
Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. There's some run ins with bandits who cut a character's arm.
In modern day New Jersey Bee has moved into a house with her moms for a week while they work nearby. She meets the elderly next door neighbor lady who has a piece of art of HER supposedly done by Rafael (which is impossible!). She's kind of creeped out by the old lady and the impossible art, but when the old lady falls she goes over to help out and in the process discovers a strange wardrobe in the attic that leads her sadly not to Narnia but to Medieval Italy. There she meets a boy who is waiting for his friend Herbert to bring him chocolate. But will her trip mess up the timeline or fix it?
I know a lot of people have loved this but it didn't click for me. I had a hard time liking Federico, even though I know he puts on a tough stuffed up act to hide his hurts. I also felt like it was only half a story. The ending felt super rushed to me. And it was kind of like, that's it?!? Maybe that's just because I saw all the hype and had high expectations? Anyway, I felt like it could have been better with several more chapters. I did like the way the book makes Rafael and Michelangelo come alive for readers with all their quirks. And the cat that pops in and out of the story provides some commonality to connect characters. I also liked the internal artwork. Might be a good pick for those studying the old masters or looking for a quick time travel read. For me this was just a 2.5 star read. Rounding it up for GoodReads rating.
Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. There's some run ins with bandits who cut a character's arm.
February 7, 2021
An enchanting and intriguing story set in the 1500's and the present, featuring a noble young hostage to the Pope, a young girl just moving into a new house, famous artists and the mysterious cat and closet that connects them all.
I was absolutely enchanted by this wonderful story that is packed with historical figures and backed with terrific research. It is uncommon to have a time travel for middle grade readers and Murdock does it wonderfully! The details of both settings are vivid and the historical and cultural background necessary for young readers is provided seamlessly. Sympathetic characters are at the heart of this story but the mindblowing aspects of time travel power the plot and enhance the tension.
I love time travel but I often feel as if I need to use a chart to keep things straight in my mind! Murdock handles the intricacies and details so well and young readers encountering a time travel plot for the first time will be in great hands here. They still may want a chart ;-)
There is plenty of humor provided by the two protagonists' encounters with centuries of difference in culture, manners and clothing. The introduction of the famous art and artists is one of the highlights here and will certainly send many young readers to look up the artists and their works involved in the story. Juno, Da Vinci's cat and the time traveling closet are such a clever device and Murdock incorporates them in a brilliantly effective way.
I absolutely adored this book! It will make a first rate read aloud for classrooms and a joy to hand to kids looking for something a little different.
I was absolutely enchanted by this wonderful story that is packed with historical figures and backed with terrific research. It is uncommon to have a time travel for middle grade readers and Murdock does it wonderfully! The details of both settings are vivid and the historical and cultural background necessary for young readers is provided seamlessly. Sympathetic characters are at the heart of this story but the mindblowing aspects of time travel power the plot and enhance the tension.
I love time travel but I often feel as if I need to use a chart to keep things straight in my mind! Murdock handles the intricacies and details so well and young readers encountering a time travel plot for the first time will be in great hands here. They still may want a chart ;-)
There is plenty of humor provided by the two protagonists' encounters with centuries of difference in culture, manners and clothing. The introduction of the famous art and artists is one of the highlights here and will certainly send many young readers to look up the artists and their works involved in the story. Juno, Da Vinci's cat and the time traveling closet are such a clever device and Murdock incorporates them in a brilliantly effective way.
I absolutely adored this book! It will make a first rate read aloud for classrooms and a joy to hand to kids looking for something a little different.
January 6, 2022
Federico, a boy from 1511, and Bee, a girl from 2011, meet after Bee follows a cat through a magical time-travelling closet. They have some adventures, such as getting a drawing signed by Raphael and encouraging Michelangelo to finish the Sistine Chapel.
I love art history and historical fantasy, yet I had a hard time finishing this. Even if I were back in middle school, when I also loved art, I would have been bored reading this. Federico was not very likable, but he was a little better once he was with Bee. The time travel wasn't explained well and the ending was confusing, which caused me to have to come up with my own explanations for things. I can tell the book was well researched and a lot of attention was put into it, but it all fell flat for me (I did like reading about the foods they ate, though). I think the best part was when .
I love art history and historical fantasy, yet I had a hard time finishing this. Even if I were back in middle school, when I also loved art, I would have been bored reading this. Federico was not very likable, but he was a little better once he was with Bee. The time travel wasn't explained well and the ending was confusing, which caused me to have to come up with my own explanations for things. I can tell the book was well researched and a lot of attention was put into it, but it all fell flat for me (I did like reading about the foods they ate, though). I think the best part was when .
March 29, 2022
Cats rule but this book was a miss and another clear Narnia rip that actually has the characters discussing it. The writing pays you off in cycles of reveals, but the reveals get less and less enticing. For me, the dangers of 1500s Rome slashing out in the darkness and the sleuthing elements of a 500-year time traveling art heist sag under some of the other tropes. I do love how the book takes off from the drafts of great artists like DaVinci, Michelangelo, and Leonardo, but overall it was an inventive miss for me.
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