Cat in the Clouds

by Eric Pinder, T.B.R. Walsh (Illustrator)

Stray cat Nin drifts from house to house until he meets a meteorologist named Mark. Then Nin begins his greatest journey yet--to the top of Mount Washington. Follow Nin to a land where the wind howls, snow swirls and wild bears roam. At the Mount Washington Observatory, Nin learns that the best friends--and a wonderful home--can be found anywhere, even high above the clouds.

Genres: Picture Books, Cats, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2009

About the author

Eric Pinder lives in rural New Hampshire, where he enjoys the outdoors and sometimes shares the nearest wild blueberry patch with a foraging bear. His books for children include If All the Animals Came Inside and Cat in the Clouds. He teaches creative writing at the new Hampshire Institute of Art and earned his M.F.A. in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Nin found his way to Mark and Susan's house, the stray cat thought that his hunt for a home was over. But although he loved his new human companions, he didn't get on very well with their two cats. Luckily, Mark was heading out to his job as a weather observer at the Mount Washington Observatory, and decided to take Nin with him. And so began an illustrious career as an observatory cat, keeping the staff company during the bitterly cold winters, and greeting the many observatory guests during the more moderate summers.

Eric Pinder, who spent seven years at New Hampshire's Mount Washington Observatory, and knew Nin personally, delivers an engaging true tale of a very special feline. An informative afterword gives a little background on the observatory, and its long tradition of cat companions, dating back to 1934. T.B.R. Walsh's accompanying illustrations add appeal to an already charming book. Published in May of 2009, just a few months before Nin's death after many years of service, Cat in the Clouds is a fitting tribute, and should be of interest to any young reader who loves cats.

[Thistle · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I went to visit my mother in Maine, we took the cog railroad up to the Mount Washington Observatory. The observatory is the "Home of the World's Worst Weather," and it was the high point of my trip (literally and otherwise). The wind was so strong, it almost blew me off my feet! So cool!

So when I spotted this book, a story about cats living in the Mount Washington Observatory, I knew I had to read it. I went into the book knowing no more about it than that.

Turns out it was nonfiction (not something I usually read, but in this case that was okay) and a children's book (which was an issue only because it was so very short). I enjoyed it quite a bit, and learned a few details I hadn't already known. I only wish it had been a lot, lot longer. It took me maybe 15 minutes to read the whole book.

There were illustrations, but they were too small on my Kindle to see. I'm sure they were nice.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

We got this book at the observatory at the top of Mount Washington, NH. It's a cute story about a stray cat that ends up coming to live there. There have been a variety of cats who have lived at this manned weather station. This particular book is about Nin. It's got some educational content and is a fun story to read about. I don't love the way it's written (it doesn't have a great flow), but I do like the watercolor illustrations and think it's a sweet part of the history there. We love cats, so it's always fun to pick up a book from our travels that highlights them somehow. We were hoping to spot the current cat while we were there, but no such luck.

[Kylie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful story about a cat living at the Mount Washington Observatory. I follow them on Instagram and they post pictures of the cats sometimes, so I really enjoyed the book. In the back of the book there is a picture of all the cats that have lived at the observatory. My four year old liked the story.

[Scott Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done children's book that doesn't pander to young readers. Highest marks for the outstanding illustrations in watercolors. (Watercolors are super hard!)

[Lucy Kirby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love learning things from picture books, and in this I learned that there are cats who live with researchers on the top of Mt. Washington!

[Kelsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

My child loved the cat in this book, but the illustrations look outdated and the text is way too long. The story is not that interesting either.

[Kathryn]

Cute photos:
http://www.mountwashington.org/photos...