The Witch Cat

by Berthe Amoss

Mimi is certain a witch is trying to cast a spell on her. It could only happen in New Orleans where voodoo and All Saints' Day customs blend in a suspenseful picture book with a recipe for pralines and appeal for all ages.

Genres: Picture Books

30 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

Born and raised in New Orleans, Berthe Amoss has never stopped writing about her home city. She is the author and illustrator of twenty-eight children's and young adult books. Her picture book The Cajun Gingerbread Boy won a Children's Choice Award and The Chalk Cross was a finalist for the Edgar Allen Poe Award.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Published in 1977, by the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans - a non-profit organization which works to preserve and restore the architecture and historic neighborhoods of the city of New Orleans - this brief little picture-book follows the story of Mimi, a young girl who believes that she is being followed by a witch's cat. As All Saint's Day approaches, Mimi notices that the little cat which belongs to Concaline - a local praline-seller she believes to be a witch - is trailing her all over town. Is there some sinister purpose to it all? What do Concaline, and her cat, want...?

Although I wouldn't describe The Witch's Cat as the most scintillating holiday title I've read, as part of my recent "witchy-witches" project, I did enjoy the brief glimpse it provided, of the All Saints Day customs and beliefs of New Orleans. The story appears to be set in the nineteenth century, and the illustrations (done by Amoss herself, apparently) have a kind of vintage charm. Think largely black and white backgrounds, with two main color accents (pink and orange-yellow, in this case). Given the scarcity of this title, and its local appeal - mention is made of landmarks like the Cabildo, the Cathedral (St. Louis Cathedral, I assume) and the Presbytere - this is one I would primarily recommend to those searching for children's stories set in New Orleans, or to Berthe Amoss fans.