The Porcelain Cat

by Michael Patrick Hearn, Leo Dillon (Illustrator), Diane Dillon (Illustrator)

Rats are gnawing at the sorcerer's books. What to do? Get a cat-but not just any cat. The sorcerer sends his apprentice nickon to fetch a missing ingredient for a spell that will bring his porcelain cat to life. Nickon ventures out on his mission and learns you can't get something for nothing. Beautifully printed in a new 10 x 10 format and in five colors.

Genres: Picture Books, Fiction, Childrens, Fantasy

32 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1987

About the author

Michael Patrick Hearn is an American literary scholar as well as a man of letters specializing in children's literature and its illustration. His works include The Annotated Wizard of Oz (1973/2000), The Annotated Christmas Carol (1977/2003), and The Annotated Huckleberry Finn (2001). He considers the three most quintessential American novels to be Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.
He is an expert on L. Frank Baum and is currently writing a biography about him, which sets forth to correct the numerous errors in previous biographies, many based on Frank Joslyn Baum's out of print and largely mythological To Please a Child.
As an Oz and L. Frank Baum scholar, he also edited The Critical Heritage Edition of the Wizard of Oz for Schocken Books (1986), wrote the introduction to the first published version of the screenplay of The Wizard of Oz (1939 film). He appears in the documentaries Oz: the American Fairyland and Matilda Joslyn Gage (1983), credited as an "Authority on L. Frank Baum". He gave the keynote address at the Centennial convention of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz mounted by The International Wizard of Oz Club, and often makes public appearances in which he lectures on Baum.
Hearn was a student at Hamilton College in 1968-69 and then transferred to Bard College, where he graduated in 1972. At Hamilton, he was encouraged to become an author by one of his professors, Alex Haley. His first book, The Annotated Wizard of Oz, was completed when he was a student at Bard.

Reviews

[Emmeline Pidgen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book as a child - all magic and the hidden cat faces in the trees *sigh*.
Looking on it again through the eyes of a children's book illustrator it's still wonderful, magical and the story progresses well. The artwork is refined with good use of subtle colour and strong shape (some stiffness of character in places, but that's no problem). I really love the Undine of the lake character and her glowing outfit!

[Jenny Swart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. It may have been short in content, but beautiful in detailed artwork. The story is fun and fanciful, I enjoyed it a lot.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is the cumulative type that used to be so well-known, for example One Fine Day. The cat actually is only the catalyst. The slightly awkward text is almost unnecessary, given the amazing illustrations (especially of Undine and of the Centaur). The last image, in particular, is a key revelation of the resonant theme of the story, and yet has no matching words.

Highly recommended to artists and fans of wordless fables.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the illustrations and the hidden kitties throughout the book.

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

We'll call it a 3.5 rating here.

Much to notice in the background of these illustrations--children will have fun noting the cat in the background, the faces of the moon, etc. The story is a familiar pattern in traditional tales (kind of like "If you give a mouse a cookie....") and the illustrations are intriguing. The ending is abrupt, however--some kids will like it and others not!

[F · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though Amazon.com suggests this book for ages 4 to 8, I have some reservations. There is terminology of fables (i.e., sorcerer, basilisk, undine, centaur) throughout the story. I wonder if that age group can fully understand and appreciate the story's intent.

[Carolyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

AR 4.9 -- 0.5 pts

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this so much. The story's fun and the truly magic illustrations (by the Dillons) are them at their best.