They All Saw A Cat Book Review

THEY ALL SAW A CAT BOOK REVIEW

They All Saw A Cat by Brendan Wenzel is a new picture book by Brendan Wenzel that will introduce kids to how different perspectives shape our world.  How does a dog view a cat versus a mouse?  How about a bird versus a flea?  Wenzel does a fascinating job illustrating the different perspectives including perspectives that don’t rely on seeing an object but instead sensing it through vibrations.  Very cool!  Read on to see the full review.  

Read Full Disclosure Here

I love picture books that are beautifully illustrated, have something new to add to conversations and open up those discussions to children.  They All Saw A Cat by Brendan Wenzel takes us through the day of a cat and all the people or animals that would also see the cat. How does one view a cat?  How do you view a cat?

Honestly, I see cats as a minor nuisance as we have plenty in the neighbourhood that hangs out in our yard because we don’t have dogs.  They try to catch the birds that like to hang out in our trees or they poop in the yard.  I don’t dislike cats but I have been allergic to them since childhood and so my perspective of a cat is just that my perspective.

The story is simple.  A cat walks through the world and we are introduced to how each person or animal views the cat from their perspective.

First, the boy.  The cat is lovingly wrapped around the boy’s leg.  Next we see how a dog views a cat.  A very scrawny, weak looking thing and compare that with the fox that sees a nice plump cat.

My favourite pages though are how a fish, bee, worm, and bat see the cat.  I love how Wenzel illustrated these ones.  It opens up so much discussion to have with the children.  They can learn about bees, worms, and bats.

There was one page I thought younger children might be scared a bit.  It was how a mouse views a cat.  Big fangs, claws, and yellow eyes.  Older children should be ok. At the end, we have a mosaic of a cat as the cat is made up of all the different views from those around him.  And of course not forgotten is how the cat sees himself.

This book would be an excellent addition to any library, classroom or home. I can just see the art projects already or the extension activities of having kids pick a different animal and have them create a new story.  They All Saw A Cat is a pleasing new illustrated picture book.

*Disclosure: I was given a copy of this book from Raincoast Books in order to facilitate this review.  I only post reviews of books I enjoy, my kids enjoy or I feel will be a good fit for my readers.  All opinions are my own or those of my children. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

I would love to hear about the new books you are loving or that your kids are loving.

Cheers,

Bonnie Dani

Educator, Writer, Blogger, Mom

Contact Me: [email protected]