From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2-One bright autumn day, Matthew and Gillian's orange cat, Yin, is struck by a car. After she is buried under the maple tree, the children's mother tells them that Yin is now an angel. That winter Yang, Yin's gray companion cat, begins leaping and playing in a mystifying way, just as if Yin were once again in the room with him. Then one night when the family is sleeping, an ember pops from the smoldering fireplace coals and sets the hearth rug afire. Alerted, Yin, who is indeed a guardian angel, flutters upstairs, awakens Matthew with a tickle of her whisker, and shows him the danger. The family is saved, but only Matthew and Yang can see the furry angel that has protected them. A dead smoke-alarm battery is given as an explanation for the accident. In a handsome format, full- and double-page, dramatic, computer-generated illustrations combine realistic figures with busily patterned backgrounds and gleaming colors. Still, the plot seems contrived (what responsible adult would ever have an unscreened fireplace to begin with, much less leave it unprotected when retiring for the night?) and this detracts from the vividly written narrative.
Patricia Pearl Dole, formerly at First Presbyterian School, Martinsville, VA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Patricia Pearl Dole, formerly at First Presbyterian School, Martinsville, VA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
