Customer Reviews

Benjamin West and His Cat Grimalkin

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Marguerite Henry has a wonderful style of writing that keeps children's attention as they read. This is an excellent biography of a famous artist, and one that any child or adult would truly enjoy (whether or not they were interested in art). Where else can you learn of the ingenuity of a young boy, willing to use hair from his cat's tail to make his own paint brushes. I have read the majority of the books written by Marguerite Henry, and would highly recommend this one as one of her best.

The biography of Benjamin West is a treat for any young person. The author's presentation of Quaker life is informative and accurate, and her style encourages the reader to keep reading. Benjamin West's childhood is well represented as he works, plays, and grows up in colonial America. His strength of character is revealed as he struggles with his desire to paint and draw while living in a culture that views pictures as frivolous and unnecessary. I have read this book with elementary students several times and they are always delighted with the story and learn a great deal about this American artist. Anyone who loves Marguerite Henry's horse stories will enjoy this biography as well.

Benjamin West, displayed natural talent in drawing and painting. These talents were not acceptable in that time because they were not practical.Because of its unusual nature, his talents were subject for discussion @ the weekly Friends Meeting and it was concluded that his talent was God-given and he should be allowed to pursue this special ability. Marguerite Henry has written a very readable chapter book for children, but its also fascinating for adults. The references indicate that she carried out research [c. 10 professional sources]so that it is historically accurate. I remembered some of this background from my grammar school classes in Phildelphia and found, from the depths of my memory, Benjamin West and His Cat, and found it came from a book still in print. I ordered the book from Amazon, read it late one night on returning from the ballet, and still found it captivating. Not only do I recommend this for children, but adults should find it intriguing--and written with clarity.

Benjamin West and his Cat Grimalkin is a wonderful childhood classic. It is a warm and rich story of a boy and his inspirational cat, full of emotional insight of that of a quaker boy. My children (and husband) looked forward to every chapter each evening. This book is based on the life of the father of American painting! We took it further and made paintbrushes the way Benjamin West did and well as mixing up different soils for "colors" of the earth and painted different animals. What a great read!