Caleb and Kate [Paperback]

William Steig (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

When Caleb finds himself transformed into a dog and is unable to tell his wife his true identity, he decides to become her companion.

 

Caleb and Kate is a 1977 New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of the Year and Outstanding Book of the Year and a 1978 National Book Award Finalist for Children's Literature.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In a text as imaginative and skillful as his extraordinary color illustrations, Steig tells the comic, touching story of Caleb and his wife." --Publishers Weekly

"Steig is a superb artist with the literary ingenuity to produce durable, energetic stories." --The Horn Book

About the Author

William Steig (1907-2003) was a cartoonist, illustrator and author of award-winning books for children, including Shrek!, on which the DreamWorks movies are based. Steig was born in New York City. Every member of his family was involved in the arts, and so it was no surprise when he decided to become an artist. He attended City College and the National Academy of Design. In 1930, Steig’s work began appearing in The New Yorker, where his drawings have been a popular fixture ever since. He published his first children's book, Roland the Minstrel Pig, in 1968.

 

In 1970, Steig received the Caldecott Medal for Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. His books for children also include Dominic; The Real Thief; The Amazing Bone, a Caldecott Honor Book; Amos & Boris, a National Book Award finalist; and Abel's Island and Doctor De Soto, both Newbery Honor Books. Steig's books have also received the Christopher Award, the Irma Simonton Black Award, the William Allen White Children's Book Award, and the American Book Award. His European awards include the Premio di Letteratura per l'infanzia (Italy), the Silver Pencil Award (the Netherlands), and the Prix de la Fondation de France. On the basis of his entire body of work, Steig was selected as the 1982 U.S. candidate for the Hans Christian Andersen Medal for Illustration and subsequently as the 1988 U.S. candidate for Writing.

 

Stieg also published thirteen collections of drawings for adults, beginning with About People in 1939, and including The Lonely Ones, Male/Female, The Agony in the Kindergarten, and Our Miserable Life.

 

He died in Boston at the age of 95.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (May 1, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374410380
• ISBN-13: 978-0374410384
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 7.5 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #235,995 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #13 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( S ) > Steig, William

More About the Author

William Steig (1907-2003) published his first children's book, Roland the Minstrel Pig, in 1968, and received the Caldecott Medal for Sylvester and the Magic Pebble (978-1416902065) in 1970. His works also include The Amazing Bone, a Caldecott Honor Book, and Abel's Island and Doctor De Soto, both Newbery Honor Books. His most recent books published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux are Shrek! (released by DreamWorks as a major motion picture) and Wizzil, illustrated by Quentin Blake. School Library Journal named Shrek! a Best Book of 1990 and said of it, "Steig's inimitable wit and artistic dash have never been sharper or more expertly blended."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The magic of making up, August 5, 2001

By 

Alyssa A. Lappen (Earth) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Caleb and Kate (Hardcover)

In this delightful Steig classic Kate and Caleb argue over something silly. A furious Caleb wanders into the forest and falls asleep under a tree. While he dreams, a witch turns him into a dog. He comes home, of course, but can only bark. The bereft Kate wonders what became of her faithful mate, fearful that he did not know how much she cared, until one night robbers steal into the house, her dog scares them off and the witch's evil spell is undone. When Caleb is once again himself, he resumes a loving life with Kate. A great story to show kids that while grownups sometimes argue, they still love one another, and usually make up.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars CHILDREN AGE 10 AND UNDER WILL LOVE THIS ONE!, August 29, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Caleb and Kate (Paperback)

MY YOUNGEST DAUGHTER LOVED FOR ME TO READ THIS STORY TO HER IN THE EARLY 80'S. LITTLE DID I KNOW I WOULD END UP WITH A GRANDSON NAMED CALEB.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Canine Metamorphosis, June 13, 2009

By 

Lightman (New York) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Caleb and Kate (Paperback)

The twisted creativity of William Steig never ceases to amaze.

The book begins, "Caleb the carpenter and Kate the weaver loved each other, but not every single minute. Once in a while they'd differ about this or that and wind up in such a fierce quarrel you'd never believe they were husband and wife".

The illustration, as always, is absolutely evocative - Caleb pounds the table, Kate crosses her arms and stares her hubby down with a look of utter disdain, while the family cat takes it all in from the sidelines...

Caleb stomps out "pondering why he had married such a cantankerous hoddy-doddy" (what's a hoddy-doddy?), but eventually forgets what the fight was about as he remembers the "fragrant noodle pudding" that Kate was known for.

With these thoughts on his mind, he falls asleep in the forest, which is when, as is expected in quintessential Steig, things get a bit dicey and dark.

Along happens the witch Yedida (of all the things she might be named, why this?) who casts a spell on our snoozing protagonist, turning him from carpenter to canine in an instant.

The remarkable thing is that the dog looks just like Caleb.

The rest of the story is a tale of redemption.

Kate is frantic at the loss of her husband and gladly takes in the stray pooch, who, unbeknown to her, in fact is her beloved Caleb. She draws solace from this clever pet, while he deals with the anguish of trying to communicate, fighting tendencies to succumb to the pleasures of dogginess.

Ultimately, unexpected circumstances result in Caleb and Kate's being reunited as man and wife.

And so another excellent story by William Steig comes to its conclusion: "Much later, when they were able to talk intelligently, Caleb told her, or tried to tell her, what had happened - so far as he knew. What had actually happened they never found out. Like many another thing, it remained an mystery".