Customer Reviews

Catkin

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

With this extraordinarily well-told blend of folklore and mythology, Antonia Barber takes you and your child on a page-turning journey to an enchanting world of simple folk and wondrous "little people". The tale appeals at many levels with a straightforward telling of the successful return of a lost child belying the moral quandry created by trying to fairly serve all who love her. Add the courageous self-sacrificial offer of the wrong-righting title character (a diminutive kitten, no less) along with artfully crafted prose (including clever riddling) and you have a book that truly teaches while entertaining.

P. J. Lynch's illustration intrigues without distracting. The well-integrated artwork and layout perfectly reflect the timeless magic of the text and spur the viewer's imagination.

This story captures the Brother's Grimm without the off-putting horror, Tolkein without the dizzying detail. It entertains our "read-to" 3-year-old and would interest older "self-readers" exploring fantasy fiction. Catkin is that rare find that even parents will enjoy upon the hundredth telling.

Leaves Disney in the dust!

This great book is about a girl and a cat who are friends. The pictures are beautiful and all ages will enjoy it. In the story, when the "Little People" capture the girl, it's up to Catkin to get her back. Read This Book!!!

Catkin is the smallest kitten in the litter of cats belonging to the Wise Woman, who names him for the tiny catkins growing outside her window. She takes him to the home of a farmer and his wife to watch over their new-born daughter Carrie, but little does anyone know how great this tiny cat will soon become.

Carrie and Catkin are inseparable until one day Catkin is distracted by a butterfly and leaves the baby to her sleep, and in his absence the child is taken away by the Lord and Lady of the Little People and their followers, leaving a changeling in her place. The farmer and his wife are devastated, and the Wise Woman sends Catkin to the underground world of the Little People to win the child back, giving him some valuable advice - never reveal his name to the fairies, for with the knowledge of his name they could bind him to them forever.

The real beauty of this exceptional story is twofold: first, that although it reads like a traditional fairytale, it is completely original. Yet despite this, it turns to real folktale elements and styles to blend into the narrative, making it vaugely familiar - ideas such as the hollow hills of the fairies, the changeling baby, the power of a simple name, the threefold riddle competition, and the nature of the waters of the two powerful trees - the willow for forgetfulness, and the hazel for wisdom. Added to this is the perfect melding of all these components, for instance the Wise Woman advices Catkin to drink only from the hazel tree waters to obtain great wisdom, whilst Carrie has already drunk from the willow waters and forgotten her home. These two elements are echoed as the answers to the the first two riddles that the Lord asks of Catkin, and Catkin's own name as the answer to the third, tying in the warning that the kitten must never utter his own name. I'm explaining this very clumsily, but my point is that all themes and story lines come full circle, creating a perfect whole. It is simply beautifully crafted storytelling.

The second part that makes this story so wonderful is P. J. Lynch's exceptional watercolours. If you are a fan of Alan Lee (best known for his Tolkien illustrations) than nothing will delight more than Lynch's images of green hill and dark cave, the sun-lit visions of Carrie and Catkin, and the green tinted shades of the Lord and Lady of the Little People. Only two small quibbles come to mind - when the faerys first appear the text describes the Lord as riding on a pony, but the picture shows him walking hand in hand with the Lady, and in one scene baby Carrie's head looks far too big for her body. But don't take any notice of these, for the painting and skill are exceptional - make sure you look out for this artist's other books.

My highest recommendation - all ages and both genders will adore this story and its ideals of courage, sacrifice and love. The pictures delight, and the echoes of it stay with you for a very long time.

This beautiful book was a gift from a bookcrossing friend for Yule, 2003. I intend to read this with my nephew, and niece, and someday bequeath it to them (likely when they're a little bit older and less likely to rampage a book). For now it'll be "that book Uncle 'Nathan brings and reads to us."

The story itself is beautifully illustrated and told with a light, spare sort of prose that leaves nearly everything to your imagination, and yet tells you just enough to give your imagination one huge shove in the right direction.

Little Catkin is a gift from a wise woman to a family with only one daughter. The wise woman forsees a danger in the child's future, and Catkin is left as a protector. When his curiosity fails the child, Catkin has to go rescue her from the Little People, and his courage and wit is a delight to read.

This was such a pretty story, and reminded me so vividly of Persephone/Demeter/Hades, and other classic mythology. Very well written, and a joy - as I think I've said three times now - to look at.

Definitely one to add to your list!

'Nathan

As a collector of illustrated children's books, I consider this recent addition to my collection to be the newest "crown jewel." I only regret that it's not available in hardback. If you like Kinuko Craft (and who doesn't?!), you'll love P.J. Lynch's illustrations. A beautifully written book that is also beautifully illustrated. I can only hope Barber & Lynch do future collaborations...

After stumbling accross this book at the library and reading it to my three youngest children I just have to buy it for our home library. The story is enthralling: sad, sweet, mysterious - a real page turner that brings tears to your eyes. As a mother the thought of losing your baby is unbearable and I had to see how it would turn out. The artwork is just stunning and worth the price alone without the story. Not since Black Ships Before Troy have I seen such artwork. This is a must-have book for anyone who loves fairy tales, great stories and beautiful art. I only wish it were available in hardback as this is one I'd be willing to pay the extra money for more durability.

This book is wonderful, it creates a tale that holds a childs interest right through to the end and leaves them feeling happy. I have read it to my own 12 and 10 year old as well as a class full of second and third graders, all of them loved it!

Catkin, the small kitten that can be held in the palm of a hand was an innocent cat just trying to help his owner/friend out! Oneday when he was out with his owner he left for a second to chase a butterfly. Little did he know that at that very same moment his friend had been captured with the dreaded little people. Now Catkin is on a mission to find, and save his beloved friend! The question is, will Catkin ever see her again? You will just have to see by buying the book, I strongly incourage this book to be bought! My all time favorite! Especially for the little ones(good bedtime story)

Oh. My. Goodness. I just received Catkin and I have to say, I am floored.

In this story, a "dark Lady" and her husband, who is constantly referred to as "the dark Lord" whose "power is great" and has the "power to bind" people to him, kidnap a sleeping child. The kidnappers--who are "immortal" and live in a "splendid palace full of light and glittering with gems" where they hold "revels"--"loved the child" and feed her "only the choicest morsels." "Life was very good" here for the kidnapped child, on whom the kidnappers put a spell so that she doesn't remember her home.

The cat in the story, Catkin, was given to the parents of the child by a "wise woman" who

SPOLIER ALERT!

negotiates a deal with the kidnappers so that the kidnappers can have access to the child after the child is returned to her home, even though the child should be safe free and clear due to Catkin's courage and skill in beating the kidnappers at their own game. The "wise woman" then returns the child and Catkin to the rightful mother and father and tells them they have to share custody with the Dark Lord. The mother and father are "generous in their joy, and gave their consent to the sharing," and after that their farms "flourished."

END SPOILER ALERT

All right. Is there anyone out there who isn't the least bit concerned with this story?

Do you really want to get a book for your child that teaches that kidnappers live in palaces where life is good and kidnappers "love" their little victim?

If your child was kidnapped, would you feel "generous in your joy" and give your "consent to sharing" custody with the kidnappers?

How does this story possibly make sense? How could it possibly be published in this day and age? How is this not, at best, subversive, if not outright satanic?

I admit: I skimmed over the reader's reviews. I saw everyone gave it 5 stars (but one person--who gave it 4) along with the official blessing from Publisher's Weekly and the School Library Journal (!), took one look at the incredibly beautiful watercolor illustrations--and make no doubt about it, they are stunningly beautiful--and said sign me up! Perhaps I, too, can make a deal with the Dark Lord for some material success in exchange for the soul of my only child! Oh, that's called a pact with the devil! Ooops! Nevermind!

Seriously, I had a long discussion with this with my husband about why, exactly, this particular story is so disturbing. I admit to loving such oldtime classics as Hansel and Gretel and Rumplestilskin. My husband pointed out that in those old classics, the Bad are obviously Bad--they are undesireable and there is no ambiguity about them. Yes, that is simplistic and problemmatic in its own right, but do we really want to cast a humanitarian light on KIDNAPPERS, for goodness sake?

I have never--never--been as horrified as I am by this book. I read it all the way through hoping I was mistaken about it, but make no bones about it, this is one Bad Vibe book. I don't think I've thrown away a book in my life, but I don't want it in my house and would certainly not pass it along to anyone. Out it goes!

Picked up the hardbound edition of this book, and it is just lovely. The illustrations are all beautifully done, sort of like Maxfield Parrish meets 'Sandman' graphic novels.

I've read a lot of fairy tales with my kids, but this is one I was unfamiliar with. It reminds me of the story of Persephone from Greek mythology. I saw that one reviewer objected to it because there is a kidnapping, and because the kidnappers don't turn out to be thoroughly evil, as villains usually are in fairy tales. This feature of the story didn't bother me, as a lot of questionable things happen in fairy tales. It is simply a children's story, with riddles and an earnest and clever cat.

I saw the moral of the story lying more in the fact that the cat was determined to fix a wrong for which she was responsible (not watching the child which resulted in the kidnapping). In a world where so many people are determined to see everything in black and white, a little ambiguity in a children's story isn't such a bad thing. There are plenty of other fairy tales with wicked villains to supply the all evil vs. all good version of things. For anyone who is worried about the message their children get from this story, I'd suggest they take the opportunity to talk about those issues with them after reading it.