44 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Yes, a little kitten CAN change the world!, November 3, 2001
Amy Tan is best known as the author of several wonderful books for adults on the experiences of Chinese and Chinese-American women, but she proves here that she is equally talented as a writer for children. I suspect that this charming book will receive a lot of interest now that it has spawned an equally delightful PBS series. As a cat lover with an interest in Chinese culture and a desire to eventually write for children, I found it irresistible.
Ming Miao, a modern day feline, instructs her kittens about their heritage - they are CHINESE cats, not Siamese cats, and they take after their most illustrious ancestor Sagwa. Sagwa is a pearl-white kitten who lives in the court of a Foolish Magistrate who makes life miserable for his subjects by decreeing all sorts of oppressive rules. 'Sagwa' means 'melon head' and she is just as silly and mischevious as the her name implies, getting into all sorts of trouble by accident. Her parents, Baba and Mama Miao, are calligraphers forced by the Foolish Magistrate to write down his rules, using their tails as brushes. The Foolish Magistrate's latest rule is 'People must not sing until sundown'. Even though Sagwa's parents know how cruel this declaration is, they feel they can do nothing about it because they are only cats. After everyone else leaves the room, Sagwa jumps down from her hiding place on a high shelf onto the Foolish Magistrate's desk ...and lands in a pot of ink. Rubbing the ink off her face onto the nearest scroll, she discovers that she has blotted out the character for 'not' in the rule, turning it into 'People MUST sing until sundown'. Sagwa is so delighted by this change that she puts an exclamation point at the end of the rule (so people will sing really loud and happily), and then proceeds to blot out the list of people who must be fined for breaking it with the ink on her paws. She is then horrified to discover that the ink from the pot has permanently dyed her face, paws, and tail black - surely the Magistrate will now know it is she who changed the rule and throw her and her family out onto the street. However, the Magistrate's subjects are so delighted by this new rule that they sing their hearts out about how wonderful and kind he is. The Foolish Magistrate, in turn, is so touched by his people's love and gratitude that he becomes the Wise Magistrate. Not only does he take back all his oppressive decrees (and make several cat-friendly ones!), but he honors Sagwa by decreeing that in the future ALL Chinese cats will have dark markings on their face, paws and tail like 'the greatest of felines'. So that is why Chinese cats today look just like Sagwa, and, as one of Ming Miao's mud-covered kittens proves, are just as adept into getting into mischief as she is.
Gretchen Shields' illustrations are delightful, not only true to place and period and full of explosive color, but also really capturing Sagwa's constant motion and mischief. The border paintings are particularly detailed in depictions of Sagwa, her family, and the various villagers and customs.
This is a new paperback edition obviously intended to tie in with the aforementioned PBS series - the original hardback edition does not have the word 'Sagwa' in the title. Since it is exactly the same book otherwise, I would recommend this edition instead simply because it is half the price of the hardback.
Children who like this book might want to read another story set in China, 'Chin Yu Min and the Ginger Cat' by Jennifer Armstrong, where a nasty old widow is transformed into a good person through her friendship with a cat. For older children and adults (who might read this book to the youngsters), I would of course recommend one of Tan's adult novels such as 'The Joy Luck Club'. They might even be interested in the adventures of a REAL 'Wise Magistrate', Judge Dee (the Chinese Sherlock Holmes!) in a series of excellent mystery novels by Robert Van Gulik.
By the way, Amy Tan actually had a cat named Sagwa who was very ill while she was writing this book. When Tan finished the book and read it to her, Sagwa recovered and lived another 4 years!
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Siamese cat lovers...., January 10, 2004
By A Customer
The most exquisitely illustrated book I've ever owned! A fun, fictitious way to describe how white siamese kittens get their colors.
It's a bit long for a bed time story, but really fun! Kids ages 8 or 9 and up may be able to read it themselves, but the beginners may have a hard time.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautifully written and illustrated book!, July 7, 2003
I've read Amy Tan's "Joy Luck Club" and "Kitchen God's Wife" and had no idea that she's a wonderful children's author as well. I learned about this book from watching the same titled PBS series. The series is cute for kids, but the book is a wonderful story, rich in history and beautifully illustrated. Tan is a gifted writer that children and adults can appreciate.
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