Customer Reviews

John Brown, Rose and the Midnight Cat

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A beautiful book that can be shared together with children and adults. With a sweet story of longtime companionship between elderly woman Rose and her stubborn yet loving dog John Brown and the sudden interuption of a black cat in their humdrum lives. For children, the story of a close-knit friendship between a lady and her dog that opens up to allow a new addition to share their house and lives. For adults, an underlying symbolic reference of the black cat representing death, Rose's acceptance of it and John Brown's refusal to allow it into their home/life. All in all, a good story.

John Brown is a large shaggy dog living contentedly with Rose. When a cat arrives needing food and love, Rose is ready to open her heart and home to the new arrival, but John Brown has a very hard time sharing Rose, and watching Rose take care for someone else. By the book's end, John Brown has changed. In simple words and marvelous pictures, this book helps children - and the adults reading to them - consider a difficult and complicated emotion: jealousy. The perfect book to help children get ready for a baby brother or sister, it's too bad it isn't easier to find.

This is a very tender book, with love and understanding children and adults can relate to. Ideal for ages 2 and up.

First published in 1977, John Brown, Rose and the Midnight Cat by Jenny Wagner and illustrated by Ron Brooks has become truly one of the classics in children's literature. What at first appears to be a simple message is actually quite complex. There are two major "life issues" involved in the story, each just as important as the other; each is addressed in a charmingly whimsical way. One issue a child will recognize quite quickly; the other an adult will be aware of early on. There is food for thought in each of these issues.

Rose is an old woman, and elderly widow living in a very charming old fashion house. John Brown is her best friend, an old shaggy English Sheepdog. They have a wonderful life together, puttering around the garden, talking together, and setting by the fire at night. They are comfortable in each others company. It is a good life; a sweet life and quite satisfying.

Then enters the Midnight Cat! Oh my. The emotion of jealousy enters the picture and John Brown has great trepidations about having this cat enter their cozy lives. Rose, the elderly lady wants to feed and care for the cat; wants to include him in their family. John Brown wants none of this...he has his friend, his mistress and he does not want anything to come between them.

"But that night, when Rose was safe in bed,
John Brown went outside.
He drew a line around the house
and told the midnight cat to stay away.
"We don't need you, cat," he said.
"We are all right, Rose and I."

Ms. Wagner uses simplicity and an almost poetic style to tell the story. This gentle wording has obviously been carefully selected by the author and the pitch is perfect for the story being told. The wonderfully, and I might add, beautifully nuanced sentences are quite short and quite to the point. It is a delight to read.

This is an ideal work to read to a child when changes are afoot...a new baby in the house, acceptance of a new member of the family. Jealousy is a rather ugly emotion but is present in all of us and children need all the help they can get in dealing with it at times.

But wait...That is not all!

The adult reader will quickly become aware that there are other things in play here. When the Midnight Cat appears, you will note that he is presented in a rather sleek and threatening way which is completely out of character as to the rest of the art work. There is something a bit foreboding about this intruder from the outside, something a bit threatening, mysterious...an unknown! Rose accepts him, is comfortable with him, John Brown is not!

Of course it will be pretty plain that the black Midnight cat is obviously representing death and yes, death will indeed intrude upon the life of the two elderly companions. You can fight it, you can try to reject it, you can try to ignore it, but it is simply not going to go away. This is the situation that John Brown must learn to deal with; this is reality and he must find acceptance.

The adult reader is allowed to address the problem of jealously with the child but need not take it a step further and investigate and confront death until they feel the child is ready. I must say though that I have found children to be much more aware of some to these subtle situations than we give them credit for, so don't be surprised if your child comes up with this concept on their own...be prepared to discuss this with her or him.

Some folks do not like this work and feel it is overly sentimental. I personally did not find it as such. Some do not like the illustrator's work (very few), but again, I personally was quite enchanted with the artist's work. The artist, Ron Brooks has given it a soft, old-time look (Except the cat), and I find this very pleasing to my eye. Some readers feel that when Rose goes to bed and tells John Brown that she is ill, that she should have been more honest with her old companion. My feelings here are that this is a children's book and feel the parent should have the option of discussing this aspect of the book on their own terms and in their own time. The author has skillfully left this option open.

This offering from our cousins in Australia is one that needs to be added to your child's library (and I feel adults will have much to contemplate over this one also).

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

John Brown is Rose's dog and companion. The Midnight Cat is the interloper, looking in the window at night. John Brown feels no need to widen the circle of their life. The Midnight Cat, in the manner of cats, persists.
This story is gently told and profound , in the way of Where the Wild Things Are or In the Night Kitchen. It deals with the emotional realities of sharing the beloved. This book was meant to be shared.

So happy to've chanced upon this little volume. On the first reading it was instantly recognisable as a book that will be read over and over, and which will be remembered decades later -- it inhabits the same shadowy and slightly surreal world that a lot of Maurice Sendak's stuff does (see esp "In the Night Kitchen), with an exciting amount of depth and darkness. Mad props to the author and illustrator for recognising that not all of childhood is puppies and rainbows.

It is a real pleasure to read out loud -- so many children's books lack that poetic quality and are clunky or simply irritating for using as intended, but even the title is enjoyable to say.

The illustrations are hypnotising and draw one deeply into Rose and John Brown's orbit.

Even with the 'depth and darkness,' it is also a pleasant story with a nice ending.

It pains me quite a lot to see things like this out of print while "licensed character" computer-illustrated rubbish is available in every chain "bookstore." Hopefully with the internet, more positive reviews for forgotten gems will stack up, and publishers can be returned to their senses someday...

Review supplement from 4yo daughter (who has been dragged to a large number of plays): "'John Brown, Rose and the Midnight Cat' sort of sounds like a Shakespeare. It's a good book, because soon John Brown opens the door -- and then Rose is happy. That is all I am telling you."

This wonderful children's book teaches that love shared is not divided but multiplied. This timeless lesson is wonderfully crafted in the story and makes this book a classic of children's reading.

I bought this book some 25 years ago for my children. It got worn out from constant reading and I've always wanted to have another copy. I was delighted to find it still in print at Amazon; it's one of the best stories for young children, ever. My adult children can still recite it word for word!
Linda

A wonderful book from Australia, with great art and beautifully written. Buy the hardback if you can find it. It is a story about a woman who lives with her devoted dog. A cat wants to move in too, but the dog is jealous. very sweet. My 3 year old granddaughter likes it. My 93 year old mother also likes it.