Minnie [Paperback]

Lance Salway (Author), Annie M. G. Schmidt (Author), Kay Sather (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up

A charming novel for children filled with humor in the manner of James Thurber. Miss Minnie is a cat--or rather, she was a cat. Although she doesn't know why, she is now a human, and she's not at all happy to be one. When newspaper reporter Mr. Tibbs rescues Minnie-the-human from a large dog, she repays him by supplying news from the cats' gossip hotline. Illustrated.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Minnie, once a cat, has suddenly--and inexplicably--become a young woman. But she still purrs, climbs trees, rubs up against people and generally acts like a feline. Minnie's sister turns up her tail and her aunt scolds her ("How on earth did it happen, Minnie? To you of all people, from one of the finest cat families in Chillthorn!"); on other hand, a man named Tibbs, a struggling reporter, invites her in to stay, and gives her a box and milk to drink from a saucer. Minnie, with her plethora of cat contacts about town, lets Tibbs in on scoops no human could ever get; Tibbs helps Minnie develop human feelings and behavior. The playful premise of this Dutch import could bear more playful treatment (there is, for example, an unnecessary attempt to settle the unconventional friendship between Tibbs and Minnie with a prediction of their eventual marriage), but there are genuinely funny moments, such as Minnie's trip to a psychiatrist. Illustrations not seen by PW. Ages 8-up.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6-This gentle fantasy, originally published in the Netherlands, is a story of transformations. Tibbs is a small-town newspaper reporter who is about to lose his job because he's too shy to write about anything besides cats and the weather. Minnie is a ginger cat who turns into a human and is driven from her home. They meet, and together they grow into people who are ready to take (almost) normal places in society. Minnie, who can still speak with other felines, gathers news for Tibbs to write about, and the man is driven to conquer his shyness by the need to unmask the evil deeds of a heartless (dog-owning) industrialist, Mr. Elbow. The setting, a small European village, will seem idyllic to many readers and adds to the slightly strange, unfamiliar mood of the tale. The black-line drawings catch the oddity of a person carrying out cat behaviors. This book lacks the sheer magic of Ursula K. Le Guin's Catwings (Orchard, 1988) and the robust adventure of Lloyd Alexander's The Cat Who Wished to Be a Man (Dutton, 1977), but has a charm of its own that will appeal to graduates of Esther Averill's "Jenny and the Cat Club" series (HarperCollins).
Margaret Chatham, formerly at Smithtown Library, NY
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Milkweed Editions (August 22, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1571316000
• ISBN-13: 978-1571316004
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,150,423 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful!, July 27, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Minnie (Stories from Where We Live) (Hardcover)

This book was one of the best I have ever read. It is charming and witty ; you will never look at a cat the same way again. Minnie, a cat suddenly turned human, and Mr. Tibbs, her human friend, have exciting adventures throughout the story, which is hinted with humor. The main plot develops into the solving of a crime and then the public revelation of the criminal, a prominent citizen. It is truly a must read for cat lovers and the average reader alike.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Minnie, May 16, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Minnie (Paperback)

Minnie is a wonderful book. Anyone can read it, but I would strongly recommend reading it if you're a cat lover. Being one myself, the plot of this book made me smile. Tibbs, a reporter for a newspaper loves to write about cats but is not supposed to. When Minnie, a young girl, comes along one day and ends up living with him, his job gets much easier. Since Minnie used to be a cat, she gossips with other cats to get news which no humans knew about yet. Minnie is also a handful, but Tibbs and her become great friends. This book is a quick and fun read full of imagination.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Minnie, January 5, 2007

By 

Tilly Gaillard - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Minnie (Paperback)

By a brilliant Dutch author of children's books who is far too little known and appreciated.