Customer Reviews

The Mousehole Cat

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is one of those books that I can never read out loud to my children without weeping. There is something so touching about the devotion of Mowser, the cat, to Tom (her human); of Tom to the hungry children of his village; of his village to the old fisherman who risks his life to try to save them from starving. The depth of the pathos is probably most apparent to the adults reading this book; my kids always know I am going to cry, but I don't think they quite understand the sweetness of my tears. They appreciate the excitement of the story, and Mowser's pluck and skill. Bayley's illustrations are stunningly detailed and really elevate the story like a vividly remembered dream. This is a perfect book.

This is an extraordinary book. Antonia Barber has produced a superb story, based on the legend of the Cornish village of Mousehole. Tom is an old fisherman who lives with Mowzer, his cat, who is also aging gracefully. Their lives--organized around fish, firesides, milk, and scratching of ears--fill the first few pages, and then the Great Storm-Cat arrives, howling around the harbor and bottling up the fishing fleet. Food in the village starts to run low. Finally, the day before Christmas, Tom and Mowzer go out to fish together in the teeth of the storm, so that the children of the village should not be hungry on Christmas Day.

The text is powerful--remarkably so for a children's book. But Nicola Bayley's paintings are, if possible, even more astonishing. There is a gorgeous picture of the Great Storm-Cat and Mowzer at sea; fine, characterful pictures of Tom, Mowzer and the village of Mousehole; and among other treasures, one picture that always moves me to tears. Another reviewer said the book made them weep: I know the page they were talking about. It's where Tom and Mowzer sail back to the village, to discover that the villagers have realized they are gone, and are waiting for them.

Enough. It's a beautiful picture. Buy the book, even if you don't have kids, though you'll get far more pleasure from reading this to a child. The language is a little complex for a child under five, but you can simplify as you read. And you'll read it again and again.

When my children were young, this was one of the bedtime stories they loved best. It's particularly good for cat lovers! The illustrations are gorgeous, and the story moves through suspense to a beautiful resolution -- a feast at the end of a storm-tossed fishing trip.

This is a charming story about helping each other, how the cat and his master cared for each other, about loyalty under presssure - the cat was willing to risk it's life going to sea with the old man, and the old man truly cared for the cat. Although it does attribute human characteristics to animals, the story warrants reading to show affection and companionship as well as loyalty. The pictures are charming.

This book was really one of the best I've ever read. I suppose because I'm only eight I haven't read that many - but this is still the best so far (Harry Potter is next, so who knows?).

The illustrations were superb and I would read this book again, and again and again.

You'll find that Nicola Bayley has a wonderful gift for picking the very best stories to illustrate with such lovely artwork. "Mousehole Cat" is must-reading, as is "The Patchwork Cat", which I sincerely WISH that someone would reprint! Copies are hard to find!

I was fortunate enough to buy my copy of this book in Mousehole (pronounced "Mowzal," as the book will teach you) in 1996. I was looking at my copy today and wondered if a new one might be available. Since it is, anyone interested in a very nice kids' story should buy this book and read it to a kid.

The illustrations are wonderful, and, having wandered around Mousehole for a day with my copy in hand, I know them to be extremely accurate renderings of the real village, at least as it was in 1996.

I'm well into adult male-hood, but even I get choked up a bit at the ending! Your children will enjoy it too!

I am very selective these days, when it comes to buying books. I don't have the shelf space to accommodate new ones, so an acquisition usually means getting rid of something. I say this to lend weight to my imperative--buy this book. Don't get it from the library, or borrow it from a friend. Buy it now, while you can, because even really great books go out of print (I still regret lending my copy of "Need A House? Call Ms Mouse", which I never got back and now goes for $70 used). Other reviewers have said it all, and I agree, from the weeping to the wonder. I actually start choking up when Mowser decides she needs to go with Tom, and by the time they come back into the harbor I'm pausing quite frequently to collect myself and dab my eyes. We have a family tradition of reading this book at Christmas, and even though my son is eighteen now, he still makes sure it's part of our stack of Christmas books ("A Pussycat's Christmas", by Margaret Wise Brown is another--I think I'll go review that one, too, with the same recommendation).

We love to listen to audio books. Sometimes it's hard to tell, though, whether the recording will be a performance or a recitation. In this case, it is a well-rounded performance, and it is a winner! The story is read by Bernard Cribbins, whose voice is warmly textured, with a kindly gravel. The story itself seems to me to be about the mighty power of love, and he expresses that with his reverent delivery. Mr. Cribbins was born in Lancashire, England. Now, whether that's the accent with which he reads, I couldn't say, but his delivery brings the Cornish characters to life, and there you are, sitting by the warm fire, or out at sea taming the Great Storm-Cat. I actually looked Mr. Cribbins up to find out about his accent, and it turns out he's quite famous, Dr. Who and all that, but what did I know?
The sound effects are well-done, and there is original music during the performance that lacks any cheesiness; it's really good stuff, well worth the price of admission.
This recording also passes the acid test, keeping the attention of my tough-crowd seven-year-old. Some of the games and activities at the end are for a younger crowd, maybe, but he likes the extra music tracks and he loves the story itself.

Finally, a children's book I can give top scores to in both the writing and illustrations categories! And it is a lovely tale to boot! You and your favorite child will love this story. Buy a copy for you local library's children's section so that more people can enjoy this great book!