New Cat [Hardcover]

Yangsook Choi (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Grade Level: K and up

New Cat loves living in Mr. Kim's tofu factory, but she is frustrated because she has seen a mouse in the production room, where Mr. Kim doesn't allow her to go. One night, a door is left open and New Cat disobeys Mr. Kim's rule. As she chases the mouse, she is surprised to discover that a fire has broken out! Soon the fire department comes and the fire is brought under control. But where is New Cat? Then a bucket of tofu begins to meow, and a wet New Cat emerges, safe and heroic. In this sweet story about a feisty feline, Yangsook Choi uses a rich palette and straightforward text to illustrate the enduring bond between a pet and her person.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In language as understated as her paintings, Choi (Nim and the War Effort) describes the daily routine of New Cat, who lives in a Bronx tofu factory owned by her best friend, Mr. Kim. Among the pet's responsibilities are cleaning the computer monitor with her tail, tasting tofu (only when Mr. Kim puts it in her bowl) and keeping the factory clear of mice. One night New Cat chases a mouse that enters the forbidden production room and, though she fails to catch her prey, manages to halt the spread of a fire that breaks out. Taking liberty with traditional scale and proportion, Choi offers several images that will tickle youngsters. One illustration reveals the smug mouse in the foreground, taking refuge under a piece of furniture while a glowering New Cat peers into her hiding spot; another shows the soggy pet at close range, peeking out from the bucket of tofu that has protected her from the flames. But a predominantly dark palette of browns and grays weighs down the light, playful story line. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-In this well-crafted tale, New Cat, a watch cat in a Bronx tofu factory, takes her work seriously, facing a moral dilemma and saving the day. Readers will begin to chuckle on the first page as they meet the feline with her heavy-lidded eyes and downturned mouth, seated at the president's desk. Her dilemma is the pesky mouse in the production room, which she is not allowed to enter. On one fateful night, she overcomes caution to enter the inner factory and face down the wily rodent, who is chewing an electrical wire. A fire begins and starts to spread until New Cat overturns a bucket of tofu, halting the progress of the flames until the firemen arrive. The owner's happy discovery of his missing cat inside another bucket of tofu brings events to a satisfying and funny finish. Simple, strong paintings add a comic tone as they amplify the straightforward text. Tawny tones illuminate the somber gray-and-brown factory setting, and the flat, broad animal figures tend to dwarf the humans, who are secondary actors in the cat-and-mouse scenario. Younger children will relish the firefighters and their tangle of hose, and the details and perspectives will amuse readers of all ages. The clarity and economy of text and pictures are beautifully suited to reading aloud.
Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); 1st edition (March 8, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374355126
• ISBN-13: 978-0374355128
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 9.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,637,917 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Yangsook Choi grew up in Korea and moved to New York City to study art. She was selected as one of the most prominent new children's book artists by Publishers Weekly. She has written and illustrated many children's books. Her books have received several awards, including the International Reading Association's Children's Book Award, and the Skipping Stones Award.
She studied illustration at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where she currently resides. When she's not creating, she is often off to the mountains, jungles, and desert to be inspired.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My students were captivated by this charming story., July 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: New Cat (Hardcover)

I picked this book up at the library without even looking at it and was amazed when my students loved it. I teach a small class of children with autism who are in grades K-2. This turned out to be one of those books I had to read (at their unanimous request) until I practically had it memorized. The story is simple, yet suspenseful and even has an interesting sort of moral. The illustrations are beautiful as well. I highly recommend this book for children of all ages.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This one is a favorite in our house!, June 11, 2002

By 

Melanie Wilson "mongoliamel" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: New Cat (Hardcover)

There aren't many books about tofu out there, so even though this isn't a vegetarian title per se, we love it for the positive messages it includes: love of animals and good, healthful food. The story is about Mr. Kim, a Korean immigrant, who finds a cat at the pound when he first comes to America. Everyone says, "Oh, you got a new cat!" so that is what is what he names her. New Cat is Mr. Kim's best friend, and it is her job to guard his tofu factory. One night a naughty little mouse gets into the production room and nibbles on some electrical wires starting a fire. New Cat saves the day when she goes to investigate and accidentally spills a huge vat full of tofu and water. When Mr. Kim arrives, he is grateful to the firefighters, but his is worried about his missing cat. Knowing he wouldn't be able to sleep with New Cat gone, he stays behind to clean up and finds his scared, wet friend hiding in a vat of tofu! The heartwarming tale is charmingly illustrated by the author, Yangsook Choi, herself a Korean immigrant. She includes a short author's note in the back, describing her memories of buying and eating tofu in her native country. It does include one short mention of meat in this sentence: "My mother would always buy some, and the tofu would appear in a hot stew, or a crispy pan-fried meat dish with vegetables..." Since my four-year-old won't allow me to skip even one page of a book, I simply leave out the word "meat" and read on! In truth, I think she likes this author's note, written from a little girl's point of view, as much as she likes the story itself.

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful story, wonderful pictures!, August 14, 2011

By 

C. A. Willey (Atlanta, Ga.) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: New Cat (Hardcover)

This is a really charming picture book, so much so that it deserves classic status. I'm very upset that it is out of print. The bond between cat and owner is wonderfully portrayed. A great book for toddlers. Let's have a reprint please.