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Summary
Summary
A tilted tale about a cat who sees the world from an unusual point of view, written by the hilarious Jason Carter Eaton ( How to Train a Train ) and illustrated by the equally humorous Gus Gordon (Herman and Rosie ).
catawampus (cat-a-wam-pus) n. 1. Diagonal or at an angle. 2. Askew, awry.
The catawampus cat walks with a slant. And his skewed point of view has everyone in town looking at everything with fresh eyes. Even Bushy Brows Billiam who never notices anything, including what time class is over, spots the catawampus cat, and now he's a star student! And when the town librarian sees the catawampus cat, she pulls the "wrong" book from the shelf, sending her into a life of adventure. The catawampus cat is in town and everything is about to change.
Author Notes
Jason Carter Eaton was born at a 44-degree angle and has only gotten more diagonal with age. He now leans so far over that he's nearly upside down. While attempting to write his life story, he accidentally composed several children's books, including Great, Now We've Got Barbarians!; Bubble Troub≤ How to Train a Train; and How to Track a Truck. He also wrote the story for the film Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, which few people realize was meant to be performed entirely in a Swedish accent. Jason lives in a very off-kilter house in Tarrytown, New York, with his way sideways wife, two tilting children, a diagonal dog, and of course, a catawampus cat.
Gus Gordon cannot remember a time when he has stood in a perfectly upright position. He walks with such a perilous lean that most people think he is about to topple over, so this book seems quite normal to him. Admittedly he is tired of walking in circles and continually grazing his ears on the sidewalk. Gus is an author and illustrator of more than eighty children's books. His most recent picture book, Herman and Rosie, has won many awards and has been sold into twelve countries. Gus lives in Australia in his leaning house with his wife, three kids, and a skew-whiff cat called Pippin. Visit him at gusgordon.com.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-One Tuesday morning, the titular feline arrives in town, with his distinctive listing gait. He's largely ignored at first, until people take notice and try to "straighten him. To no avail." And when they tilt their heads to look more closely, curious things happen. The grocer's wife spots her wedding ring, which has been missing for 20 years, and her husband looks at her in a new light. The barber discovers a new sense of style, the house painter makes a creative statement, and the town librarian quits her job and sets out on an adventure. All because of a slight change in perspective. Slowly, the whole town embraces an off-kilter worldview, and the folks seem so pleased with themselves that they decide to honor their lopsided role model. The cat responds by straightening himself out and walking out of town, "once again uniquely catawampus." The tale's simple wordplay and upbeat sentiment are greatly enlivened by the clever, animated mixed-media cartoon artwork, all of which is slightly askew. The spread of the cat stretching and trying out his new stance is priceless. VERDICT This engaging read-aloud provides a slightly different slant on individuality and shifting points of view. A rousing selection for storytime and small group sharing.-Luann Toth, School Library Journal © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Mr. Grouse the grocer is the first to see the catawampus cat wander into town; the cat is gray, prim, and tilted to one side, as if leaning into a strong wind. When the grocer and his wife cock their heads to get a better look-Gordon (I Am Cow, Hear Me Moo!) shows them in close-up, his nose red, her apron wrinkled-she finds her wedding ring dangling from a vegetable bin: "I haven't seen it in twenty years!" The cat spreads sly catawampus enchantment all over town, making people do and see things in new ways, as when a reclusive schoolboy, Bushy Brows Billiam, looks at the blackboard sideways and completes a comically long math equation: "Everyone was happy and slanty and catawampus." Like a cowboy out of a western, the cat works his magic and moves on. Gordon's engaging charcoal and wash spreads, enlivened with collage elements, supply the tilted special effects, while Eaton's (How to Track a Truck) fond portrait of small-town life reminds readers that a slight change in outlook can transform everything. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Tanya McKinnon, McKinnon McIntyre. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
A sideways-leaning cat strolls into town and sparks a revolution in perspective. The simply drawn gray cat with a small smile and pinpoint eyes peers at readers from the bottom-right corner of the coverat an angle, of course. While his appearance is unremarked upon at first, soon enough the grocer, the barber, a house painter, and numerous others find their lives being sent off-kilter (in a good way) simply because they notice the cat's unusual orientation. A lost ring is found and a romance rekindled, a new hairstyle is created, and a standard paint job turns avant-garde. Gordon's busy, collage-style multimedia illustrations combine line drawings, photographs, vintage images, and painted effects to create the bustling town, its energetic inhabitants, and the nonchalant feline at the center of the story. Eaton's clever, quirky, peripatetic text, meanwhile, winds on to an amusing, outlandish conclusion as the new viewpoint is adopted and celebrated by all. Feline fanciers won't be surprised to discover that the cat finds a way to express his nonconformity and independence even in the midst of all the hoopla. While much of the wordplay and humor will be enjoyed chiefly by adult readers, young listeners will likely enjoy poring over the detail-filled artwork. A pleasing reminder that finding a new point of view can create positive change. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
When a cat strolls into town, walking aslant, he's noticed by the citizens, who find themselves tilting the same way he does. This means the grocer and his wife see each other in a new, happier light; a house painter creates a different design; and the librarian pulls a book off the shelf that leads to a new life. All the while, the so-called catawampus (it means askew) cat continues to zigzag through the streets and parks, eventually meriting a day in his honor for all the change he's inspired. The ending is a bit confusing (has the cat straightened out?), but before that happens, there's fun to be had, especially in a two-page spread that shows a tilted mélange of folks living life at new angles. The ink-and-watercolor art, embellished by Photoshop, has a bright, busy look that offers little eyes plenty to look at. There's also that crooked cat to keep an eye on. In the penultimate spread, devoted to him, he twists, turns, stretches the quintessence of cat, which kids will enjoy.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2017 Booklist
