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Summary
Summary
In a busy urban neighborhood, six very different individuals who don't know each other have something in common- they all relish the companionship of a friendly cat that roams the area. From a librarian to a homeless war veteran to a little girl who's just moved in, this cat makes everyone's world a little brighter, a little less lonely.
Each neighbor is unaware of the cat's visits with everyone else, so he goes by many different names- Stuart Little, Dove, Placido-the cat answers to them all. Only when a near-accident threatens the cat does everyone learn his true identity and owner. In learning about each other, the people in the neighborhood come together as a community.
THE CAT WITH SEVEN NAMES is a heartfelt story that reflects the need and desire of all people to be a part of a community, to have a connection with someone or something-be it animal or human. Told from the perspective of each of the six neighbors, Tony Johnston introduces point of view to readers of all ages, while Christine Davenier's loose watercolor illustrations beautifully depict the diversity of the world around us.
Author Notes
Tony Johnston was born in Los Angeles, California on January 30, 1942. She received a B.A. in history and an M.A in education from Stanford University. Before becoming a full-time author, she worked as a fourth-grade teacher.
She has written over 70 books for children. Her titles include Amber on the Mountain, the Cowboy and the Black-Eyed Pea, Day of the Dead, the Ghost of Nicholas Greebe, the Sparky and Eddie series, and the Adventures of Mole and Troll. Her first adult novel was Any Small Goodness.
Her works have earned her several awards including a Children's Choice Award for Four Scary Stories and the Beatty Award in 2002 for Any Small Goodness.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Like the sailor with a love interest in every port, this feline hero has persuaded several households that he's a stray in need of feeding-despite his truly impressive girth. Johnston (Laugh-Out-Loud Baby) gives each of the cat-lovers a distinctive (if slightly caricatured) voice and a particular loneliness or longing. Davenier's (the Very Fairy Princess books) loosely sketched spreads, painted in gentle pastels, offer more cheerful notes, softening the characters and making their essential benevolence clear. There's a librarian ("He is so big I have dubbed him Stuart Little"), an older man ("Name's Kitty-boy. I hope he likes that"), a Mexican widower ("Placido... you keep dry, amigo"), a hardworking cop ("I called him Mooch"), a homeless veteran ("Ol' kitty brings me... a speck of peace. That's why I call him Dove"), and a single mother and her daughter ("Here, Mouse... have some leftover ham"). A minor accident brings the six together and reveals the cat's secret in a quietly satisfying way. Johnston's story combines the particular charm of cats, the flavor of city life, and the way unexpected events make communities out of strangers. Ages 5-8. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
A friendly stray cat comforts six lonely people, from a little girl new to town to a homeless veteran. When the cat is nearly hit by a car, the strangers--and his original owner--become friends. The structure (separate first-person narratives culminating in spreads with word bubbles) perfectly suits the story's premise. The loose ink and colored-pencil illustrations are full of warmth. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
A friendly cat with a very big heart connects six lonely people as it wanders about a city. The feline's green eyes, swishing tail, lapping red tongue, and yawning wide-open mouth reveal his endearing personality. He climbs on a chair and sings arias with a widower; dines on catfish with an old man; snuggles up for a nap with a lonely librarian; and has leftovers on a front stoop with a little girl. Even though his grin widens and his belly expands, the cat really belongs to none of them. Illustrated in ink and colored pencil, scenes featuring splashes of reds and yellows in swirling leaves and in everyone's clothing provide a feeling of continuity throughout. When all the people unite for a picnic on the last, wordless double-page spread, the emphasis is on friendship and community. What's most fun here is following the cat's adventures just to see who he will bond with next. Endpapers introduce and finish the story, and our last glimpse of the cat is him sitting under a red-leafed tree, smiling in satisfaction.--Gepson, Lolly Copyright 2010 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-A plump, seemingly stray cat wanders occasionally into the home of an older librarian. She names her visitor Stuart Little. At an elderly neighbor's home, he receives the moniker Kitty-boy, while a lonely Mexican man names him Placido for his "singing" voice. A homeless vet calls him Dove, for the peace he brings. Only the cat is lacking his own voice in this heartwarming story of a busy neighborhood, full of unconnected adults. Each character has his or her own first-person narrator, each distinctly different. The Hispanic man peppers his speech with Spanish words, as he first meets "Placido" on a day when it rains gatos y perros. Humorous wordplay abounds throughout, in which the cat is the common fixture in the lives of seven adults and a young girl. When the cat has a near accident, the full cast calls out seven different names, as each rushes to save the feline that has befriended them all; and through the cat, they befriend each other. The Cat with Seven Names will be sold with and without its corresponding picture book. Consider purchasing the set. Absent illustrations, the steady stream of elderly and adult voices may not be enough to hold a child's attention.-Lisa Taylor, Ocean County Library, NJ (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A friendly cat worms his way into the affections of a number of neighbors, gains new names (and enough extra meals to pack on a few pounds), and eventually brings together residents new and old. Variously christened "Stuart Little," "Kitty-boy," "Placido," "Mooch," "Dove" and "Mouse," the round gray cat offers companionship to a lonely librarian, an elderly gentleman, a widowed Hispanic opera lover, a red-haired policewoman with a fondness for fast food, a homeless vet, and a girl and her mom just settling into their new home. A (happy) twist at the end removes the cat from this particular community, but his presence, however temporary, has a lasting impact. Johnston's text is smooth and conversational, with pleasantly distinct voices for each of the characters, but it may prove overly long for some young listeners. The themes of diversity and connection are commendable, but occasionally, they seem to outweigh Johnston's plump hero. Davenier's soft ink-andcolored-pencil illustrations, mostly double-page spreads, have the fluidity of watercolors as well as a scratchy, scruffy charm. Repeated patterns and colors create a cohesive feel, as does the appearance of various characters in the background both before and after they have been introduced. Children will likely enjoy this visit to a newly united neighborhood, even if the catalyst for its creation is more device than distinct individual. (Picture book. 6-8)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Excerpts
Excerpts
A cat came to my back door one day. Gray, with white paws. Nobody visits me much. I put down the book I was reading (I am a librarian), and I let him in. Excerpted from The Cat with Seven Names by Tony Johnston All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
