The White Cat and the Monk

Starred review from January 4, 2016
In Bogart (Big and Small, Room for All) and Smith’s (Sidewalk Flowers) interpretation of a medieval Irish poem, a solitary, scholarly monk observes the cat living in his cell. The monk records the similarities between the cat’s pursuits and his own, creating a quietly powerful story about work, companionship, and the things that sustain—whether knowledge, faith, or a tasty mouse. A combination of panel sequences and full-page scenes, Smith’s ink-and-watercolor illustrations are dominated by moody browns and grays, with occasional bursts of color in the monk’s illuminated manuscripts; the cat’s playful curiosity and mutual tenderness with the monk add notes of light and humor. Bogart doesn’t emulate the rhyming couplets of the source material, instead writing in subtle, straightforward sentences: “We are each content, with all we need to entertain us.” Despite the reflective tone, text and art move readers swiftly through the story, which builds to a seeming epiphany for the monk. It’s a sophisticated and subtle story about the pursuit of joy—one that will easily resonate with readers young and old. Ages 4–8. Illustrator’s agent: Emily van Beek, Folio Literary Management.

Starred review from January 15, 2016
In the ninth century C.E., an anonymous, Irish Benedictine monk penned a poem drawing parallels between the pursuits of his cat and his own work; Bogart's retelling and Smith's paintings create an accessible window into this world. The tale begins wordlessly with watercolor-and-ink compositions framed in sequential panels of varying size. Readers follow the titular feline from a forest into the monastery, where he pads under vaulted ceilings to a row of closed doors. From within one, light leaks out, and a robed man with a long, white beard welcomes his friend: "I, monk and scholar, / share my room // with my white cat, Pangur. / By candle's light, late into the night / we work, each at a special trade." The voice is lyrical yet easily understood. As the animal stalks a mouse, the monk studies a manuscript. The illuminated pages he pores over present cryptic, Celtic-inspired designs featuring the picture book's characters. The palette shifts from shadowy panels with spots of golden light to colorful full bleeds depicting the open volume. Contentment and joy are reflected in text and image as the duo move toward the window; joined by a butterfly, they behold the "light in the darkness." Reminiscent of the succinct storytelling and expressive brushwork of Chris Raschka and Kevin Henkes, this quiet, historical gem will charm children and adults alike. (author's note) (Picture book. 4-7)

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Starred review from January 1, 2016

Gr 1-5-On a dark night, a white cat enters an abbey, his lithe form slinking down the stone hallways until he spies a warm yellow light spilling out from under a doorway. Here, after several pages of wordless graphic novel-like panels, readers meet the titular monk, who welcomes the feline into his chambers as he works quietly and carefully, reading his illuminated manuscripts by candlelight. In spare prose gracefully adapted from the anonymous Irish poem, "Pangur Ban," the monk connects his work with that of his pet, Pangur: "The silent hunter, he sits and stares at the wall. He studies the hole that leads to the mouse's home. My own eyes, older and less bright than his, study my manuscript, hunting for meaning." Smith, illustrator of Sidewalk Flowers (Groundwood, 2015), here again showcases his exquisite command of light and shadow-readers can almost see the candlelight flickering across the monk's face and his spartan surroundings. Black ink and earth tone watercolors depict a cloistered and cozy interior; one full-bleed, full-page spread offers a close-up view of the monk's gorgeously illustrated manuscripts featuring elaborate calligraphy, rainbow-colored embellishments, and clever integrations of the monk, Pangur, and their individual pursuits. The monk admits that "each page is a challenge," offering young readers the ever-so-subtle message that learning and the search for truth can be difficult and require patience. So, too, does the cat's pursuit of the mouse, which ends with the mouse snared in the patient predator's needle claws. The joy Pangur feels when he at last captures his prey is compared to that of the monk, who finally finds the answer he was seeking just as the sun begins to rise. A final spread shows the contented cat watching the dawn of a new day, his human companion having finally found "light in the darkness." VERDICT A stunningly illustrated meditative ode to the simple joys of human-animal companionship and the pursuit of knowledge.-Kiera Parrott, School Library Journal

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from March 1, 2016
Grades 2-4 *Starred Review* A light-colored cat prowls through a gray outdoors toward a building in the mist. As it explores inside, it becomes obvious the stone structure is a sanctuary of some sort. As the cat plays with light coming from under a door, readers hear from the narrator, a monk and scholar who shares his small room with the cat he calls Pangur. Each has an obsession. The monk pursues knowledge through his illuminated manuscripts, while the cat pursues, well, mice. Each, too, finds the work challenging and satisfying. You could apply both those adjectives to this retelling of the Old Irish poem, Pangur Ban. Manuscripts, monks, and micesnared with the cat's needle claws may not be to every child's taste, but there is no denying that this is a beautiful piece of bookmaking. The watercolor-and-ink artwork has both heft and humor, especially in the joyful depictions of the manuscripts. The shift from the darkness of the early spreads to the bright color of the characters' time together captures the pleasure of the relationship. The final spread of daybreak, meanwhile, is irresistible. Readers who consider the story's underlying messages about necessities, companionship, and fulfillment will come away enriched. (The author's note also subtly provides questions for adults to share.) Ours is a happy tale, says the monk. Indeedexcept for that mouse.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)