The Cat Who Came In Off the Roof

October 26, 2015
In this delightfully quirky story from the late Dutch author Schmidt (1911–1995), which was originally published in the Netherlands in 1970, a timid, feline-obsessed reporter is about to lose his job for filing stories on cats instead of more newsworthy fare. Mr. Tibble leaves his editor’s office knowing that he’ll be fired if he doesn’t produce better stories, only to rescue a woman named Miss Minou from a tree. When the woman shows up at his attic apartment, she confides that she used to be a cat, which seems outlandish to Tibble until her feline behaviors—such as sleeping in a box, hiding from dogs, and rubbing up against people—begin to convince him otherwise. In exchange for housing, Minou activates a “cat press agency,” enlisting local cats to feed her scoops that Tibble turns into hard-hitting articles. Tibble’s newfound wealth and influence is tested when a tip reveals the sinister side of a beloved philanthropist. It’s a satisfying and triumphant fantasy—one that will have readers watching what they say in front of their cats. Ages 10–up.

Starred review from April 4, 2016
This story is delightfully quirky, with touches of madcap action, and narrator Kellgren is perfectly matched to the tale. Mr. Tibble is a newspaper reporter who only writes about cats. His editor tells Tibble he needs to begin reporting some harder news to keep his job. Enter Minou, a woman who confides in Mr. Tibble that she used to be a cat. After a dog chases Minou up a tree, and Tibble helps her down, Minou begins living in Tibble’s spare room. In exchange for housing, Minou begins a “cat press agency,” enlisting local cats to feed her scoops that Tibble turns into hard-hitting articles. Cats in town overhear all kinds of things; no one ever notices if a cat is in the room while a secret meeting is going on. Kellgren sounds as though she’s having a delightful time. She gives Minou a breathless innocence. Tibble, with his nasal voice, often sounds overwhelmed, and the villains are haughty and speak with tight throats. The cats are a wonderful variety of English accents from Yorkshire to Cockney to upper-crust London. Best of all, Kellgren adds meows and hissing into the mix. The story is wonderfully gentle and silly; even parents will enjoy listening. Ages 10–up. A Delacorte hardcover.