Pawprints in time
Record details
- ISBN: 067087177X
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Physical Description:
1 v. (unpaged) : col. ill. ; 26 cm.
print - Publisher: England ; New York : Viking, 1998.
Content descriptions
General Note: | "First published in Great Britain"--Opposite of t.p. |
Target Audience Note: | "Ages 3-8"--Front flap of dust jacket. |
Search for related items by subject
Subject: | Cats Fiction Time Fiction Imagination Fiction |
Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at Bibliomation. (Show)
- 0 of 0 copies available at Rowayton Library.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
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The Horn Book Review
Pawprints in Time
The Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
When Cat arrives, Anna is the only one who understands that he has lived many lives. He is, as he says, a cat with stories to tell, and promises to recount tales of ancient Egypt, Tibet, and other places and times. Although the somewhat self-conscious text has a flowing rhythm and the double-page illustrations picture Cat's earlier lives, he never does get around to telling the oft-vaunted stories. From HORN BOOK Fall 1998, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publishers Weekly Review
Pawprints in Time
Publishers Weekly
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
The mysterious myth of a cat's nine lives lurks at the heart of this well-crafted picture book by first-timers Butler and Smith. A feline shadow lingers on the elegant endpapers, hinting at the creature's elusive nature. When Anna lets a stray in her window one night, he announces, "I am a cat with stories to tell"; he then proceeds to introduce his nine lives in successive spreads. From ancient Egypt, where cats "lie buried beneath the pyramids with the Pharaohs... curled up to sleep for thousands of years" to China's long silk road to wagon trains headed West, the feline touches on events he has witnessed over the centuries. Butler tickles readers with a few choice observations but purposefully evades the details, heightening the cryptic aura of her lead character. The cadence of the economical, smooth prose makes it ideal for reading aloud, and its broad historical strokes may well inspire readers to seek out the finer points of each era. Smith's sumptuous artwork, meanwhile, bewitches with delicate brushwork that holds each whisker daintily in place; the artist plants tantalizing artifacts from each period (an ornate mummy and hieroglyphics in Egypt, a map of the silk route in China), fleshing out the measured prose. Together, author and artist capture the enigmatic essence of that eminently self-contained creature, the cat, in a quietly arresting debut. Ages 3-8. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
Pawprints in Time
Kirkus Reviews
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Butler's first picture book is a tease: A mystery cat appears outside young Anna's window one snowy night, and it is an old soul. ``I am a cat with stories to tell'' is the mute refrain that radiates from it. As Anna sleeps, the cat communicates its tales to her: ``I will tell you stories of ancient Egypt,'' ``I will tell you stories of the long silk road from China,'' ``I will tell you stories of the cats who watched the rise of great cathedrals,'' ``and chased along the corridors of court. Painted, chiselled, carved and drawn, still they purr silently.'' Silent is rightĆĀamong the nine fabulous lives hinted at, no elaborations are forthcoming. Butler provides only the barest snippets of connection, leaving readers curious and unsatisfied. Smith's evocative artwork makes a sumptuous first impression, but carries its own set of problems, not the least of which is a blond-haired girl in Native American dress just outside a settlement of tepees in the Plains Indian style; the landscape includes desert cliffs and cacti. The use of the cat collapses history, making time an almost tangible concept, but the expressive notion hovers, disappointingly incomplete. (Picture book. 3-8)
BookList Review
Pawprints in Time
Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Ages 5^-8. Anna's cat was "older than anyone could know," and if listeners believe, as Anna does, that cats have nine lives, they will hear Cat's unspoken message: "I am a cat with stories to tell." The stories come to life in Smith's gorgeous, photo-realistic double-page spreads, which transport readers back to ancient Egypt and Rome, China and Tibet. Rather than giving a lot of facts, the text focuses on arousing curiosity and setting the mood, with the words and pictures flowing together to create an air of mystery that opens the door for a more in-depth look at the time period or culture that Cat's stories introduce. This will be most effective as a read-aloud in a small group setting or for lap sharing. --Lauren Peterson
School Library Journal Review
Pawprints in Time
School Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
K-Gr 3-An old cat shows up and adopts a young girl who is kind to him. The animal sleeps on Anna's bed and tells her wonderful stories from the past. Whether they are the tales of the feline's past lives or dreams does not matter. The bulk of the book consists of vignettes from history. Cats, particularly black ones with white paws, are depicted in ancient Egypt, Rome, and Tibet; exploring a map of China's silk road; posing for artists during the Renaissance; on tall-masted sailing ships; and living in the American West with homesteaders and Native Americans. The textured oil paintings are beautifully rendered. No background is given for the various historical settings, so adults will need to fill in quite a few details for children who want to know the significance of each period. Other youngsters will be content to view the book as a set of appealing pictures with cats in them. Teachers could use the book to discuss the importance of animals in various cultures.-Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.