The Tapestry Cats - Hardcover

PreSchool-Grade 3-- Confident that she knows what is best for her daughter, the outspoken Queen outlines a strict code of princessly behavior. Confined and controlled, the young girl leads a lonely existence, fantasizing about the dusty tapestries that decorate the castle walls. One scene depicts a `` . . . lazy, friendly cat, as warm as honey and as heavy as sleep'' which she names Gold. Another shows a `` . . . hunting cat, as secret as moonlight and as quick as thought,'' which she calls Silver. For her quiet, dreamy moods, the princess imagines she is petting Gold, while Silver is her favorite companion for wilder romps. On her seventh birthday, her Fairy Godmother asks her to chose a gift. The practical Queen answers for her, as usual, saying, ``Gold and silver.'' In a clever ending, the princess gains the strength to speak for herself. In this original sto: ry with a fairy-tale flair, Turnbull treats parent-child relationships with a touch of humor. Decorated with splashes of gold filigree, Morley's watercolor paintings have a uniquely primitive appearance: the characters are near-stick figures embellished with detailed and colorful costumes, while the tapestries give the impression of sophisticated cave paintings. The illustrations work well with the once-upon-a-time tone of the tale, but some of the artwork is lost in the gutters. A good story for any child ``blessed'' with an overbearing mother. --Joy Fleishhacker, New York Public Library
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

One need not be ailurophilic to fancy this sprightly collaboration, which tells of a princess whose mother always decides what is best. The girl's resultant dull life, however, is magically enriched by the coming to life of two cats from the castle's beautiful tapestries. Turnbull has a sure, deft hand with description--one cat is "as warm as honey and as heavy as sleep," the other "as secret as moonlight and as quick as thought"--as well as a satisfying streak of mischief. Using cut paper, Morley creates unique visuals that are at once lush and playful, and that capture with energy and verve the characters' essential traits, from the liveliness of the princess to the bright-eyed inquisitiveness of her cats. The shape of the figures (tiny heads on large bodies, resembling old-fashioned clothespin dolls) and the fetchingly scattershot layout lend the proceedings a slightly surreal, highly stylized look. As if all this weren't enough, the tale ends with a low-key but rewarding moral: the queen begins to focus on what is best for the cats (salmon with fennel), and the princess learns to speak up for herself. Ages 3-7.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.