Only the Cat Saw
By Ashley Wolff
Beach Lane Books, 2020
“Only the Cat Saw” is a beautifully
illustrated read-aloud for children. All the colorful illustrations are
full-page or double-page spreads. Looking at the pictures is a joy.
The story is simple. It tells about a young,
brown-skinned family going through their evening and nighttime routines. While
they are busy eating dinner, giving young Tessa a bath, reading before bed, nursing
baby Sam, and sleeping, their marmalade-colored tabby cat explores the farm.
We go back and forth between the
family and the cat. We learn about each activity the mom, dad, sister Tessa, and baby
Sam does. Then the story repeats the refrain, “So only the cat saw …” Children are
invited to look at the double-page spreads and complete the sentence again and
again.
When the family eats dinner, the cat gazes
outside at the sheep.
Tessa has finished her bath and Father is
singing to Sam. The cat plays with fireflies.
Mother and Father read, while Tessa reads
under her covers. Meanwhile, the cat watches an owl hunt a mouse.
The story continues as the cat watches a
rainstorm from the porch and sees the sunrise from the roof. In the morning,
the perspective shifts to Tessa as she watches the cat sleep through a window.
Her mom is busy cracking eggs and dad is feeding Sam.
The author Ashley Wolff has set new
illustrations to a story she first published in 1985. Several modern
adaptations include how the family is ethnic and the father shares in housework
and childcare. The intimacy of the story is enhanced with pictures of the
mother nursing her baby and Tessa sitting on the toilet.
About the Author-Illustrator
Ashley Wolff is a children's book author and illustrator who lives in San Francisco, CA. She has authored or illustrated over 40 books. She loves to be outdoors, whether gardening, watching birds, or hiking and skiing. She is married to a newspaper reporter and the mother of two teenage boys and a border collie named Lucy. Visit her at ashleywolff.com.
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