Black Cat

by Christopher Myers

A book dedicated to "all children of the city" features the urban landscape of concrete... read more

A book dedicated to "all children of the city" features the urban landscape of concrete and asphalt, chain link and brick, subway and fire escape. These elements of city living and the sights and sounds that go with them are brought to life in Christopher Myers's energetic blend of artwork and poetry as readers follow the travels of a lone black cat through city streets and neighborhoods. "black cat, black cat, we want to know / where's your home, where do you go?" The lone black cat is at home in his urban environment-- on basketball courts and rooftops, in the "click-clacking glow of bodega lights," and moving across a fire escape. The illustrations are a blend of photographs, collage, ink and gouache, with the fences so evocative of cityscapes up close repeated in many forms as frames and focal points for the scenes. The urban setting is one that may be familiar to many readers, and jarring to others who have never experienced a large urban environment firsthand. But the black cat's surefooted sense of belonging affirms that this is a place that one can call home. (Ages 4-11)

© Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2000

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