Recent Book: Puss in Books by Catherine Britton

(US / UK Links)

Puss in Books by Catherine Britton was released last year in the US and in late 2012 in the UK. So it's not exactly new but it's not well known either. Since two chapters are devoted to Puss in Boots and Dick Whittington’s Cat as well as another chapter on The Cat and the Mouse in Partnership (the Grimms story), I thought it merited mention here.

Sidenote: And it reminds me that I am still considering a "Cats" title for the SurLaLune book series. Would there be interest in that here? I am not a cat lover, per se, but I do find their appearance in folklore fascinating. And I have a healthy collection of cat tales.

About the book:

Puss in Books is a celebration of feline wit, intelligence, aloofness and charm as presented through cats in books. Examples are taken from literature, folklore and popular culture. Feline references in books and manuscripts date from before 2000 BC in ancient Egypt, and since the introduction of cats to western households they have often inspired writers and artists - from the scribe of the Lindisfarne Gospels working in the 8th century to poets of the present day.

This selection includes cats in nursery rhymes (Hey Diddle Diddle and Ding Dong Bell); poetry by Thomas Gray (Ode on the Death of a Favourite Cat Drowned in a Tub of Gold Fishes) and T S Eliot (Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats); cats in fiction by Rudyard Kipling, Lewis Carroll and Charles Dickens; current characters such as Splat the Cat, and of course the ubiquitous Puss in Boots himself.

Wonderfully illustrated in colour throughout, this is an ideal gift for every cat lover.

About the author

Catherine Britton was a Senior Editor at the British Library and is the author of Dogs in Books (British Library, 2012).

Reviews

`Puss in Books tracks beloved cat characters like Lewis Carroll’s Cheshire Cat as illustrated by Sir John Tenniel, to Dr. Seuss’s Cat in the Hat... Britton takes the reader on a journey spanning famous felines throughout art and literature history.` Dorri Olds, Petside

Table of Contents:

Introduction

Egyptian Cats
The Lindisfarne Gospels Cat
Siamese Cats
Medieval Cats
Witches’ Cats
The Cat and the Fiddle from Hey Diddle Diddle
Ding Dong Bell
Christopher Smart’s cat Jeoffry from Jubilate Agno (Rejoice in the Lamb)
Ode on the Death of a Favourite Cat, Drowned in a Tub of Gold Fishes
Cats and Royalty
Dick Whittington’s Cat
The Cat and the Mouse in Partnership
Puss in Boots
Lady Jane from Bleak House
Simpkin from The Tailor of Gloucester
The Owl and the Pussycat
The Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland
The Black Cat
The Cat That Walked by Himself
The Boy Who Drew Cats
The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats
Orlando the Marmalade Cat
Fat Freddy’s Cat
Have You Seen My Cat? by Eric Carle
101 Uses of a Dead Cat
Simon’s Cat
Splat the Cat

Index
Picture Sources
Acknowledgements