Reviews

The Cat Who Went to Heaven by Elizabeth Coatsworth, Lynd Ward

Only show reviews with written explanations

emdoux's review against another edition

4.0

I majored in religious studies, primarily focusing on Buddhism and Islam - but had never heard of a cat being dishonored.

Still, I enjoyed the story and think that the cat might have been used as a way to connect the story more to Western life - make it a little more accessible to children.

The housekeeper's songs jarred me out of Coatsworth's lovely prose and I have to admit after the third one, I skipped over them, only going back to read them all after finishing the whole book.

I might recommend this book to fans of LeGuin's Catwings series... I'm not entirely sure why, but I feel like the young girls I know who love Catwings would love to meet Good Fortune. (We'll see how it goes next time I see one of them in the library.)

wintermote's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

Interesting way to hear a number of legends about the Buddha becoming the Buddha, and second chances.

cherylg's review against another edition

Go to review page

1.0

I Dnf'd this book after only a few chapters. It was boring and not to my taste, but I can see why other people liked it. I don't think I would've picked it as a Newbery award winner, but it did win one year. Anyways, I didn't enjoy it. Too bad because I really wanted to.

allyoop's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

This is a very short, easy read, with stunning pictures. I liked the story, and thought it was growing in cuteness… and then I got to the ending, and suddenly I didn’t like it so much anymore. I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised, as the ending is right there in the title of the book. Bugger. (As a side note, as someone else mentioned, if all of this about Buddha, why is it heaven, and not Nirvana?) I would recommend it for the pictures alone.