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queerbooklover03's review against another edition
4.0
A beautiful story told through another beautiful story.
toad_maiden's review against another edition
3.0
Wow, this one actually holds up to the 21st century! It's still a book written by a white person about another part of the world, but it the narrator at least passes no judgment.
All told, this is a fable about an artist in Japan and his cat. But it is also a short and poetic summation of the life and teachings of the Buddha. The illustrations are charming, and the character of the cat is startlingly human. It is a quick read - a grownup can read it in an hour. Stylistically, this book is a joy to read; the language is incredibly lyrical for a children's book of this era.
My biggest complaint is the ending - although not inappropriate in context, the death is sudden and described too tersely for my taste.
All told, this is a fable about an artist in Japan and his cat. But it is also a short and poetic summation of the life and teachings of the Buddha. The illustrations are charming, and the character of the cat is startlingly human. It is a quick read - a grownup can read it in an hour. Stylistically, this book is a joy to read; the language is incredibly lyrical for a children's book of this era.
My biggest complaint is the ending - although not inappropriate in context, the death is sudden and described too tersely for my taste.
aklibrarychick's review against another edition
3.0
The second of my Newbery books this summer . . . . loved this little story. I'm not sure if Coatsworth invented the story entirely, or if it's based on a Japanese folktale, but it has that dreamy, timeless quality of folklore. The artist muses on the life and death of Buddha, thereby relating many traditional Buddhist stories. Many animals came to pay respects to Buddha as he lay dying, but the cat was not welcome, because the cat, alone of all animals, refused Buddha's teachings. This saddens the artist, who believes his beloved cat has brought him good fortune in life. The cat has even been named Good Fortune.
Compassion is the main theme of this book, and it takes many forms. The housekeeper has compassion for her master, and he for her. He has compassion for his pet, and finally, Buddha exhibits compassion to Good Fortune, and to all cats.
This book is something more than a picture book, though it has lovely ink illustrations, and something less than a chapter book. It would be a quick read for most kids, though again, as with the last Newbery book I reviewed, it has limited appeal to modern children.
If you enjoy my reviews, you can read more of them at http://haikulibrarian.blogspot.com/
Compassion is the main theme of this book, and it takes many forms. The housekeeper has compassion for her master, and he for her. He has compassion for his pet, and finally, Buddha exhibits compassion to Good Fortune, and to all cats.
This book is something more than a picture book, though it has lovely ink illustrations, and something less than a chapter book. It would be a quick read for most kids, though again, as with the last Newbery book I reviewed, it has limited appeal to modern children.
If you enjoy my reviews, you can read more of them at http://haikulibrarian.blogspot.com/
tealmango's review against another edition
4.0
Read the full review here: http://newberyandbeyond.com/newbery-reviews-1931/
I read this book as a child as part of my homeschool curriculum. It’s about a cat who belongs to a painter who is commissioned to paint a picture of the Buddha surrounded by animals. The painter includes a cat in the picture, and he gets in a lot of trouble for doing so–apparently the cat refused to help Buddha when he was walking around on earth. But the painter’s beloved cat keeps worming its way back into the artist’s life and heart. It’s a short and sweet story that you or your pet-loving kids will really enjoy.
I read this book as a child as part of my homeschool curriculum. It’s about a cat who belongs to a painter who is commissioned to paint a picture of the Buddha surrounded by animals. The painter includes a cat in the picture, and he gets in a lot of trouble for doing so–apparently the cat refused to help Buddha when he was walking around on earth. But the painter’s beloved cat keeps worming its way back into the artist’s life and heart. It’s a short and sweet story that you or your pet-loving kids will really enjoy.
scarlettscattered's review against another edition
5.0
I knew this book was going to make me cry to no end, but I still read it. And I was right.
I was in the bus, and everyone was looking at me like I was crazy for starting to cry while finishing this book.
Complete review here.
I was in the bus, and everyone was looking at me like I was crazy for starting to cry while finishing this book.
Complete review here.
readswithjennifer's review against another edition
3.0
"Sometimes the painting came easy, sometimes it came hard, sometimes the artist was pleased with what he had done, sometimes he was disgusted"(33 Coatsworth).
raben_76325's review against another edition
5.0
As long as I have been reading children’s books, it surprises me that there are Newberry Medalists that I have never heard of. However, there are actually a good many that I never knew existed. Such is the case with the most recent book that I read to my six year old, Ellie. The Cat Who Went to Heaven was the Newberry Medal winner for the year 1931, and the story surrounds a penniless painter who is given a big and prestigious assignment, his housekeeper and a stray cat that she brings home from the market.
As the painter works to bring to life a scene of Buddha’s end of life, he meditates on the different animals that paid homage to Buddha, while noting that the cat, “refused homage to Buddha…and so by her own independent act, only the cat has the doors of paradise closed in her face.” He begins to paint in Buddha and the animals, and the cat watches. Will he go with a traditional scene or will he include the cat, even though cats are viewed poorly by the Buddhists around him?
Ellie says that this is a five star book. She says, “It was good because it is good.” I’m not exactly sure what that means, but I think that she means that she enjoyed the story, but perhaps, she didn’t find it to be memorable.
I found that this was a delightful little story. It doesn’t have much substance to it, and the fable itself is actually kind of bittersweet. However, most Buddhist tales that I have read don’t have saccharine sweet endings, so this is appropriate. I think that I am going to give this book to my twelve year old. He enjoys cats and books about them, and he hasn’t had a lot of comparative religion, so this is a good and gentle reminder of who Buddha is and teaches a little about his life and some general ideas about Buddhism.
As the painter works to bring to life a scene of Buddha’s end of life, he meditates on the different animals that paid homage to Buddha, while noting that the cat, “refused homage to Buddha…and so by her own independent act, only the cat has the doors of paradise closed in her face.” He begins to paint in Buddha and the animals, and the cat watches. Will he go with a traditional scene or will he include the cat, even though cats are viewed poorly by the Buddhists around him?
Ellie says that this is a five star book. She says, “It was good because it is good.” I’m not exactly sure what that means, but I think that she means that she enjoyed the story, but perhaps, she didn’t find it to be memorable.
I found that this was a delightful little story. It doesn’t have much substance to it, and the fable itself is actually kind of bittersweet. However, most Buddhist tales that I have read don’t have saccharine sweet endings, so this is appropriate. I think that I am going to give this book to my twelve year old. He enjoys cats and books about them, and he hasn’t had a lot of comparative religion, so this is a good and gentle reminder of who Buddha is and teaches a little about his life and some general ideas about Buddhism.
lmrewis's review against another edition
5.0
This book is all about forgiveness. Anyone can be forgiven. You don't have to stick to old values. Made me cry. Epic.
aomame_hanaloi's review against another edition
4.0
After I read this book, I think grade 4, I have always remembered it as "The cat who died because of Happiness" and the young me have always thought that maybe the real reason why our pets die so early is because of their contentedness for the love shown to them.