Joan Grant (2)

A brief summary:
Cat and fish come from two different worlds, but they like the way each other looks. Cat and fish share their worlds with each other as cat shows fish how to climb and fish introduces cat to all of his friends in the water. After cat and fish spend time exploring each other's worlds, they decide to live on the beach where the sea and land meet, awaiting their next adventure together.

My personal reaction:
The message of this book is both positive and strong: even the most different of individuals can overcome their differences and become great friends. The word placement also makes the book visually appealing as some words and phrases are altered to mimic the meaning of the words. For example, the phrase, "They played in the maze. Fish lurked and cat prowled." is written in a circle and, "He showed fish how to climb" is written on an incline to mimic the act of climbing.

A couple of uses:
- Use the book to demonstrate the use of black ink and pen in art. Have students work on an art project that uses only black and white.
- Have students discuss times when they were glad or surprised after they tried something new. Ask, "How did you feel leading up to it/before it?" and "How did you feel after trying it?"

Genre:
This book qualifies as fantasy as the cat and fish go on adventures and do things that are not of this world.

Media:
Black ink and pen… (mere)

When Cat encounters Fish one night, in the course of his rambling through the park, the two animals are much taken with one another, despite their differences, and set out to explore their two worlds together. A fish out of water? A cat happily paddling in the water? Not likely! But if you can get past these unlikely scenarios - many of which, like cat and fish's canoe ride through the stars, read like dream sequences - you will discover a simple, appealing story of friendship and exploration.

More to the point, you will encounter a picture-book that is visually stunning, with gorgeous engraving/woodcut-style pen and ink artwork by Neil Curtis. In fact, Cat and Fish was named "Picture-Book of the Year" by The Children's Book Council of Australia, an honor it fully deserved! Full-page illustrations, and a brief text that is formatted in innovative ways - sometimes it rises, like the characters themselves; sometimes it undulates, like the water it describes; and sometimes it goes in straight line, like the simple story, when it is moving forward - make this a book to savor. I enjoyed it so much that I think I'll read the sequel, Cat and Fish Go to See!… (mere)