The White Cat and the Monk: A Retelling of the Poem �Pangur B�n�. Jo Ellen Bogart. Illustrated by Sydney Smith. Toronto, ON: Groundwood/House of Anansi Press, 2016. 32 pp., hardcover & pdf, $18.95 (hc.). ISBN 978-1-55498-780-1 (hc.), ISBN 978-1-55498-781-8 (pdf). Subject Headings: Monks-Juvenile fiction. Cats-Juvenile fiction. Truth-Juvenile fiction. Preschool-grade 3 / Ages 4-8. Review by Tamara Opar. **** /4

excerpt:

I, monk and scholar, share my room with my white cat, Pangur. By candle�s light, late into the night, we work, each at a special trade.

As in a wordless book, Pangur, the white cat, leads the reader into this elegant story through a series of black ink drawings that map out his pathway to a door with a warm light shining from beneath. The White Cat and the Monk is a retelling of an old Irish poem, �Pangur B�n�, which tells the story of the companionship shared between a monk and his white cat, Pangur. Each character has a purpose as illustrated throughout the pages; the monk searches for meaning in his manuscripts while the cat pursues a mouse. Each is patient and diligent in his task until its completion; the mouse is caught, and the morning brings light into the darkness for the monk.

     Bogart�s prose is simple and uncluttered, each thought expressed in few words, adding to the reflective tone. The story, itself, includes the subtle lesson of working diligently to reach one�s goals.

     Sydney Smith�s lovely illustrations are created in black ink and watercolour. The black and brown tones mirror the reflective mood of the story, giving way to a burst of colour in the illuminated manuscripts that the monk ponders over.

     Truly a wonderful book, The White Cat and the Monk expresses the richness of the relationship between the two characters. This is an excellent choice to share with a child to enjoy the playfulness of the illustrations that reflect the connection between the Monk and the white cat.

Highly Recommended.

Tamara Opar is Section Head of Children�s and Teen Services at Millennium Library in Winnipeg, MB.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

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Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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