Big Cat, little cat

Big Cat, little cat
Author Elisha Cooper
Publisher Roaring Brook Press, Macmillan Books
Publication date
 March 14, 2017
Pages unpaged
Awards Caldecott Honor
ISBN 978-1-62672-371-9
OCLC 1023776336
Website http://www.elishacooper.com/index.php/books/detail/big_cat_little_cat

Big Cat, little cat is a 2017 picture book by Elisha Cooper. The book was a 2018 Caldecott Honor.


Plot

A story of two cats, an older white cat lives alone until it is joined by a younger black cat. Over the course of the story the two cats age, until the white cat dies. The white cat is mourned for by the family and the black cat, when one day a new white kitten joins the family.

Themes and illustrations

The book's spare monochromatic illustrations[1][2] were a departure of style for Cooper[3] and were close to that of a Japanese brush painter.[4] Despite the spares illustrations they were able to convey a lot. Critics noted the way that the words and pictures were "all cat" without being anthropomorphic[2] [5] and also noted the way that "the subtle background colors of selected spreads—yellow for happy times, gray for sad—effectively convey the emotions."[6] Critics noted that the book's illustrations and writings served its circle of life theme well.[1][6] [4]

Criticism and awards

The book received critical praise. Martha Parravano writing for Horn Book in a starred review wrote, "The circular nature of the story is beautifully reinforced by the repetition in both art and text, and the result is at once realistic and comforting."[1] The book also received starred reviews in the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books,[2] Kirkus, [6] Publishers Weekly, [4] and School Library Journal.[5]

The book also was recognized as a 2018 Caldecott Honor book with the award committee citing the book's "Simple and joyful domestic routines underscore the deeply entwined lives of two feline companions and the impact of loss on one. "[7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 PARRAVANO, MARTHA V. "Big Cat, Little Cat." Horn Book Magazine, vol. 93, no. 2, Mar/Apr2017, pp. 66-67. EBSCOhost.
  2. 1 2 3 Stevenson, Deborah. "Big Cat, Little Cat by Elisha Cooper (review)." Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, vol. 70 no. 6, 2017, pp. 262-262. Project MUSE, doi:10.1353/bcc.2017.0094
  3. ↑ Danielson, Julie and Travis Jonker. "The Year in Pictures." Horn Book Magazine, vol. 94, no. 4, Jul/Aug2018, pp. 42-46. EBSCOhost.
  4. 1 2 3 “Big Cat, Little Cat.” Publishers Weekly, vol. 264, no. 49, Dec. 2017, p. 21. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lkh&AN=127263290&site=lrc-plus.
  5. 1 2 Mellinger, Paige. "Big Cat, Little Cat." School Library Journal, February 2017.
  6. 1 2 3 "Big Cat, Little Cat." Kirkus Reviews, vol. 84, no. 23, 12/1/2016, p. 1. EBSCOhost.
  7. ↑ "Erin Entrada Kelly, Matthew Cordell win Newbery, Caldecott Medals". American Library Association. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
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