Elisha Cooper

When a tiny kitten is introduced into the life of a solitary older cat, the older cat becomes a mentor to the younger one, who eventually grows up and becomes the inseparable companion of his erstwhile teacher. When Big Cat grows old and eventually dies, Little Cat is, together with his human family, left desolate. Until the day that a tiny kitten is introduced into his life, and he finds himself moving from the role of Little Cat to that of Big Cat...

A spare and poignant tale is paired with show more simple but immensely powerful illustrations in Big Cat, Little Cat, which explores the cycle of life, death and new life through the story of three felines, all of whom live in the same city apartment. The text is rather plain, full of declarative sentences - "There was a cat," it begins - but is all the more moving for its simplicity. The narrator, having told us that Big Cat has grown old, gone away, and not come back, declares "And that was hard," an understatement that packs quite an emotional punch. The artwork, done mostly in black and white, with a few pages containing a sepia background, is stark but expressive. There is so much white space on the page - and isn't it refreshing to see an artist who isn't afraid of blank space?! - that the figures of the cats stand out all the more, making every detail more visible, more endearing, more powerful. A beautiful little book, Big Cat, Little Cat is one I would recommend to anyone looking for children's stories about companionship, love, loss, and healing. show less

"Magic contemplates his next move. Should he go in? Or out? Or should he stay right where he is..." So begins this adorable tale of a tubby feline - Magic is one fat cat! - who decides (as is so often the case with our cat companions) that staying put is the best course of action. Of course a sedentary feline can still dream, and Magic entertains a thrilling story of his own exploits - riding on the back of a swimming moose to a nearby island, and enjoying a feast of salmon and blackberries show more with the local bears - as he sits in the doorway, peacefully napping and watching the lake.

Apparently Magic is a real cat(!), as revealed by the photograph and brief biography on the back cover of Elisha Cooper's book. This makes perfect sense to me, as he feels like a real cat in the story. Many is the time I have observed my own cat pondering the difficult choices available to him - nap on the bed? stretch out in the windowsill? make the long trek to the kitchen for some kibble? - before settling back down again into a relaxed snooze. Cooper clearly knows his cats, something that comes through in his simple but expressive story, and his charming artwork, which captures the beauty and humor of one large kitty's life. Highly recommended to all cat lovers, young and old! show less

Picture-book author/artist Elisha Cooper explores a day at the beach in this engaging title, opening at dawn when the strand is almost deserted, depicting the myriad of activities and events that occur as people begin to arrive, and closing at dusk, as once again the sand begins to empty. In between, wordless two-page spreads are intermingled with spreads in which a series of miniature illustrations are paired with a description of what is going on. People swim, sunbathe and play in the show more sand, enjoying the beauty of this border region between land and sea...

Having enjoyed every other Elisha Cooper title I have picked up - favorites would have to include the wonderfully droll Magic Thinks Big, as well as the immensely poignant Big Cat, Little Cat - I wasn't surprised to find that Beach had immense appeal for me. Cooper captures the sense of magic and fun of a day at the shore, not just for individuals but for the entire ecosystem. The artwork, done in watercolor and pencil, is just lovely, and the text evocative. When the author writes: "The perfect wave lifts high and drops low and can be felt in the stomach," I was transported to my own youth, and the magical days I spent at the beach with my own family, jumping through waves again and again, until exhausted. Recommended to all young beach lovers, and to anyone looking for picture-books about what humans get up to at the shore. show less

The marvelously talented picture-book author and illustrator Elisha Cooper, who won a Caldecott Honor for his Big Cat, Little Cat, returns to the form in this lovely new title. Following a dog and cat through their day, this entertaining book compares and contrasts the personalities and internal rhythms of its canine and feline characters. As the narrator asks questions and makes suggestions, the dog and cat react differently, with the former being more enthusiastic and alert in the early show more part of the day, and the latter becoming more active later on...

As a great fan of Elisha Cooper's work, I was eager to track down a copy of Yes & No, and am pleased that it finally arrived at my local library. Although the structure of the book—the narrator's consistent interrogation of the animals—sometimes struck me as a little intrusive, I was so charmed by the concept, and the delightful artwork (done in ink and watercolor) that I still found the book excellent. Cooper's dog and cat are so expressive here—particularly the dog!—that it was a pleasure to peruse these pages. Recommended to fellow fans of Cooper's work, and to picture-book readers looking for dog and/or cat stories. show less