Judith Kerr (1923–2019)

This book had me sniggering on my morning commute! Poor Mog, that adorably befuddled kitty who debuted in Judith Kerr's Mog the Forgetful Cat, once again finds herself on the outs with her human family in this adorable Christmas tale. Finding the house in an uproar one day, with all of her usual playmates - Debbie, Nikky, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas - all too busy to spend time with her, she retreats outdoors, only to be confronted by a walking, talking tree! Fleeing to the rooftop, from which she show more refuses to be rousted, Mog huddles by herself in the cold and snow, eventually curling up on one particularly high surface. It isn't until the next morning that she returns home, by a most unusual route...

Like the other Mog books, Mog's Christmas presents an engaging and well-written story. The scene in which Mog confronts the moving tree (propelled, unbeknownst to her, by Mr. Thomas), is particularly amusing: Mog thought, "Trees don't walk. Trees should stay in one place. Once trees start walking about anything might happen." She ran up the side of the house in case the tree should come and get her. "Come down," shouted the tree. "Come down, Mog!" "First it walks," thought Mog, "and now it's shouting at me. I do not like that tree at all." And she ran right up to the roof. Then again, when Mog tumbles down the chimney, ala Father Christmas, that too was hilarious! Entertaining, heart-warming, and visually appealing - I really liked Judith Kerr's artwork here! - this is a wonderful addition to the Mog series, and a sweet little Christmas story as well. Recommended to all young cat lovers, and to fans of Mog. show less

Mog gets into trouble again in this tenth title devoted to her adventures, turning up her nose at her usual dinner fish, as well as the cat food that Nicky offers instead. Mr. Thomas, rather cross from putting out the bin-bags in the freezing snow, insists that Mog will NOT get an egg (her usual breakfast food) after refusing two perfectly good dinners. Mog, now cross herself, stalks out into the cold night and falls asleep. When she awakens, she discovers that a family of foxes have come to show more visit her garden, and are busy pawing through the trash. Escaping into the kitchen, Mog is not happy when her vulpine visitors follow her. Fortunately, while she takes refuge on Debbie's bed for the night, the foxes take care of her rejected dinner, leading Mr. Thomas to conclude in the morning (when the foxes are safely gone) that Mog is a good cat after all...

Mog seems to have an inordinate number of surreal dreams in her stories, from Mog In the Dark to Mog's Amazing Birthday Caper, and Mog on Fox Night is no exception! I chuckled at the scene in her dream in which she and Mr. Thomas fight over a bin-bag filled with all the eggs in the world. Mog's expressions here, from her (self-consciously) sad face when begging for different food, to her wide-eyed indignation at finding her garden invaded, are as droll as ever, while the story will keep fans of this persnickety kitty entertained. Mog always seems to land on her feet, not so much through cleverness, but through good luck. Recommended to fans of the forgetful Mog, or to young children who enjoy stories of adorable kitties. For myself, with a plump Mog and a family of foxes, what's not to love? show less

Katinka was a "lovely, perfectly ordinary pussycat." At least, that's what her human lady thought. The two spent their days happily together, but it wasn't until she woke late one night and went looking for Katinka that the little old lady discovered just how extraordinary her feline friend was. For this cat's tail, already a different color fur than the rest of her body, had some magical qualities...

One of Britain's most celebrated children's authors, Judith Kerr, the creator of the Mog the show more Forgetful Cat picture-books, as well the author of the autobiographical novel, When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, delivers an entertaining new tale with Katinka's Tail. There are some surreal qualities here, as is to be expected from Kerr, who often manages to subvert the reader's expectation of a "sweet" story. I loved the artwork, which captures Katinka's feline charms quite well, and enjoyed the use of shiny metallic ink, in the scenes in which our eponymous feline performs her magic. Recommended to young cat lovers, and to fellow Judith Kerr admirers... show less

When the Thomas family goes to America for the summer holidays, Mog is sent to stay with Granny and her cat Tibbles. Although Mog "didn't like things to be exciting. She liked them to be the same," she finds that staying with Granny isn't so bad. She's well-cared for, and she and Tibbles usually get along. But when a frightening day-dream involving Debbie being kidnapped by some 'bird-people' precipitates the alarmed feline into the centre of Granny's tea party, causing catastrophe, the show more clumsy Mog is disheartened. Then she gets a vision of the Thomases returning, and sets off to welcome them home, only to find herself chased up a tree by a local dog. How will she get down, and will it happen in time for her to welcome her family...?

Judith Kerr's thirteenth title devoted to the adventures of that adorably befuddled kitty whose story began in Mog the Forgetful Cat (1970), Mog and the Granny contained a number of themes to be found in earlier entries in the series. Mog's penchant for (unintentionally) causing trouble, and then withdrawing in hurt and confusion can be seen here, as can her proclivity towards unusual dream imagery featuring threatening bird-like creatures. The 'bird-people,' who are really 'Red Indians' participating in a show that the Thomases are enjoying over in America, reminded me of the 'mousedogbirds' that our feline heroine encountered in Mog In the Dark. The association was interesting, although I think the reader is meant to understand that the images that Mog sees in this case are visions of actual events, rather than just dreams. As a fan of the series, I wish I could say that I enjoyed this one, but I was troubled by the scenes involving Native Americans here, much as I was in Mog's Amazing Birthday Caper. Not only is there quite a bit of cultural confusion - men in full stereotypical Plains regalia, standing outside tipis, while totem poles(!) appear in the background - but the entire sequence seems to rest on the perception of Native peoples as tourist attractions and curiosities, rather than as real human beings. Symbols and myths, rather than residents of the present-day world. Although children's books in the USA and Canada still sometimes contain this kind of depiction of indigenous peoples, I think it is becoming less common. In the UK and other parts of Europe, on the other hand, the exotification of the native peoples of the western hemisphere continues, and there seems to be little awareness of why this might be problematic. Sadly, this is not one of the Mog books I recommend, and I can understand why it hasn't been published in the states... show less