Ruth Brown (1) (1941–)

In this creative, clever, and very attractive picture book, a young boy, Tom, attending the Art Museum with his grandmother, ventures down a corridor to see a unique exhibit of paintings of cats, each in the style of a prominent visual artist. Interestingly, each of the cats has a name that directly or indirectly links it with famous painter. In the manner of shelter cats up for adoption, each cat’s characteristics—physical and/or emotional—are described, and those traits, too, match show more up with the artist for whom it has been named. For example, there’s “Jackson,” an American wirehair, who is described as messy, “often scattering the contents of his food bowl and litter tray” [in a manner reminiscent of the American abstract expressionist Pollock’s drip technique] or “Frida,” an exotic Spanish wildcat cross, who is “slightly lame due to a past accident” like her namesake Frida Kahlo. A particular favourite of mine is Edvard, a “nervous and easily spooked” Norwegian forest cat, who, in Brown’s interpretation of Munch’s “The Scream” is the one really responsible for the human’s intense distress!

As each cat is encountered by Tom, it jumps out of its painting to accompany the boy on his tour. Ultimately, he’s stuck with the problem of what to do with all these felines. No fear. The last painting of a jungle cat in the style of Henri Rousseau solves the problem, frightening all the cats back into their works of art.

At the very end of the book, author/artist Brown identifies all the 13 artists encountered.

This is one of the few books in which the back-cover blurb accurately summarizes the contents. The author has indeed “brilliantly imagined her own masterpieces in this playful exploration of the artistic styles of famous painters down the years.” This truly is “an intriguing introduction to art for the young that will be pored over by children and adults alike.”

Highly recommended. show less

This adorable picture-book, not due out here in the United States until January of 2011, is inspired by the story of real-life heroine Grace Darling, the daughter of the keeper of the Longstone Lighthouse (located in the Farne Islands, off the coast of Northumberland) who, in September of 1838, aided her father in the rescue of nine shipwreck survivors, becoming a national celebrity in the process. Apparently - and I confess, I had not heard of Grace Darling before picking up this book - she show more was the subject of a poem by William Wordsworth, as well as a well-known painting by Victorian painter William Bell Scott, and has featured in a number of books and folk ballads.

Gracie, The Lighthouse Cat however, as the name would imply, is the story, not of Grace Darling herself, but of Gracie, the cat living with Grace and her family at the time of the great rescue. When Gracie's little kitten hears running and shouting one stormy night, he goes to investigate, finding himself locked out of the lighthouse, and almost swept away by an incoming wave. Will Gracie get to him in time to save him from drowning...?

Ruth Brown's narrative - instantly involving for any cat-lover - is clearly meant to parallel the historical tale of Grace (seen only through the illustrations), as young woman and cat both venture out into the wet and stormy night, in order to rescue those in need of aid. I can't help but feel that, had I already been familiar with the history, I would have found this an even more meaningful book. Still, the author/artist provides information in both a brief foreword and afterword, filling in some of the blanks. And the story itself is immediate and compelling, with a very satisfactory happy ending (for cat and kitten, anyway - obviously, not all of the people aboard the SS Forfarshire survived).

The illustrations, also done by Brown, are simply delightful, perfectly capturing the mood of each scene, whether that be the kitten's playful joy, when sitting beside his mama on the window sill, or his terror and confusion, as he is tumbled head over heel by wind and wave. I really liked the dual "narrative" offered by the artwork, as the human and feline tale play out side by side. I know that Ruth Brown is a very well-regarded picture-book creator in Britain, and I can certainly see why! The best picture-books can boast a smooth meeting of word and image, as test and illustrations work together to tell the story. Judged on this basis, Gracie, The Lighthouse Cat is a real winner! show less

The suspense slowly builds, in this dark, dark tale, as the simple, repetitive text, and intensely involving acrylic illustrations work together to draw the reader in. "Once upon a time there was a dark, dark moor," the tale begins, and each two-page spread that follows narrows the focus - there is a dark, dark wood on the dark, dark moor; then a dark, dark house in the dark, dark wood; and so on - until finally, we discover what is waiting for us, at the end of all this dark darkness...

Ruth show more Brown is a well-known British picture-book creator - her recent Gracie, The Lighthouse Cat, published earlier this year, is the only other one of her titles I have read, thus far - and A Dark, Dark Tale, originally released in 1981, looks to be one of her most popular. I can certainly understand why! I really liked the way the text and images worked together, in this one, and the way that Brown sets up her readers' expectations, only to pull the rug out from under them! I don't know if every child will really like the ending, but they will be surprised by it. All in all, this is a title I would recommend giving a try, particularly at Halloween time! show less

Found abandoned as a tiny kitten at Christmastime, Holly the cat is taken in by a human family who name her in honor of the season, and welcome her into their home. Timid at first, Holly soon grows comfortable, growing up and becoming a mother cat herself, as well as a most beloved member of the family...

I discovered Holly: The True Story of a Cat while searching for Christmas stories about cats, and recognizing English author/illustrator Ruth Brown's name, immediately requested it from my show more library. As it happens, the Christmas connection is fairly slight, confined to the fact that Holly is discovered during the holidays, and limited to one or two scenes with a seasonal setting. That being said, I was not disappointed with the book, enjoying the heartwarming story of a homeless cat finding a home and family, and finding the artwork, done in acrylics, watercolors and charcoal pencils, beautifully expressive. Recommended to young cat lovers, and to picture book readers who enjoy (as I do) stories about animals finding a home. show less