Caroline Evensen Lazo

Lazo, Caroline

Someday When My Cat Can Talk
Illustrated by Kyrsten Brooker. 2008. 32pp. $16.99 hc. Random House. 978-0-3758-3754-8. Grades K-3

The imaginative heroine of this story imagines what her cat will tell her if ever her cat learns to speak. Her imaginings begin with prosaic details from the life of a cat, but soon blossom into trips overseas her cat has taken all across Europe, from England to Spain to the Netherlands. In England, her cat takes tea; in Italy, he speaks to the songbird show more of a great soprano. The warm, cozy collage art illustrations show the joy of the cat's secret journeys and experiences. A few additional pages at the back explain the cultural traditions the heroine's cat speaks about, from afternoon tea in England to the prevalence of tulips in the Netherlands. Small children looking for a fantastical adventure will enjoy the magic of the cat's speech and the exploratory nature of the cat's travels through Europe (though some may wonder why the cat did not travel all over the world). Recommended as a bedtime story (the cat's secret travels occur only at night) and for cat lovers. show less

This is a wonderfully illustrated children's book that is a must-read for cat and geography lovers! The illustrations are truly deserving of a Caldecott. I showed it to one of the art professors here who loved the illustrations too!

I liked this book because it showed that the little girl in the story showed that she has imagination. Students should be pushed to have an imagination when in school so, it can get them thinking about stuff that they have never really thought about before.

Collage illustrations are well done, story is ok.