The Cat Who Loved Mozart

Mozart was just five when he became a great pianist. This worries Jennifer because she is already nine and does not feel she is great yet. I liked this aspect of the book because I think it's important for kids to know that you can discover your dreams and passions at any age. When I was a kid sometimes I felt like I couldn't do something because I didn't start very young so I would have to start from scratch even when there were kids younger than me who had already mastered the art. Jennifer finds a stray cat who she tries to please with toys and treats but reacts to nothing. Jennifer just wants the cat to love her and be comfortable with her but nothing works. When she goes to practice on the piano she realizes that the cat loves when show more she plays, especially when she plays well. Her cat gives her the courage to play her heart out at the contest. I really love that the cat and she connect through music because animals are often like best friends especially to children. Animals can even be used for therapy and this is a perfect example of how much a pet can help improve a child's self-esteem! This was a great read and the illustrations were beautiful with earth tones and painting texture. show less

Ms. Austin weaves a tapestry of human-feline connection in this endearing story of a young girl, Jennifer, and her rescued cat, Mozart. Jennifer tried so hard to spoil her new kitty, but Mozart who showed signs of past trauma initially failed to respond to her attempts. I can't help but think that Jennifer's music was therapy for Mozart, and therefore love the plot twist of the cat's image soothing Jennifer's nerves at her piano competition. A testimony to the healing power of music and love.

My heart has been given a gift.

An aspiring pianist concert pianist finds an unlikely muse when she adopts a stray cat, who refuses her attempts at friendship until he hears her practicing Mozart for her upcoming recital. A sweet story about how we can find strength and inspiration in the bonds we forge with our pets.

This book is wonderful, and not just because Dr. Austin wrote it. It is because it spoke to me more than more, if not all, of the other books I have read in this class. My partner and I have four cats (although I would have 20 if I could) and they all have their own personalities, just like Amadeus (which is an adorable name for a cat). For instance, my youngest Merlin, loves when I play video games, far less sophisticated than Amadeus but still very adorable. All four love when my partner plays the viola (or any other of the many she plays), similar to Jennifer playing the piano. This book was very adorable for any cat or music lover and the illustrations were an amazing way to allow you to visualize everything happening, especially show more the picture of Jennifer trying to "capture" the cat. The way the illustrator illustrated Amadeus you could really see the struggle of the scene, but gladly everything worked out with love and attention that followed. Overall, an amazingly adorable book. show less

I had this book in my son's childhood library, as he loves cats. As he grew older, he recognized in this story his own attempts to get stay cats to gain his trust. a sweet book about trust and the comforts of friendship. It could be good book for a child nervous about a performance to read, to help them to think of visualization strategies to cope with nerves. Beautiful, classical painting quality illustrations.

Genre: Fiction
Audience: Pre k-5
This was a beautifully illustrated book about the friendship between a young girl and a cat that was brought about through music. The pictures were very realistic and the story was heart warming. I will use this book in class to focus on the ideas of friendship through music.

I am a huge cat person and all of this semester I couldn't wait to read Dr. Austin's book, The Cat Who Loved Mozart.
This is the sweet story about a young girl named Jennifer and the stray cat that she finds one day. Jennifer names the cat Amadeus after Wolgang Amadeus Mozart. At first Amadeus is not very keen of Jennifer, he clawed her hands when she tried to hold him, disliked the catnip she bought him, and hated to be brushed by Jennifer. But, one day when Jennifer went to practice Mozart's Sonata in C, Amadeus jumped up on the bench next to her and listened. When Jennifer played a note wrong, Amadeus' ears twitched, but when Jennifer played the notes correctly, Amadeus cuddled closer to her on the piano bench. When it came time for show more Jennifer to compete in a piano competition, she was nervous, her father told her to simply think of Amadeus with her on the bench to help her play. Jennifer won first place!
I really enjoyed this book! I could totally picture Amadeus and Jennifer, and I was also able to relate to the characters. I have a cat named Samson and at first when we brought him home, he was not very fond of me, but now we are great companions. show less