Newbery Medal (John Newbery Medal)
The Blue Cat of Castle Town
A lyrical children's tale in which a blue cat follows the river's song back to Castle Town and helps restore the town's memory of beauty and handmade craft.
Work Information
A blue cat returns to Castle Town and revives the town's lost sense of wonder.
Set in Castle Town, Vermont, this children's tale follows a blue cat and the townspeople around it, letting a quiet sense of harmony and the value of handmade work rise back to the surface.
Book Information
- Publisher
- Dover Publications
- Published
- 2017-07-18
- Pages
- 128 pages
- Language
- 英語
- Size
- 13.97 x 1.27 x 22.23 cm
- ISBN-13
- 9780486815275
- ISBN-10
- 0486815277
- Price
- 2149 JPY
- Category
- 洋書/Children's Books/Animals/Cats
"An imaginative, poetic, and often amusing story, written with great skill." — Kirkus Reviews Once in a blue moon, a blue kitten is born. And that little cat knows how to hear the song of the river — the ancient song of creation, as old as the world itself. Occasionally there have been men and women who were born knowing the song, but mortals cannot teach it to each other. Only a blue cat can do that, one who sings and believes in the song. This is the story of the blue cat sent by the river to restore the days of Bright Enchantment, when there was beauty and peace and contentment in people's hearts. But now a dark spell is enveloping Castle Town, brewing an obsession with gold and possessions. The river's song declares that riches and power will fade, while the beauty of handmade crafts endures, and the blue cat must find a mortal who will not only listen to the song but also sing it. Inspired by the real-life artistry of 19th-century Vermont crafters, this charmingly illustrated 1950 Newbery Honor winner continues to captivate young dreamers.
Vermont native Catherine Cate Coblentz (1897–1951) wrote a dozen children's books in the 1930s and 40s. The Blue Cat of Castle Town is a 1950 Newbery Honor book and won the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1958.
Reviews
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This book charmed me from the time I laid my eyes on its cover! Even though it is classified as juvenile fiction, I thought it had a message that every person, adult and child, could benefit from. The message of this book really resonated with me - Riches will pass and power. Beauty remains. Sing your own song. I have always been one to "sing my own song" even when it has led to my being highly misunderstood. I've also come to find that I am happiest when I am creating something - whether it be writing a book, an article, drawing or painting, or even creating my own physical product. Even though this book was written in the 1940s, it rings true today as the Blue Cat teaches us that the current obsession with gold and possessions is indeed a dark spell. The book brings readers back to a time when there was beauty and peace and contentment in people's hearts, and teaches us that if we sing our own song and use our lives to fashion beauty, we can attain that peace and contentment once again.
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This book is lovely only a bit sad. Maybe not a good idea for a bed-time story because a man dies at the beginning of the story.
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My daughters and I read this book together in a couple days. It was a beautiful story. All three of us enjoyed it. I'd say any age would enjoy this. The story is meaningful and we love cats so that's a plus!
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A perfect fairytale about a sleepy little town with just the right amount of magic and a blue cat that may or may not have sang his own song to those who might hear it.
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A comforting children's book that weaves small amounts of the actual history of a small town in Vermont with an inspiring story of people (and cats) coming to understand what they have to offer others and themselves.