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The Blue Cat of Castle Town

ジョン・ニューベリー・メダル(ニューベリー賞)

The Blue Cat of Castle Town

Catherine Cate Coblentz

青い猫が河の歌に導かれて町に現れ、忘れられた美しさと手仕事の記憶を呼び戻す、寓話性の高い児童文学。

共同体手仕事美しさと欲望

作品情報

青い猫が Castle Town に戻り、町に失われた美しさを呼び覚ます。

Vermont の Castle Town を舞台に、青い猫と町の人々をめぐる物語を通して、失われかけた調和や手仕事の価値が静かに立ち上がる児童文学。

書籍情報

出版社
Dover Publications
発売日
2017-07-18
ページ数
128ページ
言語
英語
サイズ
13.97 x 1.27 x 22.23 cm
ISBN-13
9780486815275
ISBN-10
0486815277
価格
2149 JPY
カテゴリ
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.

レビュー

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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!

  • 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.

  • 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.

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