Inside Cat might think it knows everything there is to know from observing the world, but of course human readers know that the outside is wild, and distance changes your view of everything.
The world of inside is pale and colorless – and in contrast, outside is vibrant, interesting, and stranger than strange. It wonders and wanders all day long, looking out of windows of all kinds, at all sorts of things. Inside Cat views the world from, well, inside. Brendan Wenzel’s latest picture book is ART – and it’s funny, charming, original, and thought-provoking too!
All I had to see were the titular cat’s enormous eyes and the title (Inside Cat), and I was hooked. Tastes vary of course, so other picture-book readers might want to give this a try, particularly if they are fans of Wenzel's work, or just want a fun kitty cat-centric picture-book.Ĭan you resist a picture book with a hilarious (and beautifully designed) cover? I certainly can’t. In sum, I think this was one I liked more in part, than in total, appreciating the concept and the final page the most, but remaining only mildly interested in the whole.
That being said, although I loved that final spread, I didn't enjoy the foregoing artwork quite as much, despite its good qualities. The artwork throughout most of the book was humorous and fun, and I thought the shift in style on the final spread, when the cat finally steps out into the world, provided a dramatic visual emphasis of the theme of discovery of the whole, after only glimpsing it in segments. I found that the series of windows through which the cat observed the world grew tedious, and I sometimes thought the rhyme scheme was rather awkward. That being said, although I did end up appreciating it, I didn't enjoy it as much as I expected to do. Inside Cat is Wenzel's ninth picture-book-the fourth that he both wrote and illustrated-and I approached it with great anticipation, given my enjoyment of his previous work, and my fondness for both his art, and for his clever exploration of themes such as perception, and how it can change depending upon the viewer. The narrative suggests he knows it all, given his constant observation, but when he finally steps out of his building, the cat perceives how much of the world he has missed. The eponymous inside cat gazes at the world through a series of windows in this rhyming tale, getting to know a lot about the world and the people and creatures in it. Picture-book author and artist Brendan Wenzel, who won a Caldecott Honor for his 2016 They All Saw A Cat, returns to the form and to the question of perception in this newest offering, published in 2021.
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