THE CATAWAMPUS CAT

A sideways-leaning cat strolls into town and sparks a revolution in perspective.

The simply drawn gray cat with a small smile and pinpoint eyes peers at readers from the bottom-right corner of the cover—at an angle, of course. While his appearance is unremarked upon at first, soon enough the grocer, the barber, a house painter, and numerous others find their lives being sent off-kilter (in a good way) simply because they notice the cat’s unusual orientation. A lost ring is found and a romance rekindled, a new hairstyle is created, and a standard paint job turns avant-garde. Gordon’s busy, collage-style multimedia illustrations combine line drawings, photographs, vintage images, and painted effects to create the bustling town, its energetic inhabitants, and the nonchalant feline at the center of the story. Eaton’s clever, quirky, peripatetic text, meanwhile, winds on to an amusing, outlandish conclusion as the new viewpoint is adopted and celebrated by all. Feline fanciers won’t be surprised to discover that the cat finds a way to express his nonconformity and independence even in the midst of all the hoopla. While much of the wordplay and humor will be enjoyed chiefly by adult readers, young listeners will likely enjoy poring over the detail-filled artwork.

A pleasing reminder that finding a new point of view can create positive change.