Klimt and his Cat
Written by Berenice Capatti
Illustrated by Octavia Monaco
Published by Eerdmans Young Readers
They say the world is divided between Dog people and Cat people, and if you look at the average funny pages on the Internet, you can bet that the most popular videos on YouTube or images on Break.Com are always of cats doing the daftest things.
Cats are hugely inspirational though, and many of the world's most famous authors, philosophers and artists all owned moggies. Including Gustav Klimt. Klimt's artwork has always been a huge favourite of mine, and introducing Klimt's gold-encrusted images to Charlotte has been something I've wanted to do for a long time, ever since she started to show an interest in classic works of art.
So this picture book is absolutely perfect, because it sets up a semi-factual child-friendly account of Klimt's life through the eyes of his most valued companion.
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| Gustav Klimt and his furry feline pal |
The story is really lovely, as the cat narrates the various stages of Klimt's life. Surprisingly for such a fussy feline, the cat is even vastly forgiving of Klimt's dress code (potato sack!) and erratic behaviour. As we all know, though - if there's one thing cats know about, it's how to ally with sheer genius.
The book shows off some of Klimt's real-life artwork towards the end. If you're looking for an utterly absorbing story but also want to teach your children a little bit more about a fascinating artist and his works, this is a beautiful little book.
Charlotte's best bit: Katze (Klimt's cat) loves going on holiday with his owner.
Daddy's Favourite bit: Funny, entertaining and an absolutely gorgeously illustrated book.