One of my preschooler’s very favorite books of last year was Beastly Babies by Ellen Jackson and illustrated by Brendan Wenzel. An animal lover at heart, he couldn’t get enough of its playful illustrations. So when we saw that Brendan Wenzel has a new book out, we were excited to get a copy. And after reading it, we’re certain that if They All Saw a Cat isn’t a contender for the Caldecott Award, we’ll be very, very surprised.
The story is simple: a cat with his paws, whiskers and all, goes for a walk. The illustrations show the different animals (and people) whom he encounters on this stroll, and we get to see the cat from their perspectives. The illustrations are simply brilliant and have sparked so many questions in my kids, like, Why does the cat look that way to the dog? The bee? The flea?
Related: 7 fantastic children’s books to pick up before they hit theaters this year.
While the perspectives in They All Saw a Cat can easily be appreciated by children on a literal level, I’ve also found that my older kids are seeing an extra layer of meaning — that sometimes we see people, events, and places differently than others do. And any book that promotes understanding and appreciation for others is one that’s going to find a permanent place on my bookshelf.
You can find They All Saw a Cat by Brendan Wenzel at our affiliate Amazon or at your local bookstore.
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