A child sees it. But a dog sees it, too. And a fox. A goldfish. A mouse. A flea. Even a bumble bee sees the cat, and a bird on high.
How do you think each and every viewer sees this cat? Do they see it all the same?
I absolutely love this concept for a picture book. Not only is it clever and priceless for teaching children the many and varied (one for each person alive!) points of view, it offers up a divine way to create one character in a multitude of ways, using varying illustration techniques, from the pixelated dots of the bumble bee's view to the micro-vision of the cat's fur for the flea.
I particularly love the view of the cat from the goldfish bowl and the view of itself in a pond.
Clever, whimsical and a lot of fun. Would make a wonderful read-aloud story for groups of children, with stacks of rabid conversation to follow. It would also spark conversations on diversity, and the way we see each other.
Like me, kids would also be inspired to draw objects from varying points of view, making it the perfect classroom activity.
Title: They All Saw a Cat
Author/Illustrator: Brendan Wenzel
Publisher: Chronicle, $29.99
Publication Date: 1 September 2016
Format: Hard cover with dust jacket
ISBN: 9781452150130
For ages: 2 - 7
Type: Picture Book