Black Cat

by Christopher Myers

On an eye-opening journey through urban landscapes, a stray black cat leaps, listens, and dances to the city's pulsating beats while searching for a home. Cool hip-hop rhythms and innovative collage artwork combine to create a book layered with meaning about identity, beauty, and home. Full color.

Genres: Picture Books, Poetry, Animals, Cats, Childrens, Fiction, Art

Hardcover

First published April 1, 1999

About the author

Christopher Dean "Chris" Myers is an American writer and illustrator of children's books. In 1998, Myers won a Caldecott Honor for his illustrations in Harlem. The following year, he wrote and illustrated Black Cat, a book that received a Coretta Scott King Award (2000). In addition to writing and illustrating his own stories, Myers often illustrates books written by his father Walter Dean Myers.

Source: Wikipedia.

Reviews

[Sarah Landwehr · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Black Cat" by Christopher Myers narrates the whereabouts of a stray cat in a big city repeatedly asking, "black cat, black cat...where's your home?" Finally, after a montage of poetic lines the cat responds "anywhere I roam." The narration is poetic and utilizes metaphors that can only be understood with aid from the illustrations, which combine photography, collage, ink, and gouache. "Black Cat" is a unique poem that highlights the harsh reality of the life of a stray cat. For this reason, I think it could be best used with slightly older students (fourth and fifth grade) as an introduction to an art lesson; it's an excellent example of collages and how different styles of art can be combined to create unique images. Meyers’ unique picture book proves that art comes in a variety of styles and can even be found “over yellow subway seats.”

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poem of a black cat prowling the city through it’s streets, subways, alleys, playgrounds, fences, fire escapes, and rooftops. Where does he live?

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having recently read an op-ed in the New York Times by this author regarding the lack of diversity in children's books in America, I chose to search out his work.

I must say that I loved this book both for the writing and the illustrations, which richly conveyed the mood and environment of the intercity. His multi-media approach to illustration is both stark and complex at the same time.

The op-ed pointed out that diversity in books was important both for the minority child, who needs to see him/herself in stories in order to recognize his/her potential, but also for the white children, who may not see diversity in their own lives, a problem unfortunately all the more common as we increasingly segregate our neighborhoods.

This book points out that we need to present not only a diversity along racial lines but also regarding environment (city, suburb, farm etc.) and a diversity of ideas in order to give the world to our children in their books.

[Nancy Kotkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An illustrated poem about a black cat who roams the streets of an inner city neighborhood. The poem's refrain wonders whether or not the skinny stray cat has a home. The cat answers this question at the end. Not your typical children's picture book, but groundbreaking in terms of lyrical text, subject matter, and art style. The illustrations are photographs enhanced with paint and mixed-media collage. The photographs are scenes from Harlem and Brooklyn. The result is a triumph of diversity and creativity.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

As much as I loved the illustrations, I am dying to type the text out and have it stand alone because Myers paints his words with such imagery and sensory detail. I definitely want to use this in my poetry writing unit.

[Bethel Swift · Rating 5 out of 5]

This poem and the artwork took me right back to growing up in Chicago's inner city. I love the ending (won't spoil it for you) and the realistic yet poetic portrayal of big city life via a black cat in Brooklyn.

[Cassidy Flood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book, but once I found out that it was based on real places in his hometown I liked it even more.

[Mr. Cody · Rating 3 out of 5]

Time and place Harlem vibes.

[Grace Brennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like how the illustrations bounce back and forth between real photos of a city and chalk drawings. It is a very dynamic book that depicts city life from the perspective of a city cat.

[Jordyn Reddy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Black Cat by Christopher Myers is a short read with thoroughly illustrated pages. The book was not one of my favorites based on the storyline, but the illustrations were very in depth and fun to look at. The story line explains a cat who does not have a home and simply roams. His home is wherever he goes.

[Jill Westerbur · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave Black Cat a 3 star rating because it was interesting but had too much detail. I liked this book and the illustrations were very different but it was a little hard to find the words on each page and because the illustrations are so unique The suspense and mystery in the story were the best aspects of the story. It was written with an underlying beat and rhythm. A black cat is looking for a home in the city. The city is a little rough- glass bottles on ledges and graffiti covered walls are all over town. Windows are bricked in and the basketball hoops have no nets. He jumps, listens, and prances through the city. He repeatedly asked through out the book "Where is your home" who seems to find home wherever he roams.

[Amy Layton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am in love with anything written by the Myers family, and this is no exception.  Told in rhyme and photography collages, Black Cat follows a black cat around Harlem all the while wondering where his home truly is.  Perhaps metaphorical, perhaps fun, perhaps both, Christopher Myers' book questions the notion of home, wandering, and place.  Overall, this is truly a piece of artwork that the city-loving child will enjoy.  Great for grades K-3.

Review cross-listed here!

[Rahim Hython · Rating 5 out of 5]

Black Cat is a very mysterious and quite intriguing book that all walks of life could enjoy. With rhythmic poetry and dark pictures Black Cat is about a wandering cat being repeatedly asked through out the book "Where is your home" who seems to find home wherever he roams. I wish I read more books like this when I was a child, so dark and mysterious, fits my personality. I would this would perfect for ages 4-7, but also perfect for all ages.

[Vincent Reese · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Black Cat book written and illustrated by Christopher Myers is a great early elementary education picture book that should be on the "Caldecott" winners list. The moral of the story expresses the life a a black cat being chased by its reader as the cat travels through a urban city. The reader is trying to find the cats home but finds the cat ignores him or her until the end to give the reader an answer. The pictures are very artistic in visual appeal in explaining the journey of the black cat. An early education student maybe able to depict the good emotions the illustrator is trying to express once they have visual of the images presented in the book.

Furthermore, I think the legibility of the text within the book shows a great detail for the true American to understand which I believe american parents would love for their children's future well-being. Although, the text might also lead to them wanting to create some type of graffiti text script themselves which might not be the best thing for their individual learning capabilities unless used in accordance with something of a literary standard under advisement. Yet, the book could help the youths that read it by it keeping their love of animals or their future alive with their emotions keeping right inside of them in turn building their self-esteem. In conclusion, I personally would recommend the book to other elementary education teachers to show their students based on its civic standards of illustrations.

By,
Vincent Reese
ASU Student ID# 1000897213

[Onnalee Lach · Rating 3 out of 5]

Black Cat is a cat who wanders the streets of a city. The city is a little rough- glass bottles on ledges and graffiti covered walls are all over town. Windows are bricked in and the basketball hoops have no nets. This rhythmic story presents the idea of home and wanderers. This cat has no apparent home, and the reader explores what that's like for him.

I gave this book three stars. It does have really interesting illustrations. They are made of pictures (from Harlem and a city in a Brooklyn neighborhood) and drawings and paintings layered on top. These illustrations do a good job of setting the tone of the book. The illustrations aren't explicitly frightening, but they do bring out some memories of being in a dark city, which can be scary. The story itself is okay, but it may be too abstract for children. However, children who live in a city may be able to relate better than those who are used to the suburban life. Using an understanding of the child's background knowledge, one will be able to provide the appropriate amount of support.

[Beth Crownover · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book and the illustrations were very different but it was a little hard to find the words on each page and because the illustrations are so unique it took me a minute to figure out what was going on and where the black cat was on the page because many of the illustrations are in dark colors. The book should be read to very young students, kindergarten and below. The sentences are very simple and short, easy for kids to understand and they enjoy finding the cat on each page. The illustrations are a combination of photographs, collage, ink, and gouache, as said in the book, done in a modern style. The illustrations are very creative, many of them are a photo of a city scene that are then painted and inked over in places and the cat is usually a collage of different materials ontop of the background scene as it roams the streets. Because the book uses such short phrases the illustrations really help to enhance the book. They make the reader pay attention and look close to really understand what the cat is doing in each picture. This book won the Coretta Scott King Award.

[Bethany Corkran · Rating 3 out of 5]

This fiction picture book by Christopher Myers is an interesting story about a cat that sees many sights in his city. He crawls on top of buildings, leaves footprints in chalk on the sidewalks, and he passes by neon churches. Throughout the book the reader is prompted to ask, "Where is your home?" and we find out at the end of the book that the answer to that question is, "Wherever I roam." I liked this book because of the illustrations, but there really isn't much of a story like to follow. I would use this book in my classroom to teach my students to gather details of the setting of the story. They could make lists of all the details about the setting and then get in groups and decide on an American city in which this story could have taken place.

[Hannahcarlson7875gmail.Com]

I really enjoyed the book Black Cat because I think it allows a group of students to see themselves in children lit when they might rarely be able to do so. Pictures of barb wire fences, police lights, basketball hoops without nets aren’t illustrations that you see every day in children lit. Usually you see pictures of nice houses with wood picket fences and perfect playgrounds, this isn’t a reality for a large population of children. Without stories like Black Cat, children might feel like they are the only children out there living a life that looks different. I also liked that the end of the book emphasized that home is wherever you roam. I think this is powerful and relates to a lot of students who might not have their own home, live on the streets, or go between houses frequently.

[Kinley Schnell]

Summary: This book was about a stray black cat who roams throughout the whole city. He travels to places like the basketball court, subway, and random buildings. But the general population wants to know where is the black cat from and where does he go?

Thoughts: I enjoyed this book because of the unique illustrations as well as the rhythmic writing. I think this is a very simple book for students to read, not a lot of content however, as a teacher I feel like there are many different themes/topics you could discuss.

Classroom: I would use this book to introduce poetry to my students as well as talk about different types of lifestyles. It shows pictures of a city so we could talk about the difference in city life vs. country life.

[Todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Follow the journey of a stray black cat roaming through a city. Read as he jumps through basketball hoops and chain link fences. Who does he belong to? Where will he go next? Read to find out.
I really loved the illustrations in this book because it uses mixed media and I love that. I also loved that despite the words being simple, they are very descriptive.
I would use this book in a classroom setting to show what you can find in a city and for an older audience I would point out the uses of mixed media and how that can be used in a children's book.

[Abigail Cruz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book because of the rhythm and language! I love how we follow the cat throughout the city and learn that different things make us feel at home or familiar. I also love the artwork within the book and how it compliments the word and movement of the cat. The final words though are my favorite part of the entire book because it shows that home can be anywhere we make it, even in unconventional places. I think that this is important for children to see because some have had to make a home wherever they go.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing collection of art mediums come together to give a view of the city and the home of the Black Cat who lives there. The black cat is overlaid with pattern and paint to create a very beautiful, regal image. The cat goes everywhere in the city and is comfortable is all situations - night and day, above and below ground. The text supports this journey of images and is poetry to the images that make the city beautiful and alive.

[Maddy Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book. The illustrations are beautiful and add so much meaning to the story. This story follows a cat through the city, and gives a deeper meaning and understanding to inner-city. This book allows children to have a window into what it is like to live as a kid in the inner-city. Although the main character is a cat, this book explores a diverse background that many people may not be familiar with.

[Kennedy Baydo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations seemed collage like in the ways real images were combined with drawings and colors. The cat was always really noticeable in a mysterious way on the pages which I enjoyed. I liked the story line behind a black cat disappearing and noisy really known where his home is. The illustrations of the cat remind me of Brown Bear Brown Bear and other stories similar to that.

[Karina Alvarado · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book! I liked the illustrations, the rhymes, and catchy phrases. I thought some of the words were a little high-level, so I would definitely read this book aloud to my students before letting them read it to themselves because I would want them to have a positive experience while reading. I would most definitely have this book in the classroom!

[Alex Wakeham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This poem book had amazing mixed media artwork, I think the poem was easy to read, thought-provoking and put you in the place of another that you might not normally think about. I think this would be good for children ages 3 to 10.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a big fan of cats roaming outside but this picture book is beautifully evocative of life in a city from a cat's (or child's) point of view. The colors are bold and dark. The text is spare.

Dedicated "to all children of the city, like me".

[Ms.TPena Peña · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't think I'll ever look at a black cat wandering nearby the same way again. Provoking. The artwork is such a vast mix of medium, sometimes it's difficult. to tell where one begins and ends, they blend so well. The illustrations pretty much tell the story themselves.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

In rhythmic verse a black cat's story is told as he makes his way through the city streets and along chain-link fences. This is a homeless cat, but he feels at home wherever he is. Nicely illustrated.

[Isai Mendoza · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a poem of a black cat who is roaming through the streets and is being asked where his home is. His home is where ever he is. This book has great illustrations which make the book vibrant in color. Definitely recommend