The Tapestry Cats

by Ann Turnbull

A bored little princess tells stories to entertain the knights, mermaids, and dolphins woven into the tapestries on the castle walls and dreams of what it would be like to keep the gold and silver embroidered tapestry cats as real pets.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Cats

26 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1992

About the author

Ann Turnbull is an English author of numerous books for young readers, including No Shame, No Fear and Forged in the Fire. She was born in Hertford, was brought up in southeast London, and now lives in Shropshire, England.

Reviews

[Kaethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

31 August 2009

Wow, I kind of can't believe I never wrote any sort of review of this. It's the kind of book that makes the woman in the children's department come up to you (if you like kids' books at all) and say "Have you seen this yet?" Total love at first sight. I don't know, maybe some kids wouldn't squee so much because it's a princess, her very bossy mother the queen, a fairy godmother, and a maid. Or maybe any child who feels like they aren't being heard by a parent could relate. We all love it, because it has cats. And also, because the art makes you keep trying to touch the page, to feel the texture you can see.

***

28 January 2023

Some other book made me think of this, and want to reread, because it's been a minute, but I haven't yet located my copy.

Quelle sigh.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun little fairy tale featuring my favorite pets--cats.

[Meandmy Tea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it growing up, I think this book is the reason I'm a cat person today!

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

A six-year-old princess is not able to stop her mother the Queen from answering questions for her. Her mother has decided she needs embroidered socks and a yellow petticoat for Christmas instead of the cat she truly wants.

The young princess is able to imagine that the gold and silver colored cats in the tapestries are her playmates. She names the imaginary cats, what else but "Gold" and "Silver." When her fairy godmother shows up on her birthday and asks her what she wants her mother quickly answers that she wants gold and silver. The princess is shocked her mother knows what she wants. She doesn't understand that her mother means monetary gold and silver. Thankfully her godmother knows she wants the cats. And that is what she gets.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story was cute if you're into princess stories. Not crazy about this illustration style -- could hardly tell the cats were cats.

[Janie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so nostalgic about this book, that my opinion is super biased. The illustrations are super styalized and cool, the story and setup are simple and fun. I'm a cat person, so it makes sense.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

princess, cats, pets

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story, wonderful illustrations.