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by Chris Raschka

A white kitty, sitting alone in a rose garden, sets out to find his heart's desire, but must search the world high and low before finding that special someone just like himself. By the Caldecott Honor artist of Yo! Yes?

Genres: Picture Books, Cats, Childrens, Friendship, Animals

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Chris Raschka is the illustrator of The Hello, Goodbye Window, which was awarded the Caldecott Medal. He is also the illustrator of the Caldecott Honor Book Yo! Yes?; Charlie Parker Played Be Bop; Mysterious Thelonious; John Coltrane’s Giant Steps; Can’t Sleep; and The Magic Flute. He lives with his wife and son in New York City.

Reviews

[Randie D. Camp, M.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cat is all alone when all the other creatures are two by two. He is feeling sad until a second comes along and they become instant friends.

Raschka's illustrations are bold, swirly, and expressive. The font is bold and large which makes this book great for beginning readers who will also be able to relate to feeling lonely and/or making a new friend.

[Rebecca Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is probably the cutest of Raschka's stories, though not especially unique or original. All the other animals are paired off and the cat is left alone. It goes searching and finds another cat and they are friends. This is a very simple story, simple words, and interesting art, though not my favorite of his. Pages have simple, yet bizarre illustrations with bold colors. I did wonder if it was meant to be a bit Noah's Ark inspired at the beginning because of the paired animals, but couldn't quite figure that out. Good for younger storytimes, though not particularly exciting.

[Katie]

I immediatley thought of making a connection with children through the cats on the title page. most know what a cat is and some even have a pet cat. My cat is actually white, like theirs maybe i could incorporate the pictures or a small white puppet to go along with the book. Also this book was nice for relating emotions. the cat was sad and lonely but then... not so lonely :)

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A poetic story that taps into the emotions that fuel the feelings of alone and together.

Illustrations were rendered in oil pastel and watercolor.

My experience reading this book was like touring an art museum as each two page spread seemed to stand on its own, but also work well in the series. PreK-2.

[Liz Todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd really like to hear Chris Raschka speak sometime. Who is this guy? His words are like ART! The art itself, is cool, too.

This story is about a cat looking for another cat like himself. Life is more fun with a friend.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

The emotion of feeling alone and finding a friend are very simply delivered through the economy of words with images. Raschka's use of cut paper and stamping process along with watercolors and pastels makes for a rich visual environment.

[elissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Cats" is one of my favorite preschool storytime themes, and this is one of my favorite books to use. It also works well for a Valentine's Day-themed program.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Same loneliness theme as Yo? Yes! but with a younger audience in mind, and cats as the characters.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all time favorite picture books.

[Kristina · Rating 2 out of 5]

An odd little book.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cute. Made me smile.

Like likes like, and Chris Raschka really likes to draw cats.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cat, who I assume is alone and lonely, finally finds a friend.

This book, its story, was very obscure. Too deep for a child.

[Elaine Fultz, Teacher Librarian, MLS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re read in 2025 after reviewing Q+ picture book professional titles. This one sticks in my mind as a potentially comforting title for kids and their families looking for books which portray "different" kinds of love and families. Here there are two cats, brown and white, who find each other after searching in "rows and rows of roses." Nod to Gertrude Stein, perhaps.