Maya and the Lost Cat

by Caroline Magerl

Where does Cat live, and who can lead the way there? A lyrical, charmingly offbeat tale about wanderlust and family, rescue and finding home.

On a roof, as wet as a seal, as gray as a puddle, Cat was rumbling, a rumbly purr.

What will lure Cat down? Feather boas? Pretty pink shoelaces? A boatful of fish under a tiny tin sail? Maya finally succeeds, only to watch Cat jump on the roof again, above a thousand lit windows, one of which must be Cat's own. As the rain keeps coming down, how can Maya help Cat find its home? With whimsical watercolors both fluid and full of expression, Caroline Magerl portrays a child on a mission and an adventurous cat who keeps its mysteries as quiet as its paws in a story that follows a kindly impulse to an unexpected conclusion.

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

40 pages, Hardcover

Published May 7, 2019

About the author

Caroline Magerl was born in a small German town near Frankfurt and came to Australia when she was two. Soon after, in a suburban Sydney backyard, her parents built a yacht which became a home and way of life. Until Caroline was fourteen, the family sailed the east coast of Australia. At sixteen, Caroline joined another yacht, crossing the Tasman Sea to New Zealand. After the return voyage she worked as a cook, painting in her spare time. Caroline now works as an artist, illustrator and printmaker and received an ASA children's picture book illustrators' grant to work on Hasel and Rose. She has exhibited widely overseas and in Australia.

Reviews

[John Clark]

I read this to/with several kindergarten students at our local school. Everyone was enthralled with the story and the lavish illustrations. Each time I read it, I asked the child to pick out various animals, etc. in the illustrations. They enjoyed the challenge as well as being successful. This is a fun and engaging story that easily captures young readers' attention and makes following along a delight and it has a very satisfying ending. Definitely a book worthy of being added to any library, school or public.

[Barbara]

I'm betting that many youngsters can relate to this story and the longing to have a cat of their own. During a drizzly day, Maya notices a gray cat on the nearby rooftop. She tries to persuade Cat to come inside by offering some toys, but nothing gets its attention until she offers some food. Having a kind heart, Maya decides to find Cat's home, but none of her neighbors is missing a feline. Eventually, she finds where Cat belongs, and Cat presents her with a small but important reward. The watercolor illustrations add interest to this sweet story. Cat lovers will get a kick out of the tale but also relish the beautiful cats in all sorts of varieties on the book's end papers. Oh, that Cat. She must have known what she was doing the whole time. After reading this story, I found myself wondering who rescued whom as I often do when thinking about the relationship between humans and animals.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book*]

Maya and the Lost Cat by Caroline Magerl, PICTURE BOOK Candlewick, 2018. $17. 9781536204230

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre K, EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

On a rainy night, Maya sees out of her window a wet cat on the roof. She tries several (interesting) things to get the cat down, but nothing works until she opens a can of fish. Then Maya and the cat wander from house to house, hoping to find the cat's home. Maya would love to have a cat of her own, but first, find this cat's home.

Magerl's illustrations are whimsical and darling, the text is lyrical and sweet. Reminded me of Sendak - Maya wears this terrifically long boa throughout, such a joy to read. Peeking into the homes of the people Maya visits there are stories within the illustrations, this will be read and reread, oh, and an unexpected ending is a great surprise.

Lisa Librarian
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...

[Alyssa Mandell]

A very cute and sweet book about a girl who finds a lost cat. She searches high and low for it's owner. The illustrations are detailed and unique. Also, the ending is very bittersweet. This would be a great one-on-one story for a rainy day.

[Diane]

A little girl cares for a lost cat and reunites her with her people. Charming illustrations remind me of Quentin Blake's illustrations for Roald Dahl. Maya is sad to lose the cat but happy she's home. Maybe there is a gift to console her?

[Edward Sullivan]

A quirky, lyrical tale with expressive watercolor illustrations.

[Marg Corjay]

This was an absolute delight! The story line was very simple but endearing. Illustrations were muted and crowded with sweet details. One to put on your shelf and revisit often.

[FM Family]

This was a cute one which, I couldn't put my finger on why, but it didn't really sink in with me. I liked the story and the sweet way in which it was told, lots of trial and error of Maya trying to lure down the cat, but not finding what works, and Maya trying to find the cat's home, but not finding the right one. But for some reason I kept not remembering the ending of the story even though we read it quite a few times when we had it out of the library. It's a cute story about finding friends and finding your place, with a distinctly European feel to it, even though the author/illustrator lives in Australia. Recommend for those who like cats, trial and error stories, and just a simple sweet silly story. My almost 4 year old enjoyed it but I think didn't love the illustration style, it's a bit dark (colours not mood) in some parts.

[Lisa]

On a rainy night, Maya sees out of her window a wet cat on the roof. She tries several (interesting) things to get the cat down, but nothing works until she opens a can of fish. Then Maya and the cat wander from house to house, hoping to find the cat's home. Maya would love to have a cat of her own, but first, find this cat's home.

Magerl's illustrations are whimsical and darling, the text is lyrical and sweet. Reminded me of Sendak - Maya wears this terrifically long boa throughout, such a joy to read. Peeking into the homes of the people Maya visits there are stories within the illustrations, this will be read and reread, oh, and an unexpected ending is a great surprise.

For this and more of my reviews, visit http://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com CHECK IT OUT!

[Lacey Louwagie]

It took me FOREVER to convince my son to let me read this book to him because the illustrations didn't really grab him. They didn't really grab me, either, to be honest. They were a little too hazy and washed out, and the text felt disjointed in places. But the ending was sweet, which made it worthwhile enough.

[Susan Waltman]

Super cute book about a girl trying to help a lost cat find its way home. The page reminds me of myself where she knocks on a door to ask if the lost cat belongs to the person in the house and the house is full of cats and the women answers "Probably not."

[Wendy Gardiner]

The author plays with language in ways that are both engaging and that would be a good mentor text for writing. The illustrations are charming. There's tension, resolution, and a feeling of satisfaction at the end.

[sylas]

This story was sweet and really hit the spot for me. Great illustrations, too!

[Engel Dreizehn]

It was cute...loose sketchy line mixed with water colour invoke shapes and emotions plus warms a cat lover's heart.

[Genie Bishop]

Loved the story. The illustrations were ok.

[Rebecca Caufman]

Soft, quiet, gentle book about finding your true pet.

[Beverly]

Sweet story; illustrations reminiscent of Quentin Blake mixed with Catherine Stock.

[Miss Sarah]

A preschool and up book about a girl traveling all over town on her bicycle trying to help a cat find his way home.

[Leanne Luetkemeyer]

Great layouts and watercolor. Loose painterly style, pen and ink. Charming story about girl trying to find cat's home and getting kitten to keep. Cityscapes, houseboat. Loved it!

[Josephine Bivins]

I legit thought Mommy had missed a page at the beginning, but she hadn't. It's just that poorly written.

[Snail]

Charming illustrations of the environments, especially the boat at the end of the dock in the waves.

[Angela De Groot]

Magical story told with musical language and whimsical art. Lyrical alliterative phrases and sprinkles of onomatopoeia make this a perfect read aloud.
Maya finds a lost kitty and helps the kitty search for where it belongs.