Cats and Robbers

by Jan Wahl, Dolores Avendaño (Illustrator)

Unable to sleep at night in a house full of eeking, squeaking mice, Mrs. Mudge opens her door to a prowling passel of cats but is unaware that a group of cat burglars have also sneaked in.

Genres: Picture Books

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1995

About the author

Jan Wahl was an American author best known for his imaginative and influential children’s books, which combined wit, warmth and a deep respect for young readers. Born in Columbus, Ohio, Wahl showed artistic promise early, performing piano on children’s radio programs and appearing on stage alongside legendary magician Harry Blackstone Sr. He studied at Cornell University, where he took classes with Vladimir Nabokov, and continued his education in Europe as a Fulbright scholar before completing graduate studies in the United States.
Wahl began publishing children’s books in the mid-1960s and quickly became a prolific and celebrated voice in the field, ultimately writing more than 120 works. Titles such as Pleasant Fieldmouse, The Furious Flycycle and Humphrey’s Bear earned him a devoted readership and critical acclaim. His stories were frequently illustrated by major artists, including Edward Gorey, Maurice Sendak and Mercer Mayer, and were praised for their playful tone, emotional intelligence and sense of empowerment.
Beyond writing, Wahl led an unusually rich cultural life, working with filmmakers, writers and artists, lecturing widely on film history and literature, and maintaining close ties to both the literary and cinematic worlds.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finding that she cannot get to sleep with all of the mice scampering around her house at night, Mrs. Mudge lets in a passel of passing cats in this poetic picture-book from author Jan Wahl and illustrator Dolores Avendaño. Unfortunately, the cats too make noise, not just in chasing the mice away, but in confronting a crew of robbers breaking into the house. Finally fed up, Mrs. Mudge chases both cats and robbers away, only to find she still can't sleep. It is then that she surrenders to the inevitable, and lets the mice back in, befriending them...

I picked up Cats and Robbers chiefly because I was drawn in by the cover artwork, and by the title. I love cats, and stories about cats, and I found illustrator Dolores Avendaño's depictions of them here delightful. Her artwork is luminous, with a beautifully deep but subtle palette. Jan Wahl's text on the other hand, which makes uses of a loose rhyming structure, left a little to be desired, sometimes reading well, and sometimes feeling a little awkward and forced. The story itself left me feeling sorry for the cats, who rid Mrs. Mudge of both mice and burglars, only to be chased away. The conclusion, in which Mrs. Mudge plays with a roomful of mice, could be seen as sweet, but struck me as a bit creepy.

I enjoyed the artwork here enough that the reading experience was still a pleasure, but I'm not sure I would strongly recommend the book, save to fans of the artist. I see that Avendaño is the illustrator of the Argentine editions of the Harry Potter books, but it doesn't seem as if she has done many other picture-books, which is a shame.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're going to tell a story in rhyme, and especially if it's one with suspense, you need to tell it in the right way. This one would have been better told in prose. The narrative was stiff and, at times, jerky. On the other hand, the short sentences and relatively simple vocabulary make this a good read-alone choice for kids. I loved the illustrations, which perfectly evoked the feeling of the nighttime. Overall, not bad, but it could have been done better.

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ghosts, mice, robbers and a brave old lady!

[Victoria Clay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was entertaining. The story line was funny. There were great rhyming words.I think it would be great to illustrate that all rhyming words don't have to have the same ending. It can also be used to practice counting.