What do you think?
Rate this book
It's a Secret!
What if you were as small as your cat — and took off with him on a nighttime adventure? A gorgeously illustrated tale from the award-winning John Burningham.
Every night Marie-Elaine’s cat, Malcolm, goes out, and every morning he comes back in and sleeps. "Where do cats go at night?" the girl wonders. So when she sees him at his cat door dressed to the nines, she begs to come along. And amazingly, Malcolm agrees — as long as she puts on her fancy clothes, gets small, and keeps it all a secret. With a whimsical story and breathtaking artwork, the acclaimed John Burningham takes us on an exciting night’s journey, braving hoodlum dogs and precarious climbs for a rooftop party that is cause for celebration indeed.
Every night Marie-Elaine’s cat, Malcolm, goes out, and every morning he comes back in and sleeps. "Where do cats go at night?" the girl wonders. So when she sees him at his cat door dressed to the nines, she begs to come along. And amazingly, Malcolm agrees — as long as she puts on her fancy clothes, gets small, and keeps it all a secret. With a whimsical story and breathtaking artwork, the acclaimed John Burningham takes us on an exciting night’s journey, braving hoodlum dogs and precarious climbs for a rooftop party that is cause for celebration indeed.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published June 9, 2009
About the author
John Burningham
155 books110 followershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bur...
Married to Helen Oxenbury They have one son and two daughters.
John Burningham was born in 1936 in Farnham, Surrey, and attended the alternative school, Summerhill. In 1954 he spent two years travelling through Italy, Yugoslavia and Israel, working at a variety of jobs.
From 1956-1959, he studied at the Central School of Art, after which he designed posters for London Transport and the British Transport Commission. He also spent a year on an animated puppet film in the Middle East. He then became a writer and illustrator of children's books, his first book, Borka: The Adventures of a Goose With No Feathers (1963) winning the Kate Greenaway Medal in 1963, an achievement he repeated with Mr Gumpy's Outing (1970).
Since then, he has written and illustrated many children's books. He is also a freelance designer of murals, exhibitions models, magazine illustrations and advertisements.
Married to Helen Oxenbury They have one son and two daughters.
John Burningham was born in 1936 in Farnham, Surrey, and attended the alternative school, Summerhill. In 1954 he spent two years travelling through Italy, Yugoslavia and Israel, working at a variety of jobs.
From 1956-1959, he studied at the Central School of Art, after which he designed posters for London Transport and the British Transport Commission. He also spent a year on an animated puppet film in the Middle East. He then became a writer and illustrator of children's books, his first book, Borka: The Adventures of a Goose With No Feathers (1963) winning the Kate Greenaway Medal in 1963, an achievement he repeated with Mr Gumpy's Outing (1970).
Since then, he has written and illustrated many children's books. He is also a freelance designer of murals, exhibitions models, magazine illustrations and advertisements.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
August 12, 2009
Marie Elaine wants to know where her cat, Malcolm, goes at night.
He can't tell her because it's a secret...
Nah, nevermind, he'll tell her! It's a party! An awesome cat party with dancing and a feast! Put on your party clothes, kid, and let's get going because there's along trek though dark alleys and past mean dogs and up fire escape. Woo, partay!
My favorite image was the one used for the cover, where the characters appear to be crayon cut-outs collaged onto a photo of a dark street. Most of the pictures are not like that. We start with crayon sketches in the style of the cover figures, a little washed out and on a pale background. Then after the party starts the illustrations become more colorful, like marker and then finger paint. I assume the intent is to replicate the style of a child's art, which usually isn't a favorite technique for me, but it worked here.
Fun book.
He can't tell her because it's a secret...
Nah, nevermind, he'll tell her! It's a party! An awesome cat party with dancing and a feast! Put on your party clothes, kid, and let's get going because there's along trek though dark alleys and past mean dogs and up fire escape. Woo, partay!
My favorite image was the one used for the cover, where the characters appear to be crayon cut-outs collaged onto a photo of a dark street. Most of the pictures are not like that. We start with crayon sketches in the style of the cover figures, a little washed out and on a pale background. Then after the party starts the illustrations become more colorful, like marker and then finger paint. I assume the intent is to replicate the style of a child's art, which usually isn't a favorite technique for me, but it worked here.
Fun book.
February 3, 2016
Ever wondered why cats lay around sleeping all day? Well this book shows you just what they get up to during the night. This lucky girl gets to go along with her cat companion and enjoy a cat party, she even has the honour of meeting the Queen of the Cats. It's not all fun though, you have to get through the city in the night and escape the dogs first. It's no wonder they need so much beauty sleep the next day.
Lovely messy illustrations that looks like Burningham had a lot of fun making. Like many of his books it looks like it only took him a couple of slap dash hours but he gets away with it.
The children I have read this to have really enjoyed the story and loved the thought of a secret cat world that happens during the night.
Lovely messy illustrations that looks like Burningham had a lot of fun making. Like many of his books it looks like it only took him a couple of slap dash hours but he gets away with it.
The children I have read this to have really enjoyed the story and loved the thought of a secret cat world that happens during the night.
June 28, 2020
Marie-Elaine wonders what her cat Malcolm gets up to at night in this picture-book from British author/artist John Burningham, and gets the answer to her question when she catches him sneaking out in a party costume. She and her neighbor, Norman Kowalski, convince Malcolm to allow them to accompany him to the rooftop cat party her is attending, and the trio have some exciting adventures getting there - sneaking past dogs, climbing fire-escapes. The party itself is great fun, and the children get to meet the Queen of the Cats, before returning home just before dawn...
The fourth picture-book I have read from Burningham, It's a Secret! addresses that age-old question - what do our cats do, when we're not around? - in an entertaining, magical way. I appreciated the matter-of-fact enchantment of the story, the way that Marie-Elaine shrinks to Malcolm's size, for instance, without this needing any great commentary by characters or narrator. I also appreciated the artwork, which was done in a childlike style that somehow works quite well with the text. I wouldn't describe this as a personal favorite, despite my fondness for picture-books featuring cats, but it is certainly one I enjoyed, and would recommend.
The fourth picture-book I have read from Burningham, It's a Secret! addresses that age-old question - what do our cats do, when we're not around? - in an entertaining, magical way. I appreciated the matter-of-fact enchantment of the story, the way that Marie-Elaine shrinks to Malcolm's size, for instance, without this needing any great commentary by characters or narrator. I also appreciated the artwork, which was done in a childlike style that somehow works quite well with the text. I wouldn't describe this as a personal favorite, despite my fondness for picture-books featuring cats, but it is certainly one I enjoyed, and would recommend.
April 10, 2024
My son, an artist and art teacher, buys these old classics for his daughters. We all loved this!
December 28, 2010
If you ever wondered what your cat is doing at night when he leaves the comfort of your house, then this is the book for you. Marie Elaine is very curious about the life that her cat Malcolm leads when he scampers through the cat door each evening. One night when she comes down to the kitchen, she finds Malcolm dressed in a natty red coat and a hat with a feather. He says he's leaving to go to a party. Full of curiosity, Marie Elaine asks if she can come. Malcolm says she has to wear a party dress and get small, so she does. Little Norman sees them as they walk by, and he wants to come too. They manage to evade the degenerate dogs who hang around the garbage cans, and before long, they arrive at the party, a fancy affair given for the Queen of the Cats. What fun! John Burningham knows just what kinds of questions young children ask, and his stories give answers perfectly attuned to their sensibilities. While the palette is a bit dark, the pictures capture the fun of the whole adventure.
January 19, 2010
I'm a big fan of John Burningham, and his newest is totally magical.
A little girl wonders where her cat goes at night...and one evening when she comes down from bed for a glass of milk she finds the cat, Malcolm, dressed in finery and all ready to go to a party. Malcolm agrees to let Marie Elaine come with (she has to get on her party dress and make herself "small" first). What follows is a fantastical account of a nighttime party with cats coming from far and wide, complete with the arrival of the Queen Cat and a midnight feast. The story is pretty light on plot, but it's really all about the magical atmosphere - captured perfectly in Burningham's dreamy/silly illustrations. I read this one in my evening storytime the other night and the kids loved it (my favorite was was when they spontaneously echoed the line of the party cats when the Queen Cat is approaching: "She's coming! She's coming!).
The book is nice and big, the pages are thick and creamy, great for storytime and in general a perfect bedtime story for kids 2 to 5...
A little girl wonders where her cat goes at night...and one evening when she comes down from bed for a glass of milk she finds the cat, Malcolm, dressed in finery and all ready to go to a party. Malcolm agrees to let Marie Elaine come with (she has to get on her party dress and make herself "small" first). What follows is a fantastical account of a nighttime party with cats coming from far and wide, complete with the arrival of the Queen Cat and a midnight feast. The story is pretty light on plot, but it's really all about the magical atmosphere - captured perfectly in Burningham's dreamy/silly illustrations. I read this one in my evening storytime the other night and the kids loved it (my favorite was was when they spontaneously echoed the line of the party cats when the Queen Cat is approaching: "She's coming! She's coming!).
The book is nice and big, the pages are thick and creamy, great for storytime and in general a perfect bedtime story for kids 2 to 5...
July 26, 2009
This is another book that started out strong but then it kind of went nowhere really interesting. Props for a cool cover that made me want to look inside.
Read
January 17, 2022This book made me smile throughout. The illustrations and the creative story go together well. The premise is delightful, and I very much liked the illustrations.
This is not an educational book, but is is sheer fun! Marie Elaine asked outloud where the family cat goes every night, to return early morning the next day. One summer evening, she sees Malcolm the cat all dressed up, standing by the cat door. Malcolm was going to a most important party. Marie Elaine could join him if she made herself small enough to fit through the cat door, and if she had a party outfit.
Going out the cat door, Marie Elaine's brother spotted them both. He too can come along with the same stipulations. The cat told them to beware of the troublesome dogs, but he had a way to escape them by climbing up a fire escape, walking over a huge construction site steel structure, and climbing down by rope.
When they arrived at the rooftop party, all the cats were dressed to the nines. Complete with hats and balloons, as well as very fancy clothes, they danced the night away.
When the Queen of the Cats arrived, there was much excitement. Then, they ate a midnight special meal. Everyone was given a present to take home.
Walking home the same was as the came, the next day their mother asked where everyone went last night. "It's a secret was the answer.
This book is held together by the illustrations. The story is simple without the funny, original art work.
This is not an educational book, but is is sheer fun! Marie Elaine asked outloud where the family cat goes every night, to return early morning the next day. One summer evening, she sees Malcolm the cat all dressed up, standing by the cat door. Malcolm was going to a most important party. Marie Elaine could join him if she made herself small enough to fit through the cat door, and if she had a party outfit.
Going out the cat door, Marie Elaine's brother spotted them both. He too can come along with the same stipulations. The cat told them to beware of the troublesome dogs, but he had a way to escape them by climbing up a fire escape, walking over a huge construction site steel structure, and climbing down by rope.
When they arrived at the rooftop party, all the cats were dressed to the nines. Complete with hats and balloons, as well as very fancy clothes, they danced the night away.
When the Queen of the Cats arrived, there was much excitement. Then, they ate a midnight special meal. Everyone was given a present to take home.
Walking home the same was as the came, the next day their mother asked where everyone went last night. "It's a secret was the answer.
This book is held together by the illustrations. The story is simple without the funny, original art work.
January 9, 2019
Picked this up to read to the students today. I rather liked this one. The art is excellent!
A little girl wonders what cats do at night. She stays up to find out. Her cat is all decked out for a party. She promises to keep the location a secret if he will take her along. He agrees. Norman, the next door neighbor sees them slinking off. He threatens to tell if they don't take him with him. He ends up coming along.
Of course, they need to avoid the dogs.
They arrive at the party where the queen cat is. There's a good time had and party favors too before they return home.
The little girl crashes on the couch. When she awakens, her mother says that she looks as though she was out with the cat. Indeed!
A little girl wonders what cats do at night. She stays up to find out. Her cat is all decked out for a party. She promises to keep the location a secret if he will take her along. He agrees. Norman, the next door neighbor sees them slinking off. He threatens to tell if they don't take him with him. He ends up coming along.
Of course, they need to avoid the dogs.
They arrive at the party where the queen cat is. There's a good time had and party favors too before they return home.
The little girl crashes on the couch. When she awakens, her mother says that she looks as though she was out with the cat. Indeed!
February 7, 2018
Magic is simple.
May 23, 2020
Read by Mac Barnett on IG 5/21/20
November 9, 2024
My daughter would have loved this story when she was little. Best for reading aloud to a thoughtful tot who loves cats.
November 9, 2014
This story is talking about a cat bring a little to a party’s story. There has a cat called Malcolm. He lives in the Marie Elanie’s house. One day Marie came down to kitchen, she saw Malcolm dressed up in very fancy clothes and a hat. Marie asked him where he was going, Malcolm told him he was going to a secrete party. Marie put her party dress and got small. When they walked through the street more and more friends joined their team. Then, they all wanted to go to party with them. During this time, the dogs started chasing them. Malcolm brought them to a very high staging. So, the dogs could not chase. After a long adventure, they finally arrived at a place on the rooftops, where the party started. They saw lots of cats. The cats were very nice to them. Later, they met the queen of the cats. Before they go cat queen give Marie a rat to be the present. When they came back, they saw the dog chasing them. So, they very carefully avoided them and got away.
This is a fiction story about a cat bringing a little girl to their party. It imagines that human’s party is different from cat’s party. The design is very good, full pages with pictures and only one corner with three or four line sentences. It’s very suitable for young kids.
The picture is simple and easy and it uses white as background color. White means calmness and peace. So it’s a very good book for bed story. The whole book design is also simple and easy. I highly recommend this book for the parents and their kids.
This is a fiction story about a cat bringing a little girl to their party. It imagines that human’s party is different from cat’s party. The design is very good, full pages with pictures and only one corner with three or four line sentences. It’s very suitable for young kids.
The picture is simple and easy and it uses white as background color. White means calmness and peace. So it’s a very good book for bed story. The whole book design is also simple and easy. I highly recommend this book for the parents and their kids.
March 25, 2017
The story intrigues children’s curiosity and imagination about their cats who disappear at night and come back to home in the morning. The author illuminates the curiosity in the story by holding a cat’s party at night. One night Marie Elaine witnesses her cat, Malcolm, in his fancy outfits, and she joins to the party with him. On their way to the party, Norman Kowalski, her neighbor, also joins the group. They enjoy the party, with cats and their queen and then go back home.
To be honest, I am not interested in this story. It looked good at first, and raised my attention, but the story is flat and nonsensical even though it is a fantasy fiction for children. It sounds adventurous to go to a secret party with cats, but these unusual and exciting events do not happened. The dogs who chase them seem to be easy to leave out, and the cats welcome to the strangers for their party.
The distinctive artworks draw my attention. The illustrations are mixed with realistic photos and sketches with colored pencils. The book cover shows an example of the artworks, sketches are cut and pasted over the photo. Childlike drawings are well matched to the imaginative story of the book.
To be honest, I am not interested in this story. It looked good at first, and raised my attention, but the story is flat and nonsensical even though it is a fantasy fiction for children. It sounds adventurous to go to a secret party with cats, but these unusual and exciting events do not happened. The dogs who chase them seem to be easy to leave out, and the cats welcome to the strangers for their party.
The distinctive artworks draw my attention. The illustrations are mixed with realistic photos and sketches with colored pencils. The book cover shows an example of the artworks, sketches are cut and pasted over the photo. Childlike drawings are well matched to the imaginative story of the book.
Want to Read
August 18, 2014Promising to follow the fancy dress code and keep his whereabouts a secret forever, Marie-Elaine gets the opportunity to follow her well-dressed cat out on the town one night to see where he goes and what he does when the rest of the family is sound asleep.
What if you were as small as your cat -- and took off with him on a nighttime adventure? A gorgeously illustrated tale from the award-winning John Burningham. Every night Marie-Elaine's cat, Malcolm, goes out, and every morning he comes back in and sleeps. "Where do cats go at night?" the girl wonders. So when she sees him at his cat door dressed to the nines, she begs to come along. And amazingly, Malcolm agrees -- as long as she puts on her fancy clothes, gets small, and keeps it all a secret. With a whimsical story and breathtaking artwork, the acclaimed John Burningham takes us on an exciting night's journey, braving hoodlum dogs and precarious climbs for a rooftop party that is cause for celebration indeed.
What if you were as small as your cat -- and took off with him on a nighttime adventure? A gorgeously illustrated tale from the award-winning John Burningham. Every night Marie-Elaine's cat, Malcolm, goes out, and every morning he comes back in and sleeps. "Where do cats go at night?" the girl wonders. So when she sees him at his cat door dressed to the nines, she begs to come along. And amazingly, Malcolm agrees -- as long as she puts on her fancy clothes, gets small, and keeps it all a secret. With a whimsical story and breathtaking artwork, the acclaimed John Burningham takes us on an exciting night's journey, braving hoodlum dogs and precarious climbs for a rooftop party that is cause for celebration indeed.
August 10, 2011
Age:
Grades K-4
Genre:
fantasy fiction
Diversity:
Imagination; fantasy
Illustrations:
The illustrations are created with mixed media.
Personal response:
The story is very fun and imaginative as the girl wonders why the cat sleeps all day and what it might possibly be doing at night. I enjoyed the illustrations because it looks so different from average book illustrations. The author and illustrator did a great job capturing the child-like essence of this book.
Curricular or programming connections:
This book would be good for a creative writing lesson.
Grades K-4
Genre:
fantasy fiction
Diversity:
Imagination; fantasy
Illustrations:
The illustrations are created with mixed media.
Personal response:
The story is very fun and imaginative as the girl wonders why the cat sleeps all day and what it might possibly be doing at night. I enjoyed the illustrations because it looks so different from average book illustrations. The author and illustrator did a great job capturing the child-like essence of this book.
Curricular or programming connections:
This book would be good for a creative writing lesson.
August 4, 2009
Where do cats go when they are out all night? This is a fun book with interesting illustrations - colored in sketches and some mixed media.
It's an imaginative tale and a great book to read aloud. We really enjoyed reading this book together.
It's an imaginative tale and a great book to read aloud. We really enjoyed reading this book together.
September 5, 2011
Have you ever wondered where cats go at night? Find out in this story about Marie Elaine and Norman who go on a magical adventure with Marie Elaine's cat, Malcolm. Fans of Uri Shulevitz or young readers who like cats will enjoy this story.
August 5, 2009
Marie Elaine follows her cat on a night escapade. Cool art. OK story.
January 9, 2010
This book put a big smile on my face. It gave me the warm fuzzies like reading an old Steig, Sendak or Ungerer book.
May 4, 2015
John Burningham's animals get to do the neatest things!
October 15, 2019
This book was so cute, I love cats! I have always wondered where my cats go to play when they go outside. This book is about Marie Elaine who wonders where her cat, Malcolm goes when he goes out each night. One night she goes with him and they are chased by dogs, go to a party, dance like in Aristacats, meet the Queen of Cats and return home by the morning.
The artwork in this book is very lively and full of splashes of color which adds to the excitement of what is happening to Marie Elaine and her cat, Malcolm.
This book would work great to introduce a creative writing assignment. It would be fun to hear the stories of what my students think their pets do when they aren't around. I would encourage my students to be creative and think outside the box as they tell their stories. Using this book as an example, I would have them include suspenseful, happy, exciting and other ranges of emotions throughout the story as John Burningham included in his story. Overall, this book would be a great tool to use in my future classroom.
The artwork in this book is very lively and full of splashes of color which adds to the excitement of what is happening to Marie Elaine and her cat, Malcolm.
This book would work great to introduce a creative writing assignment. It would be fun to hear the stories of what my students think their pets do when they aren't around. I would encourage my students to be creative and think outside the box as they tell their stories. Using this book as an example, I would have them include suspenseful, happy, exciting and other ranges of emotions throughout the story as John Burningham included in his story. Overall, this book would be a great tool to use in my future classroom.
September 30, 2023
I liked the story, or the idea behind it, to explain where the cats go at night. It was quite fun, could have been a bit better. I particularly like how matter-of-factly the girl changes size to match her cat in height and then they go through the cat flap. They meet the Queen of Cats, dance, have a feast... There are some things to like about this book.
I hated the different art styles, particularly the spreads that looked like ugly pencil drafts straight from the illustrator's notebook. A handful of spreads were done well, but the rest were like he couldn't be bothered to finish them. Not a cohesive look to illustrations, terribly random and annoying.
I hated the different art styles, particularly the spreads that looked like ugly pencil drafts straight from the illustrator's notebook. A handful of spreads were done well, but the rest were like he couldn't be bothered to finish them. Not a cohesive look to illustrations, terribly random and annoying.
October 15, 2020
Have you ever wondered what cat's do when they leave during the night?
Well, this classic Burningham story tells you. With fantastic illustrations, its highlights the story of Malcolm the cat and what exactly he does when he leaves through the cat flap at night. Alongside his child owner Marie Elaine and her friend Norman, they join Malcolm on his midnight adventures around the city, meeting some interesting characters along the way, including some very suave cats, nasty dogs and even the Queen of cats.
Well, this classic Burningham story tells you. With fantastic illustrations, its highlights the story of Malcolm the cat and what exactly he does when he leaves through the cat flap at night. Alongside his child owner Marie Elaine and her friend Norman, they join Malcolm on his midnight adventures around the city, meeting some interesting characters along the way, including some very suave cats, nasty dogs and even the Queen of cats.
October 21, 2020
I thought this was an entertaining book. I have cats who disappear at night so I had an instant connection with the story.
It tells the story of a girl and her cat. The cat is all dressed up one night and she goes with him to find out where he goes.
This text offers children to opportunity to speculate and come up with their own ideas and guesses as to where the cat may go in the middle of the night.
I really enjoyed the water colour/water colour pencil illustrations and they definitely added additional character to the book.
It tells the story of a girl and her cat. The cat is all dressed up one night and she goes with him to find out where he goes.
This text offers children to opportunity to speculate and come up with their own ideas and guesses as to where the cat may go in the middle of the night.
I really enjoyed the water colour/water colour pencil illustrations and they definitely added additional character to the book.
December 5, 2017
Summary: A young girl oh so curious about where he cat goes at night, finds herself in a mysterious and magical adventure on the run with her cat-in miniature form
Personal Response: This is such a fun and relatable book for people of all ages. Who isn't curious about what cats do at night-even all day?! This book is so creative and fun, and gives a great imaginative possibility to the question we are all asking.
Personal Response: This is such a fun and relatable book for people of all ages. Who isn't curious about what cats do at night-even all day?! This book is so creative and fun, and gives a great imaginative possibility to the question we are all asking.
October 21, 2020
I really loved this book! Another lovely story, I feel a lot of children with a pet cat would love the idea of their cat going out to parties at night time! The illustrations were beautiful in this book, I liked that some pages were just pictures of scenes and no words, this type of illustration could be used in art lessons. Children could also make up stories about what their own pets do at night.
October 28, 2020
The story focuses on the characters due to the illustrations as there isn't much scenery around them. The cat Malcom is human like as he dressed up and goes to a party, Marie Elaine wonders where he goes to at night. She then one night goes out with him. The characters are used in perspective to show how the city is big and the characters are small so are perhaps vulnerable.
February 25, 2022
Traditional there-and-back children's fantasy story. What makes it stand out, for better or worse, is the art style of the illustrations. Some of the pages, particularly the ones with black or shaded backgrounds I found to be quite striking, but the sketchy figures on just the white background didn't do a lot for me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews