The Cat Mummy

by Jacqueline Wilson, Nick Sharratt (Illustrator)

Verity's old tabby cat Mabel might not be quite as lively as she used to be and yes, she smells a bit and doesn't always make it to the litter tray on time, but she really loves her. More importantly, Mabel once belonged to Verity's mum--not that Verity actually ever knew her mum because she died. She really doesn't mind too much about not having a mum, apart from when she goes to visit her grave, which makes her think about being in the ground with a head full of worms.

So when she finds Mabel dead in the wardrobe, it seems to Verity that it would be much better to take a few lessons from the ancient Egyptians: rather than bury the poor old thing she decides to mummify her so they can be together forever. But what with the problems involved in finding the mummification materials and the fact that Gran would probably fuss about hygiene if she knew anything about it, things don't quite go as planned.

Genres: Childrens, Fiction, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Animals, Contemporary, Cats

96 pages, Paperback

First published March 5, 2001

About the author

Jacqueline Wilson was born in Bath in 1945, but spent most of her childhood in Kingston-on-Thames. She always wanted to be a writer and wrote her first ‘novel’ when she was nine, filling in countless Woolworths’ exercise books as she grew up. As a teenager she started work for a magazine publishing company and then went on to work as a journalist on Jackie magazine (which she was told was named after her!) before turning to writing novels full-time.

One of Jacqueline’s most successful and enduring creations has been the famous Tracy Beaker, who first appeared in 1991 in The Story of Tracy Beaker. This was also the first of her books to be illustrated by Nick Sharratt. Since then Jacqueline has been on countless awards shortlists and has gone on to win many awards. The Illustrated Mum won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Award, the 1999 Children’s Book of the Year at the British Book Awards and was also shortlisted for the 1999 Whitbread Children’s Book Award.

Double Act won the prestigious Smarties Medal and the Children’s Book Award as well as being highly commended for the Carnegie Medal. The Story of Tracy Beaker won the 2002 Blue Peter People’s Choice Award.

Jacqueline is one of the nation’s favourite authors, and her books are loved and cherished by young readers not only in the UK but all over the world. She has sold millions of books and in the UK alone the total now stands at over 35 million!

In 2002 Jacqueline was awarded the OBE for services to literacy in schools and from 2005 to 2007 she was the Children’s Laureate. In 2008 she became Dame Jacqueline Wilson.

Reviews

[I'mogén · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read for the Jacqueline Wilson readathon. Here is the reading vlog: https://youtu.be/fg9WuWRiYz8

I think I would have loved this even more, had I read this as a kid, because I started getting into Egyptian mythology and our main character, Verity, is inspired by them when her cat passes away (I've always had cats).
As an adult, I still adored it and I can connect further still, with my own mother passing away and that the conversations around death and grief can be painful and uncomfortable, so reading Verity's story, I really felt for her. It also introduces regret too and I felt like everything regarding the discussion of death was handled very sensitively.

I also adored all the illustrations in this. It was great to look over and really added to the story telling.

The mummification was pretty disturbing and traumatic to read about, yet I can see how literal Verity would take all that, considering that was the only form of burial and death she had had exposure to.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. It was beautiful, sad, and heart warming.

Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy! >(^_^)<
Gén

[Marina Schulz · Rating 1 out of 5]

REVIEW AIMED AT PARENTS

Let's be clear. I only read this book at age 23 because I'm learning a new language - Swedish - and picked this one up at a bookstore in Stockholm. Why not pick something up more traditionally Swedish? Because I was familiar with JW in English (she's a favourite that I read until I was older than I care to admit). Also, the book was dead cheap, cheaper than anything else available. I now see why.

A second question, I see you thinking. If you read this in Swedish, why aren't you reviewing this in Swedish? Well, first of all, if I could write as fluently in Swedish as I can in English you clearly wouldn't find me reading children's books, would you? Secondly, I am writing this review as a disclaimer for anyone looking for an honest review of "The Cat Mummy", for which I would imagine British mummies (see what I did there? :) ) are more likely the searching public.

So, essentially, I hated this book. I'm 23, and honestly? I almost had nightmares myself because of it. Granted, the title is self-explanatory, but I didn't actually think that Verity would keep and hide the rotting cat in her closet for two\three days! . I swear, I could visualise it much too vividly than I wanted, and the only reason I kept reading was because it was the only book I had in Swedish.

In essence, call me crazy but I think this is a woefully inappropriate book for younglings. I understand the idea of needing something to help explain the concept of death to them, and that everyone reacts differently, but trust me, The Cat Mummy is not the answer! It's kind of like one of those questions that don't need an answer to, like "is murder bad" or "can i stab aunty?". If the child needs to ask.... you've already got a problem. If the child doesn't have this kind of problem, why add weird, disturbing imagery to their mind? Because the The Cat Mummy certainly was disturbing. It isn't just about Verity fantasying of mummies or whatever. She actually prepares the corpse by pouring salt to preserve it (imagine that, with your child and an ACTUAL pet, and get an idea of how disturbed it is). Granted, she does it wrong in childlike innocence, but stilll.... She keeps the cat in the closet for days, and sticks her hand in to "hold it" even when its smelling so putrid that it stinks her entire room and clothes....

Want to teach a child about loss? There are about 10000 better resources than this, I'm sorry. Hard pass.

[MeeJazz Frincy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favourite book by Jacqueline Wilson...❤

[Imas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Menemukan buku ini dan beberapa buku anak lainnya di pedagang buku bekas dipasar kaget "pagar mall" diluar gerbang kantor. Yang selalu menyenangkan dengan pedagang buku bekas adalah mereka langsung bisa berbincang tentang buku yang kita pilih.... seruu 😊

The cat mummy bercerita tentang Verity, gadis kecil yang tinggal bersama kakek, neneknya serta ayahnya. Bersama mereka juga ada Mabel kucing paling hebat sedunia. Mabel yang semakin tua dan sakit-sakitan. Kematian menjadi subjek yang dihindari di rumah mereka sejak mama Verity berpulang. Mereka tanpa sadar berusaha menghindari topik tentang almarhum mama Verity karena tidak ingin merasakan pedihnya kehilangan.

Hal yang tanpa disadari berpengaruh terhadap kemampuan dan pemikiran si gadis kecil Verity tentang kematian dan kehilangan.

[Lauren Gilmour · Rating 1 out of 5]

As a teacher, I read a lot of children's books. This one I read as I was looking for a novel to tie in with my class's Ancient Egyptians project. Well. I lost my dog last year and this book really affected me. I was crying my eyes out when Verity discovered her dead cat in her wardrobe. What hope would I have reading this to 8 year olds? The book isn't appropriate for the age range it is aimed at at all. The mummified cat is seriously messed up.

I also question Wilson's writing skills. She overuses a few key words such as 'special'. One best avoided if looking for a short novel...

[Elishia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very sweet story about a young girl Verity whose cat, Mabel dies of old age. Verity feels guilty for not appreciating Mabel enough when she was alive and tries to preserve Mabel as a mummy after learning in school how the Ancient Egyptians did so with their cats. The story tells of Verity's quest to try to conceal Mabel in her wardrobe away from her father and grandparents as she does not want to bury Mabel in the garden under the 'dirty earth' with the worms and in the dark!
Eventually with the discovery of Mabel by Verity's grandmother, the family learn to deal with the underlying issue of the death of Verity's mum who died at childbirth.
An insightful story which handles bereavement from a child's perspective very sensitively. A must-read!

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very touching. Verity really loves Mabel and what she does with her then is disgusting (I don't want to say what she did because I don't want to ruin it for other readers!) Mabel is so sweet and what happens is very sad.

[Sonia Gomes · Rating 1 out of 5]

Found it a weird sort of a book. Macabre more like it!

[Rosie Walls · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and sweet story! I wonder how many children tried to mummify their deceased pets after reading this! 😵‍💫

[Nellaneva Nellaneva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mendadak teringat kalau dulu suka banget baca buku-buku Jacqueline Wilson and this is one of my favorites <3

[Remy · Rating 4 out of 5]

i’m going to break a jar of lavender bath salts

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

So poignant. I loved Mabel, pets are so special. I think it's good to have strong family bonds, Verity's Dad was good to her.

[Les Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this is a children’s book. Even as an adult I found it very interesting.

[Joëlle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in prep for dead pet girls book club ! A lovely lil read exploring grief and how pet grief is not only as painful and meaningful as human grief but how losing a pet can help us deal with losing a human. Cats are the absolute best and I cry for any cat that has left our physical world and entered the spirit world, I love u cats xxxx

[duniamimpigie Anggi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Saya rasa ini buku yang lumayan bagus untuk memperkenalkan "kematian" pada anak-anak. Meski memang, ini lebih ke kematian hewan peliharaan, sih. Setidaknya, tokoh utama cerita ini, Verity, jadi mengerti bagaimana kematian (baik kematian ibunya dulu maupun kematian kucingnya saat cerita berlangsung) bisa mengundang kesedihan bukan hanya bagi dirinya, namun juga orang-orang di sekitarnya, sehingga dia tanpa sadar selalu merasa berat hati ketika membicarakan kematian di depan keluarganya. Cerita ini juga berhasil mengutarakan bagaimana Verity akhirnya mengenal perasaan "tidak ingin berpisah" dengan mereka yang telah meninggal.

[Camile Doubtfire · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed this because I love all Jaqueline Wilson's books, I love her writing style and Nick Sharrat's illustrations are the perfect addition to her stories. The mummified cat rotting in the wardrobe was too far for me though, it was a little disturbing. It says at the beginning that it's a sad book that might make you cry (it did) but is also funny, I didn't find it funny, though I understood what Jaqueline was going for and the message she was trying to get across.

[Rose &#x1f940; · Rating 3 out of 5]

well this was creepy.

[Jill Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Verity lives with her Gran and Grandpa, her Dad works a lot and she doesn’t see much of him.

When Verity gets home after school Mable their cat, had been sick near the door. Verity gets cross and yells at her. Gran reminds Verity that Mable is really old and not to be mad.

The next day Mable doesn’t come when she’s called. Verity was worried and she looks in all the places Mable likes to go inside the house. Mable doesn’t go outside much but Verity still checks their yard.

Verity cries because they can’t find Mable. Dad comes home early and he promises to make posters to put up in case anyone sees their cat.

Everyone was sad and Verity didn’t want to tell Gran, Grandpa or her Daddy when she found Mable in her dressing gown in the wardrobe. She was stiff and cold. Because her family are sad when they talk about Verity’s mother dying, she doesn’t say anything about finding Mable. Instead Verity decides to make Mable into a cat Mummy just like the ones from Ancient Egypt. That’s what her teacher Miss Smith has been telling them at school.

You need to read the book to see how the family discovered the truth and how they react.

The Cat Mummy is a book to help children deal with death.

[Robin :] · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hadn't read this book in my childhood, but had heard of it being shocking and weird, as many Jacqueline Wilson books are described by those looking back on their not so childish plot lines. However, this book is about grief, and as the saying goes, grief makes people do crazy things. Like mummifying their mothers old cat. Especially with the detail of the last words Verity ever said to Mable being a scolding, it's illogical though understandable why Verity would want to literally preserve Mabel in this way - to not end on a bad note.

Except for an eight year old knowing the word "emnity", I have no gripes with this book or J.W's writing style, as usual. It deals with grief in a way perfect for kids to understand, and is actually quite a sad little story about a little kids desperation for comfort and fear of death and the mourning process.

[Kristina Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I cried so much reading it. It is a bit dark and a funny concept, but it's actually such a cute and sweet little story!! I've never read something that encapsulates every feeling of grief I've felt so well. It's so well written, even other characters whose perspectives we don't see and only see from a child's perspective are so easy to understand and sympathize with. Also, when my grandma talked about this book, I wondered how incredibly deranged a kid would have to be to try and mummify their cat at home. Turns not not very deranged because I totally get her, she's just a girl!!

[Ellie Abrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a child, this was an absolute favourite of mine. It was my colleague's look of utter disgust and surprise as I told them about The Cat Mummy that made me want to read this again, as their disbelief had me questioning my own recollections of the story. They were accurate. Verity really does hide her dead cat in her wardrobe.

Side note - her teacher behaves in a really bizarre manner, absolutely overstepping professionalism.

[Anya Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was very sad but very interesting.

[homeatreides · Rating 3 out of 5]

Traumatised little 8 year old me btw

[Emily :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

forgot how fucking weird this is

[Erin Simmehchan · Rating 3 out of 5]

skimmed through this to see if it was as messed up as i remember and… yeah can confirm

[Duckie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't believe I managed to find a Jacqueline Wilson book from the 2000's that I didn't read as a kid!

The Cat Mummy is such a sweet, short delve into a little girl's first true experience with grief. It explores the topic in such a simple yet heart-breaking way. Wilson's writing style may be aimed at children, but her plots remain engaging and universally loved by all ages. C.S. Lewis once said, "A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story." In my opinion, Wilson has continued to prove that point throughout her career.

Safe to say, I gave my 16-year-old cat a bloody big cuddle after reading this little story before bed!

[bakanekonomama · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cerita mengenai hewan peliharaan selalu bisa membuat saya menangis tersedu-sedu. Begitu juga cerita The Cat Mummy yang ditulis oleh Jacqueline Wilson ini.

Verity memiliki seekor kucing tua bernama Mabel. Mabel sangat malas, lamban, dan membosankan. Tetapi, ia selalu setia mendengarkan cerita Verity. Termasuk cerita mengenai ibu Verity yang telah meninggal dunia ketika Verity lahir. Hanya kepada Mabel-lah Verity bisa mengungkapkan segala hal tentang ibu yang tidak pernah dikenalnya itu.

Verity tidak mungkin menceritakan tentang ibunya kepada Gran, Grandad, dan Daddy, karena hal itu terlalu menyedihkan. Mereka juga selalu bersedih dan menangis jika bercerita tentang ibu Verity. Hanya kepada Mabel-lah Verity bisa bercerita mengenai semuanya. Meskipun Mabel pemalas, suka buang air sembarangan, dan tidak lincah, Verity sangat sayang kepada Mabel. Hingga suatu hari Verity menyesal karena telah memarahi Mabel yang muntah sembarangan hingga Verity menginjak muntahannya itu. Mabel tidak pulang lagi saat itu, dan Verity harus menerima kenyataan dan menyadari arti kehilangan yang sesungguhnya untuk pertama kalinya....
Sepanjang membaca cerita ini, mata saya berkaca-kaca, bahkan menangis. Saya memang lemah sekali terhadap cerita-cerita semacam ini. Ingatan saya berlari-larian ke kucing-kucing yang dulu pernah saya pelihara. Kucing-kucing yang sebagian besar saya temukan di jalan, dan ada juga beberapa yang secara turun temurun tinggal di rumah saya. Hingga hampir dua tahun yang lalu, selalu ada kucing di rumah saya. Kucing terakhir saya hilang entah kemana ketika anak-anaknya mati satu per satu, gara-gara ada anak-anak kecil yang memisahkan mereka dari ibunya. Anak-anak itu, yang masih terlalu kecil, tidak bisa hidup sendiri, sementara ibu mereka sudah nggak mau menyusui lagi karena anak-anak itu sudah terkontaminasi bau manusia. Manusia yang tidak dikenalnya. Akibatnya, mereka mati satu per satu, karena saya nggak mungkin memberikan susu ke mereka yang benar-benar masih merah itu... Nggak lama setelah anak-anaknya mati, si induk ikut menghilang dan tidak ketahuan rimbanya hingga sekarang ini... (TTT^TTT)

Kucing jantan saya juga menghilang dan nggak pulang-pulang ketika saya tinggal pergi belajar di negeri orang selama setahun. Mbah saya sampai berkomentar, kalau kucing ini tahu saya sudah nggak ada di rumah, makanya dia pergi. Sementara itu, saya berpendapat bahwa dia mungkin mencari saya, tapi nggak menemukan saya. Soalnya, meskipun dianggap sebagai makhluk pemalas yang tidak sesetia anjing, ada juga kucing yang berjalan sampai lima tahun untuk bertemu lagi dengan majikannya! Mungkin saja si mpus saya juga begitu... T___T

Lalu yang terakhir adalah kucing yang saya temukan sekitar sebulan yang lalu. Kucing kecil yang lucu yang saya temukan meringkuk kedinginan di jalan menuju rumah saya. Saya membawanya pulang dan merawatnya. Saya juga menyuapinya dengan susu, karena ia masih belum bisa menjilat sendiri dari mangkuk. Ia juga pilek saat itu, bersin-bersin terus. Sayangnya, kebersamaan saya dan dia hanya bertahan selama 3 hari. Dia menghilang. Tanpa jejak. Bentoku sayang tidak ada dimana-mana. Satu hal yang patut saya syukuri adalah saya nggak perlu melihat tubuhnya yang terbujur kaku. Meskipun saya bisa saja menganggap dia hilang, tapi kucing sekecil dia tidak mungkin bisa bertahan hidup kalau tidak ada orang yang merawatnya... Oh, Bento....

Kehilangan hewan peliharaan itu memang sesuatu yang menyakitkan. Rasanya sedih sekali kalau hewan yang biasa ada di samping kita tiba-tiba sudah tak bernyawa lagi. Ini juga yang ingin disampaikan Jacqueline Wilson dalam bukunya. Kehilangan, khususnya bagi anak-anak bukanlah hal yang mudah. Ya, bagi orang dewasa juga tidak mudah sih, tapi kita sudah memahami konsep kematian itu. Sementara bagi mereka, itu bukanlah sesuatu hal yang mudah dijelaskan. Tugas orang dewasa, khususnya orangtua sangatlah dibutuhkan untuk menjelaskan hal itu. Karena kalau tidak, anak-anak yang kehilangan hewan peliharaannya akan merasa trauma dan tidak ingin memelihara binatang lagi seumur hidupnya. Padahal, menurut saya ada hal-hal penting yang hanya bisa dipelajari melalui merawat hewan peliharaan. Kalau saya punya anak nanti, saya akan memelihara hewan-hewan peliharaan agar mereka bisa belajar cara merawat binatang dan menyayangi mereka. Jadi, anak-anak saya akan tumbuh menjadi anak lembut dan penuh kasih sayang. Tapi, itu masih nanti.... ;)

http://edensordreamer.blogspot.com/20...

[Sea]

Randomly remembered that I read this as a child with the book being there with me for almost around 20 plus years, until I finally let it go, most of the children do not perceive death but I assume like weird or crazy concepts with tons of animation.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Cat Mummy is a story which focuses on the main character Verity who has sadly lost her mother at a young age. She lives with her grandmother, grandfather and her father and her cat Mabel who is very old. Verity's mother died when she was a baby and although she is desperate to find out more about her mother she is terrified that the sensitive subject will upset her family. She feels that the only one she can speak to about her mother is her cat Mabel. Unfortunately because of Mabel's age she is very ill and Verity begins to show signs of anger towards Mabel because she has been sick all over the floor. As a result of Verity's anger Mabel runs away and cannot be found anywhere. When Verity finally finds Mabel it is too late because Mabel had died and she decides to keep this a secret from everyone.

At school Verity had been learning about the ancient egyptians and how they use to preserve people and cats when they died. This gave Verity an idea to try and use what she learnt at school and try and make her cat into a mummy. After a few days Verity's grandmother realises that there is something wrong with Verity and she notices the bad smell which is coming from her bedroom. When her grandmother finds the cat wrapped in bandages Verity explains that she did not want to bury her cat the same way her mother is buried.

At the end of the book Verity comes to terms with the fact that she has to bury her cat. She also expresses her fear of death and burials to her father who then learns to understand that Verity needs to be able to speak to someone about her worries.

This is a sad story and it shows the perspective of death from a young persons point of view. It showed the fear that Verity has and the thoughts that she has when it comes to death and burials. The story can relate to many young people who have had pets who have died and it can teach them that even though this is a sad time that they can use different ways of coping with berevement. For example Verity had a tough time speaking about death because of the fear of upsetting her family. However by the end of the book Verity and her father learn that they both need to talk about things, which made them feel better and have a better understanding about coping with death.

I really enjoyed this book as it lets the reader undrestand the different ways some people may deal with death of someone close to you. I also enjoyed the happy ending of the book as you saw Verity finally having the chance to find out more about her mother.

[Evyta Ar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Verity mempunyai kucing bernama Mabel yang telah dipelihara oleh ibunya sejak ibunya menikah dengan ayahnya. Suatu saat Mabel sakit dan menghilang. Verity, ayahnya, kakek dan neneknya ikut mencari Mabel ke semua tempat. Secara tak sengaja Verity menemukan Mabel di dalam lemarinya, mati. Ia sangat sedih kehilangan Mabel. Seketika dia teringat pelajaran di sekolah tentang orang mati Mesir yang diawetkan menjadi mumi. Ia pun kemudian membuat mumi Mabel menggunakan pita dan garam mandi berbau lavender, lalu menyimpannya di dalam tas serut kesayangannya. Verity merahasiakan hal itu dari orang serumah.

Hingga suatu saat bau bangkai Mabel semakin kuat. Ia akhirnya tidak bisa lagi menyimpan rahasia itu. Neneknya kemudian menemukan Mabel di dalam tas serut di dalam lemari. Mereka lalu menguburkan Mabel.

Buku ini lucu dan menarik bagi anak-anak, terlebih untuk mendidik mereka tentang hewan peliharaan. Bahkan bagi orang dewasa sekali pun. Saya jadi teringat akan semua kucing-kucing saya yang masih hidup maupun sudah mati. Bahwa sebenarnya, sekecil apa pun peran seekor hewan peliharaan di rumah kita, ia akan selalu meninggalkan kenangan manis dan hiburan untuk kita. Saya sangat menyayangi mereka. Barangkali suatu saat kelak, kita bisa membuat sebuah buku khusus yang bercerita tentang kucing-kucing kita, seperti yang Verity lakukan dan ayahnya lakukan ketika membuat buku tentang Mabel dan ibunya yang sudah meninggal.

Lewat buku ini kita belajar, seremeh-remehnya seekor kucing di mata orang lain, sangat berarti bagi yang memeliharanya. Kucing yang ada di rumah kita telah menghibur kita, menelurkan tawa kita saat mereka bermain-main bergelantungan di gorden, atau berkejaran di rumah, atau menggaruk-garuk kursi dan kayu, atau sebatas bercengkerama dengan kita. Mereka menghibur kita, meninggalkan kebahagiaan tersendiri bagi pemiliknya.

I love my cats (Bimo, Tammy, Ulong, Beltig, Ndung, Bumbum, dsb) ^^

PS: sebaiknya bagi anak muslim, membaca buku ini didampingi orangtua agar bisa menjelaskan yang benarnya terkait mitos Mesir kuno dan hal-hal lainnya supaya anak-anak tidak terjatuh pada kemusyrikan.