What's the Name of That Book??? discussion
This topic is about
Mary Stolz
SOLVED: Children's/YA
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SOLVED. Picture book about an old lady who adopts an old cat
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I don't know this book but it seems very interesting. I will follow your topic so I can look for the book as well, as soon as we figure out it's title.
Thanks, I was thinking hard on it last night, and I think the issue was that the cat was going deaf. I'm almost sure that was it, and the cat was fitted with hearing aids. Or glasses, but I'm pretty sure hearing aids.I think the woman's name was Mrs. Mixer? Mrs. Mixner? And the cat had an unusual type name. The cat's name might have been part of the title. It could also have been a short story, maybe in Highlights magazine, but I'm hoping it was a stand alone book 'cause that will make it easier to find.
Mod
My review is on the book page....
Thanks so much, but it's definitely not that one. There was nothing about moving to Florida or living in a condo.
Mr. Putter and Tabby is a charming picture book about an old man who adopts an old cat who's a bit deaf. But it only matches parts of your description. I mention it only in case you've misremembered aspects of it.
Thanks for the suggestion! The Mr. Putter and Tabby series is super cute, but not what I'm looking for. The story was definitely about an old woman, not an old man.
Maybe The Very Best of Friends, by Margaret Wild, illustrated by Julie Vivas?
Or maybe John Brown, Rose and the Midnight Cat by Wagner?
Thanks for the suggestions, but it's neither of those. Those was no deceased husband or dog. The story was really just about the old woman finding the cat, adopting him, realizing something was wrong, and taking him to the vet for treatment. There was an illustration of the characters at the vet's office.
Could it have been New Zealand author? I'm hesitant to suggest this as you're familiar with worldcat's search (I think) and may have considered it already but just in case: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/153313635
Thanks for the suggestion. No, it doesn't sound like A Prize for Purry. The cat had a more unusual name than that, and I don't think I could have come across a school reader from NZ.
Did you read the book in the 80s or later?
Mod
Rainbowheart, did the old lady live by herself or did she have other pets before finding the old cat?
Can you describe the illustrations - realistic/cartoony/cute, simple/detailed, painted watercolors/bold graphics, sunny/dark/muted colors/black & white?
Is this a picture book with about 32-48 pages?
I read the book in the '80s, but it could have been published in the '60s or '70s. The woman was either white or African American. I'm not quite sure. Maybe the vet was African American.The old woman lived alone, she was either widowed or had never been married and had no other family. I remember she was depicted as lonely or described as lonely. There were no other pets in the story. The illustrations had muted colors and seemed realistic.
I had thought it was a picture book, but now I'm doubting myself. Maybe it was a short story in a magazine. Definitely not the Holman book, but thanks for the suggestion.
Could it have been one of Patricia Polacco's books?
This fits only the cat getting glasses part (no old lady, it seems: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re... ): Orange Oliver: The Kitten Who Wore Glasses
Thanks, Kelly. Not Patricia Polacco, although I do love her books.Thanks, Ayshe. Orange Oliver isn't it either. I'm beginning to suspect this was a short story.
Thanks, Tab! Unfortunately, not that one. My book only had the old lady and a single cat.
Perhaps Chin Yu Min and the ginger cat?
Thanks, but not that one. The woman was not Chinese, and 1993 is also too late. My book or story would have been from the '80s. I'm wondering now if it was a short story in a magazine.
I found my old lady and old cat!!!It's actually a short story by Mary Stolz called "Chino's Tale."
"An older woman named Olive tells the story of how she adopted a stray cat she named Chino. On his 15th birthday, Olive noticed that something was wrong with Chino. She takes him to a veterinarian, who tells her Chino is deaf and should be euthanized. But Olive will not have it, and instead has him fitted with a hearing aid."
I'm not sure where I read it, but probably a magazine or inside a longer book of short stories. I don't think it was ever published as a stand alone picture book, so no wonder all our searches came up empty!
Oh yeah, and the woman's name was Miss Mixter."Miss Mixter and her cat, Chino, face old age and Chino's deafness together. A story by Mary Stolz published in the textbook Meeting Challenges, a reader for eighth graders."
Possibly I read it there or maybe Highlights or Cricket Magazine.
Thanks! It was just dumb luck. I was searching Worldcat for Miss "Mixer" and "Mixner" and finally I tried "Mixter," and there it was.
What's the Name of That Book???
Books mentioned in this topic
Mrs. Mary Malarky's Seven Cats (other topics)Orange Oliver: The Kitten Who Wore Glasses (other topics)
Silently, the Cat, and Miss Theodosia (other topics)
John Brown, Rose and the Midnight Cat (other topics)
The Very Best of Friends (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Patricia Polacco (other topics)Felice Holman (other topics)
Margaret Wild (other topics)
Looking for a picture book from the '80s, about an old woman who adopts an old cat. I think she found the cat when she heard meowing outside on a cold rainy or snowy night. I'm positive the cat was male. Either the woman's name or the cat's name was unusual.
At some point, the old woman brought the cat to the vet, and she found out the cat had vision problems (needed glasses?), was deaf, or maybe had something wrong with his teeth. This was a significant part of the story. The cat did not die. The cat got some unusual treatment, and the story ends with the old woman and cat alive and well.
I seem to recall realistic black and brown pictures, but I could be misremembering that part. Old woman was a stereotypical old, thin woman, maybe with a cane and white hair she wore in a bun on her head. Can't remember the color of the cat, either solid color or maybe tabby.
Thanks mucho!