The White Cat
and the Monk by Jo
Ellen Bogart, illustrated by Sydney Smith (Walker Books)
PB RRP $16.99
ISBN 9781406372977
Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis
Reading the origins of the poem retold in this
picture book for all ages, is just as delightful as reading the story. The poem
was discovered in the margins of a manuscript in a monastery in Austria. It is
said to have been written around the nineteenth century by an Irish monk. There
is also an Irish version of the poem to be discovered.
The monk has dedicated his life to learning. His
days are filled with study and discovery. He has a roommate, a white cat called
Pangur who is as dedicated to his pursuits as the monk to his. Mouse-catching
is Pangur’s occupation.
One does not bother or interfere with the other.
They each search for something. One finds his prey, while the other finds the
‘light in the darkness’.
Exquisitely illustrated images are by the talented
and expressive Sydney Smith of Sidewalk
Flowers. The hand-lettered text is ideally suited to the classical
presentation. Its themes reflect the natural world occupied by animals, and the
internal world that occupies the monk.
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