For the love of a cat??

It's no secret for those of you who read this blog that I am a dog person.  I like dogs, I can't wait until I live in a place where I can actually have a dog of my own, and I wrote another post about dogs here and here. I hate cats (see here).  I won't rehash all of this because I've talked about it a bunch...but I bring it up again because today's book is about a cat.

Well, to put it more accurately it's about what one person, an artist, would do for a cat.  The book is set, "once upon a time, far away in Japan" which is a great opening for a book, but right after that marvelous opening so full of possibility the cat comes in.  The rest of the book is about the artist interacting with the cat as he works on his masterpiece, a painting of the death of the Lord Buddha.

I'm having a bit of a struggle trying to decide what other details to let you in on.  See this is another story where the book focuses on one specific event (another short one for you timid ones who want to read something but don't want to commit to a longer book).  But since it's all about this one event, the painting, I don't really have any details to share with you because that would give away too much.  I guess I could give you the title.  Today's book is The Cat Who Went to Heaven by Elizabeth Coatsworth.   I will also tell you that my edition of this book had wonderful illustrations by Lynd Ward so if you have a choice pick the one with the illustrations.

Loving an animal, even a cat...that's kids stuff.