The Cat Who Came In off the Roof

October 26, 2015
In this delightfully quirky story from the late Dutch author Schmidt (1911–1995), which was originally published in the Netherlands in 1970, a timid, feline-obsessed reporter is about to lose his job for filing stories on cats instead of more newsworthy fare. Mr. Tibble leaves his editor’s office knowing that he’ll be fired if he doesn’t produce better stories, only to rescue a woman named Miss Minou from a tree. When the woman shows up at his attic apartment, she confides that she used to be a cat, which seems outlandish to Tibble until her feline behaviors—such as sleeping in a box, hiding from dogs, and rubbing up against people—begin to convince him otherwise. In exchange for housing, Minou activates a “cat press agency,” enlisting local cats to feed her scoops that Tibble turns into hard-hitting articles. Tibble’s newfound wealth and influence is tested when a tip reveals the sinister side of a beloved philanthropist. It’s a satisfying and triumphant fantasy—one that will have readers watching what they say in front of their cats. Ages 10–up.

Starred review from October 1, 2015
A shy newspaper reporter gets a helping paw from local felines through a mysterious and "cattish" young lady. Moments after nearly losing his job for writing too many stories about cats, Tibble rescues a young woman from a tree that she's climbed to escape a barking dog. He takes her back to his attic apartment, and, because of her catlike ways and appearance, he finds he almost believes her when she says she used to be a cat. Minou talks to the neighborhood cats (some of whom can't believe she's considering staying human) and begins passing non-cat-centered, newsworthy stories on to Tibble to write about. His star rises at the paper, but when a news story reflects badly on a ruthless local businessman, it causes problems for everyone. Dutch children's-literature legend Schmidt's 1970 classic received a workmanlike translation in the early '90s. Colmer, who has translated much of Schmidt's work, brings this tale of transformation, intrigue, and interspecies friendship to new life with a creative, considered, and playful new translation. The story is worth reading just for the fun of watching Minou try to suppress her cat urges to rub up against the fishmonger, chase birds, and claw a woman in a cat-fur coat. A charming, refreshing, and funny treat. (Fantasy. 8-12)

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October 1, 2015

Gr 3-6-Shy newspaper reporter Mr. Tibble is in trouble with his editor because all of his articles are about cats. His editor demands that he cease writing about cats and instead write about local news. Luckily, soon after a real scoop lands in his lap when a young woman, frightened by a German shepherd, scampers up a tree in need of rescue. She is Miss Minou, a ginger cat who transformed into a human with catlike ways when she ate something unusual. Miss Minou understands feline language and helps Tibble find news stories by talking to the neighborhood cats who know everything that's going on in town. The cats even uncover the plans of evil Mr. Ellmore, who almost gets away with a crime as a hit-and-run driver. Miss Minou's sister, an identical ginger cat, wants Minou to return home. Will Minou return to feline life, or has she become too humanized to go back to her old haunts? Schmidt has written a fanciful tale that shows how people can change by forming close relationships-of both the feline and human variety. Both Tibble and Minou become less fearful and more trusting by forcing themselves to take part in community life. The cats in the story are as well drawn as the town's citizens. Readers will come away with the knowledge that caring for someone (or some cat) can make one a better, stronger, more empathetic person. VERDICT Offer this charming tale to children who enjoy animal adventure and friendships stories.-Lillian Hecker, Town of Pelham Public Library, NY

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2015
Grades 2-4 In this delightful fantasy, Tibble, a shy newspaper reporter, is about to lose his first job for submitting articles about catsand nothing else. Then in from Tibble's roof leaps Minou, a charming ginger-haired young lady whose oddly cattish habitspurring, rubbing her head on the fish-seller's arm, and pouncing on micemake sense when readers discover that, until recently, she was a cat. Through Minou's vast network of feline friends all over town, she is able to feed Tibble a steady stream of news tidbits that save his job and boost his position at the paper, until the cats uncover some scandalous facts about the head of the animal welfare association. Will Tibble lose his job for reporting the truth? Will Minou ever turn back into a cat? The book will have young readers suspending disbelief and flipping pages to get to the end. Finely translated by Colmer, this Dutch import is considered something of a children's classic in Holland, and it's easy to see why.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

Starred review from April 4, 2016
This story is delightfully quirky, with touches of madcap action, and narrator Kellgren is perfectly matched to the tale. Mr. Tibble is a newspaper reporter who only writes about cats. His editor tells Tibble he needs to begin reporting some harder news to keep his job. Enter Minou, a woman who confides in Mr. Tibble that she used to be a cat. After a dog chases Minou up a tree, and Tibble helps her down, Minou begins living in Tibble’s spare room. In exchange for housing, Minou begins a “cat press agency,” enlisting local cats to feed her scoops that Tibble turns into hard-hitting articles. Cats in town overhear all kinds of things; no one ever notices if a cat is in the room while a secret meeting is going on. Kellgren sounds as though she’s having a delightful time. She gives Minou a breathless innocence. Tibble, with his nasal voice, often sounds overwhelmed, and the villains are haughty and speak with tight throats. The cats are a wonderful variety of English accents from Yorkshire to Cockney to upper-crust London. Best of all, Kellgren adds meows and hissing into the mix. The story is wonderfully gentle and silly; even parents will enjoy listening. Ages 10–up. A Delacorte hardcover.

January 1, 2016
In this Dutch novel first published in 1970, we encounter an almost entirely adult cast, human and feline. Mr. Tibble is a failed newspaperman, too shy to pursue the big story. Miss Minou is a cat who has been imprisoned in human form. Bilingual (cat and human) Minou gets scoops from her cat cronies and passes them on to Tibble, whose reporter reputation soars until he gets a whiff of a big scandal and makes some enemies in high places. Meanwhile, Minou is caught in the struggle between two incompatible natures. Should she remain a human, or strive to return to her feline body? The human characters in this romp are painted with an affectionately satirical brush, and the cats, from the tough-talking Tatter Cat to the slow-on-the-uptake School Cat to aged Aunt Sooty ( Wash yourself with spit. Lick yourself. That is the beginning and end of all wisdom ) are hilariousall ego, street smarts, and sensuality. There's poignancy to Minou's situation and a bittersweet ending, but the overall mood is a piquant geniality that makes it pretty much catnip for feline fanciers. sarah ellis

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)