Matilda's Cat by Emily Gravett


Matilda's cat does not like tea parties. Or funky hats. Or fighting foes. Or drawing. But Matilda's cat does have staying power. And hilarious expressions. While she is wonderful at creating adorable children characters, animals appear more often in Gravett's books and that's ok with me. She has a way with animals and their body language that exemplifies what is best about picture books and the imaginary realms they can inhabit.
The assertions and retractions continue well into the night, when we find Matilda reading a bedtime story. While I don't have the full two page spread to share here, I think that this is one of the best examples of what Gravett can do with pictures rather than words. Matilda sits, engrossed in her book (Gravett's own Dogs, published in 2010) and reaching to pet her cat. Unfortunately, she makes a shadow puppet that sends her cat's tail puffing, back arching and pupils dilating...
The book ends on a very sweet note, despite Matilda's initial frustration. The penultimate page lists all the things that Matilda's cat does NOT like. A page turn, a change into pajamas and a look of wonderment on Matilda's cat's face, along with one last, "Matilda's cat likes," and we see, happily, that Matilda's cat likes . . . MATILDA!! The final page shows the two cozy in bed, eyes closed, enjoying the same thing - at last!
But, there is one last treat for readers, as always with Gravett's books. The endpapers show us Matilda's cat, leaving paw prints across the floor, springing in attack! What is Matilda's cat attacking? Matilda's slippers (which look like dogs...)!
More from the amazing Emily Gravett: