City Cat
Illustrated by Lauren Castillo Published November 2013
A plucky stray cat takes a Grand Tour in Kate Banks’ story of a family on a European vacation. As the family travels from one city to the next, the cat finds its own means–by bus, boat, train, truck, and bike–to tag along on the trip, visiting historic landmarks like Buckingham Palace and the Cathedral of Notre Dame along the way. Readers will pore over the spreads to find where City Cat is hiding in each city, and detailed backmatter explains the history behind the sites in each locale.
Reviews
Publishers Weekly
Castillo takes no shortcuts, drafting each city’s distinctive architecture in soft, pleasing lines. Though there are parallels with Banks’s The Cat Who Walked Across France, this feline isn’t trying to get home; she’s happy to wander Europe’s plazas and cathedral squares, and to have readers trail along.
School Library Journal
Children will enjoy the fanciful adventures of this intrepid feline as she explores rooftops, bridges, and ancient ruins…this is a pretty book for armchair travelers and cat lovers.
Kirkus
A black cat serves as European tour guide for child readers in this offering from Banks and Castillo. . . A lovely… feline journey.